Lynn’s students go head-to-head in citywide History Cup competition

LYNN – High school students across the city proved Thursday they know their history but St. Mary’s juniors knew it just a little better and took home the first History Cup during a citywide competition.”There is such an emphasis on math and science, and that’s good but you need to be a good citizen too,” said Lynn Classical High School Social Studies Department Head Dave Poland, who organized the competition. “We just wanted something where we could focus on history ? and promote civics and U.S. education.”Poland’s Lynn English High School counterpart Carol Ruggiero, a veteran College Bowl coach and former Jeopardy contestant, laid down the ground rules: three rounds, 20 minutes each, with toss up and bonus questions, all five points apiece, and the highest score wins.”The proctor reads the questions and you raise your hands,” said Ruggiero. “We’re not fancy enough for buzzers.”The competition pitted juniors, seniors and the occasional sophomore from Classical, English, Lynn Vocational Technical Institute and St. Mary’s against each other.Classical’s Alan Ruiz-Castro, Elisha Hyde-Castillo, Miguel Jimenez and Samuel Koeut were knocked out in the first round but took it well.Hyde-Castillo said it seemed they knew all the bonus questions the other team received but few of their own. They also got hung up on local history.”I’ll work on local history,” she said. “I’ll know it next year.”The questions covered world, U.S. and local history and government, and current events. It was local history that stumped most of the students.Students knew that Jean Paul Marat, an outspoken French revolutionary, was stabbed to death in his bath by Charlotte Corday in 1793 but couldn’t name the local plant that was soaked in a Chestnut Street pond – flax, for which the pond is named.Despite the lack of local knowledge, St. Mary’s juniors, led by captain Drew DiMaiti with Hannah McCormack and Helio Neto Meirelles beat out English students in the final to bring home the cup.The final round started out as a runaway for St. Mary’s with DiMaiti whipping off answers before the questions were read through but English found its footing with about seven minutes left and finished with 120 points to St. Mary’s 180.”If we had just gotten it together a little sooner,” said team captain Stephanie Downs. “It was a good experience and since I’m a senior it will be my only experience.”English might have lost the battle for the history cup but it did retain the math cup for the second year in a row.Last week Classical math teacher Mike Bastarache held the second Annual Citywide Math Competition where again the city’s four high schools squared off in a Jeopardy-style game.”It was fantastic,” Bastarache said. “We had 35 kids ? two rounds total and a final Jeopardy question.”Bastarache said he started the competition last year as a way to showcase the city’s “brilliant math kids.” The winners get bragging rights and a cup that stays with the school until the next competition.Thursday’s tournament also had a cup that St. Mary’s coach Mike Jalbert said will be displayed in the school’s trophy case, right next to the sports trophies.St. Mary’s Principal Carl DiMaiti said he was not surprised his son was on the winning team.”He’s the son of a former history teacher, what do you expect?” he said smiling broadly.Classical Principal Gene Constantino, who watched the competition, called it a great afternoon.”Last week we had math, now history. I think they should expand it and get more subjects involved,” he said. “They’re all Lynn kids and they’re together. It’s great.”Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].