The Buzz

by Daniel Chiu
The
Buzz
about History
Histor y
THE NATIONAL HISTORY BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP
IT WAS THE FINAL QUESTION of the final round of the National History Bowl Middle School Championship.
The score was 240-210, with my team leading. However, on a question that could be worth 30 points if answered early
enough, anything could happen, and everyone was nervous. The question began: “One man with this title once had
a ring of fire surround his head while he was a slave, and the third man to hold it died of a divine lightning strike.”
The Accidental Contender
In December 2012, the newsletter for my middle school mentioned tryouts
for a new competition, the History Bee. I had never heard of the competition,
but I had some interest in history and thought it was worth a try.
Those of us who signed up for History Bee took a 70-question written
test at our school. Afterward, the top seven scorers competed in an oral
round using buzzers. The top four students then took an 80-question test, the
Online Regional Qualifying Exam (ORQE). Like the written and oral tests,
the ORQE included questions drawing from all aspects of history. Based on
our results on that test, all four of us advanced to the regional competition
that would take place six weeks later.
The regional History Bee was held at a small private school near Portland,
Oregon. I had never participated in a history competition, so I did not expect
to win. Much to my surprise, before I knew it, I was in the finals. I finished
in second place and qualified for the National History Bee. I started to think
that maybe I was actually good at history.
To Bee or to Bowl?
Three days later, the organizer of History Bee at my school sent an email
about History Bowl, which is similar to History Bee and run by the same
organization but is a completely separate competition. The main difference
is that while History Bee is an individual competition, History Bowl is
team-based, with up to four people on a team. Fortunately, our four highest
scorers in the Bee were available, so we registered. Our school signed up
two teams, and my younger brother Benji was on the other team. There was
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just one problem: History Bowl was only five days away.
After three days of preparation, our families drove to the regional competition at a high school north of Portland. Over the course of the day, each
team played six matches. My team won all six of our matches, racking up
2,360 points. We came in first, qualifying for the national competition that
would be held two months later in Washington, DC. My brother’s team came
in second and also qualified for the national competition.
Now I had a dilemma. I was already planning to fly to the MATHCOUNTS National Competition and the National History Bee. It would
have been difficult to fly to a third tournament because I would miss too
many school days. On the way out of the regional competition, my mother
asked for advice from a high school student who had competed nationally
the year before. When we told him our total score was 2360, he said we
definitely should go to National History Bowl, and that our score could
be a record in the country and possibly in the history of History Bowl!
When we got home, we looked online at the scores of other teams going
to nationals. Seeing that my team’s score was indeed the highest registered
score, I decided to go to the National History Bowl instead of the National
History Bee.
After registration closed, our team was still seeded first. My teammates
and I knew we had a chance to win the national competition, but we also
knew we would have to study hard. My brother and I read history books from
the local public library. My mother watched history movies with us. Before
I learned about history competitions, my main interests in history were the
Roman Empire and World War II. While studying, I became enthralled by
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the Supreme Court, the Middle Ages, and many
other topics in history. It was a terrific learning
experience.
Making History
In the second week of May, my family and I
flew to Washington, DC, a week earlier than my
teammates, so I could compete in the National
MATHCOUNTS Competition, also held in
DC, the weekend before the National History
Bowl Championship. During the five days after
MATHCOUNTS, my brother and I studied for
History Bowl and went sight-seeing. I met up
with my team on Friday night, and the following
morning we met again to squeeze in some practice before the competition.
Our first round was very intense. Right before
the last question, our team was leading by 10
points, but this question was worth up to 30
points. The first line was read:
One of this man’s speeches mentions “a check
that has come back marked insufficient funds.”
I buzzed in with the correct answer, “Martin
Luther King, Jr.,” for 30 points. We won the round,
but because it was so close, my team was slightly
nervous. Fortunately, the next three rounds were
a breeze. We had one more close call after that,
and we lost one round, but at the end of the day
we had won seven of our eight rounds and were
seeded second. The top eight teams qualified
for finals the next day, so we advanced; but my
younger brother’s team, which was ranked 15th
overall, did not.
The second day of competition was held at
Mount Vernon, George Washington’s estate, and
began with a round-robin tournament in each
of two pools. We passed that stage of competition, finishing 3-0 in our pool, and advanced to
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the semifinals, where we faced the defending
champion, Longfellow Middle School. Although
the score was tied at 180-180 at the beginning of
fourth quarter, we managed to pull ahead and
win, 280-200.
All this time, the pressure had been building.
Now in the finals, we were one win away from
claiming the national title. The match began with
these six words:
This man’s namesake screw transported water…
I buzzed in with the right answer: Archimedes.
We took the lead and at one point were ahead by
100 points, but right before the final question,
the other team pulled within 30 points of us. The
score was 240-210, with my team in the lead,
when the final question began:
One man with this title once had a ring of fire
surround his head while he was a slave, and the
third man to hold it died of a divine lightning
strike.
I didn’t yet know the answer, so throughout this
first line I hoped the other team didn’t, either.
The final man of this title who built a large sewer
and a racetrack was Tarquin the Proud...
Someone from the other team buzzed in and
guessed “Emperors of Rome.” The answer was
wrong. I kept listening.
... whom Collatinus ousted following the rape
of Lucretia with Brutus. For 10 points, name
this title held by men like Numa Pompilius and
Romulus, who ruled Rome alone prior to the
Republic.
Now confident that I knew the answer, I buzzed
in and said, “Kings of Rome.” (The difference
between emperors and kings might seem trivial,
but in the case of Rome, it is a major one.) My
answer was correct, for 10 points, and the round
ended with a final score of 250-210. My team
from Stoller Middle School claimed the title
of 2013 National History Bowl Middle School
Champion!
H
istory Bowl is a wonderful competition,
and I look forward to participating in
high school. Both my knowledge of history
and my interest in history have increased
exponentially. In school, history is taught
by empire/country, but studying for History
Bowl allowed me to see the underlying connections between empires. I think learning
history this way—seeing the big picture and
relationships over time—gives the kind of
perspective we need to solve the problems
the world faces today.
Daniel Chiu is a ninth grader at the Catlin Gabel School in Oregon. He has won
numerous international, national, and regional honors in math, science, and history.
At the MATHCOUNTS National Competition in 2013, he placed 6th on the
written test, and his team from Oregon placed 4th. He won a silver medal at the
2012 Stanford International Math League Tournament and the All Star award at the
2013 BPA Regional Science Bowl. He is a Caroline D. Bradley Scholar, and, along
with the other 2013 MATHCOUNTS competitors, holds a Guinness World Record
in math.
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