A Successful Return to History

On Saturday, June 23rd, seven students participated in the International History Bee and Bowl Tournament held at ACG Parnell College.

The four students representing Macleans College were Max Smith (Kupe), Nathaniel Craig (Te Kanawa), Benjamin Hopkinson (Kupe), and Eric Xie (Mansfield). The team were also accompanied by student leaders Daniel Hulley (Batten) and Clarissa Oblefias (Hillary). Annabelle Harrison (Snell) was the reader for a number of teams throughout the day.

The team were up against Kristin School Team A, Auckland Grammar School, ACG Parnell Team A, and Saint Kentigern College Team A. In the second round, they crossed over and went up against the Middle School Division team of ACG Parnell Team G. This round did not count towards any final points.

Macleans College performed well, even scoring 100 points in one Third Quarter round by answering all eight 10-point rapid-fire questions correctly and earning 20 bonus points for a full house. While they did win their round against Kristin School, they fell short to the other schools.

Still, the team managed to secure a place in the semi-finals and competed against Auckland Grammar School yet again. Unfortunately, they did not win enough points to enter the finals.

Considering the last team we sent finished second from last or something like that, I think it’s safe to say our team this year was one hell of an upgrade. We even reached the semi-finals!

— Max Smith, team member

Overall, the team finished in 3rd place and may qualify for the International History Olympiad, details of which are still to be determined.

The International History Bee and Bowl is a tournament, founded in 2010 in the USA, held throughout the world in various continental divisions. It is organised by International Academic Competitions. The Australia and New Zealand division was established in 2014.

The International History Bee and Bowl is a buzzer-style competition where students answer a range of questions about history all over the world. These questions are not limited to historical events, but also music, business, science, and more.

Thank you to the teachers who supervised the team throughout the day, including Mrs Heeney, Mrs Coventry, Dr Zoran-Rosen and Mr Henderson. Special thanks to Mrs Heeney for making this extracurricular activity possible.

June 27th, 2023
Written by Clarissa Oblefias, edited by Mrs Coventry
Photography by Daniel Hulley