Katie Riley placed first in the senior individual documentary category...

Katie Riley placed first in the senior individual documentary category and was Suffolk County's only first-place winner at 2018 Long Island History Day. Credit: Hofstra University

Thirty-three Long Island students were first-place winners last month in a regional contest that asked them to explore local, state, national and world history.

The 2018 Long Island History Day challenged pupils to research topics of their choice on the theme of “Conflict and Compromise in History.” Individuals or groups submitted entries in one of five categories: documentary, exhibit, paper, performance or website.

This year, more than 730 students from some 40 schools participated at Hofstra University, with topics ranging from the Boston Massacre to the Brooklyn Bridge. The top two, three or four winners in each category are eligible for the state competition, taking place Monday in Cooperstown.

First-place winners and their school districts were: Rahul Ajmera, East Williston; Katelyn Lee, Michael Lu and Gloria Moon, Great Neck; Selina Chiang, Alison Chou, Alexandra Gootman, Grace Kim, Arusha Kumira, Maggie Lau, Melissa Lau, Felisha Ma, Rma Polce and Emily Wei, Herricks; Madeline Heyman, Madison Honig, Sydney Honig, Jonny Miller, Rachel Miller and Natalie Popilevsky, Hewlett-Woodmere; Katie Riley, Huntington; Joanna Chen, Michelle Dong, Anna Jang, Catherine Kim, Grace Lee and Chu-yin Weng, Jericho; Ashna Gibbons and Naomi Yu, North Shore; and Shania Kuo, Oyster Bay-East Norwich. Also placing first were Noga Altheim, Leora Konig and Liora Sturm of Hebrew Academy of Long Beach.

MASTIC BEACH

Youth & Government Conference

William Floyd High School students captured seven leadership positions — the most of any school statewide — last month at the 82nd Annual New York State YMCA Youth & Government Conference in Albany.

The event drew hundreds of teens for a weekend of simulated government sessions inside the State Capitol’s legislative chambers.

William Floyd students who were “elected” to state positions were: Patrick Barnett, deputy speaker of Assembly Freedom; Maille Bowerman, chief justice; Jayden Fritz-Berrios, speaker of Assembly Liberty; Jonathan Hendry, attorney general; Robert Henn, speaker of Assembly Freedom; Dahlia Ramos, lieutenant governor; and Lindsey Wibrew, attorney general.

In addition, Bowerman and Ramos — along with William Floyd students Katie Lindley, Evan Meinke and Khadija Saad — were selected to attend the YMCA Youth Conference on National Affairs in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains from June 30 through July 5.

SOUTH HUNTINGTON

Rocketry Challenge

Two teams from St. Anthony’s High School are among 100 teams nationwide — and the only Suffolk County teams — selected for the national finals of the 2018 Team America Rocketry Challenge, which asks students to build rockets that safely carry a raw egg payload to a specific altitude and back within a certain time frame.

Three teams from The Green Vale School in Old Brookville also made the finals.

Finalists were chosen based on local qualification flights and will compete for more than $100,000 in Washington, D.C., on May 12.

The contest is sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association and the National Association of Rocketry.

ISLANDWIDE

Shakespeare Festival

Students from five Long Island high schools participated last month in Hofstra University’s Shakespeare Festival, which allowed them to participate in drama and production workshops and perform classic scenes from William Shakespeare’s plays.

Award-winners and their high schools were: Rachel Gottesman, Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns & Rockaway, best actress; Doug Gallo, Sanford H. Calhoun, best actor; Deanna Greenblatt, Sanford H. Calhoun, best costume design; Jack Parr, Sanford H. Calhoun, best set design; Courtney Chamblin, Valley Stream Central, best acting; Willow Chamblin, Valley Stream Central, best set design; Ayana Franck, Valley Stream Central, best costume design; and Lindsay Whiteman, Wantagh, best acting.

Sanford H. Calhoun and Walter G. O’Connell Copiague high schools received Best Ensemble awards.

— MICHAEL R. EBERT

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