Long Island History Day has 33 winning students

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.

HERRICKS/PLAINVIEW

Innovation Challenge

Two Nassau County teams — Celery Sticks of Herricks High School and Super Silk of Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School — are among 29 finalists worldwide in the 2017-18 Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge, which asks students to solve complex world problems.

Finalists are invited to attend the 2018 Summit at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on April 25-28.

The Celery Sticks team — Derek Chen, Justin Jao, Jonathan Leung, Daniel Min and Jesse Wang — is a finalist in the cyber-technology and security category for their project that involves injecting nanobots into the bloodstream to combat neurodegenerative diseases.

The Super Silk team of Alyssa Iryami and Audrey Shine is a finalist in the energy and environment category for their project that involves feeding graphene to silkworms to create a superstrong silk.

OLD BROOKVILLE

Rocketry Challenge

Three teams from The Green Vale School are among 100 teams nationwide — and the only Nassau County teams — to reach the national finals of the 2018 Team America Rocketry Challenge, which asks students to design rockets that safely carry a raw egg payload to a specific altitude and back within a specific time frame.

Two teams from St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington 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 took part 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

By Michael R. Ebert

michael.ebert@newsday.com

Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.