Fourteen high school students who won the Department of Ohio’s Americanism and Government Test answer trivia questions for the America-250 Ohio History Bee.
How many Greyhound buses did Evel Knievel jump in 1975 at Kings Island in Ohio? The answer: 14. This was the trivia question that ended a tie breaker between students Aiden Adams and Jessica Fike in the America 250-Ohio History Bee, hosted in partnership with the American Legion Department of Ohio, with Adams placing first.
“We are especially proud to host this History Bee in partnership with The American Legion, an organization that has a long tradition and has long championed civic responsibility, service and the importance of understanding our nation’s history,” said Taylor Tomu, America 250-Ohio Commission community outreach and engagement specialists. “Together, we share the belief that history is not just something we memorize. It’s something to live, protect and pass on.”
The America 250-Ohio History Bee was held in the Atrium at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus on Feb. 19 where 14 high school sophomores, juniors and seniors, who were top scorers of the American Legion Department of Ohio’s Americanism and Government Test, participated in Jeopardy style trivia on Ohio history.
“Our (Americanism and Government) test aligns perfectly with what (America)250 is wanting to do in bringing back the history of Ohio and the nation,” said Department of Ohio Adjutant John Robinson.
Department of Ohio Legion Family leadership and members, America250-Ohio Commission members, and parents supported the students as they wrote their trivia answers on a white board and held up for judges to see. The questions on Ohio history ranged in topics from presidents, politicians, astronauts, natural disasters, legislation, sports teams, food industry and more. The top two in each grade who answered the most questions correctly advanced to the finals.
Fike, a junior at Logan Elm High School in Circleville, Ohio, who placed second in the History Bee, was pleasantly surprised how well she did.
“I didn’t know what they were going to test or how difficult the questions were going to be,” said Fike, who will be attending Auxiliary Girls State this summer. “But the old saying is knowledge is power and the more we know about things, the more we can make change for our community. And youth, we’re always saying we’re the ones being talked about but never at the table. I think the more we know, the more we’re going to be accepted at the table to make decisions about our lives and also make the country a better place.”
Fike’s father is a government teacher at Logan Elm High School who administers the American Legion Department of Ohio’s Americanism and Government Test to his students. Legion posts work with government and social studies teachers to provide the test, which has been around since 1936 and about 65,000 high school students in grades 10-12 take it statewide.
The test consists of 50 questions – 25 true and false and 25 multiple choice – on the U.S. Constitution, flag etiquette, and federal, state and local government, along with a 300-word essay question. Out of the thousands of students who take it, 18 are selected as top scorers – six in each grade – who receive an all-expense paid bus trip to Gettysburg and Washington, D.C., with Ohio Legion Family delegation.
“I’m really, really excited for this trip because I heard we are able to do a lot of things that regular eighth grade class trips wouldn’t be able to go to,” said Mohamed Kataby, a junior at Hilliard (Ohio) Davidson High School who placed third in the History Bee.
The students will visit Gettysburg and Flight 93 in Pennsylvania, memorials and monuments in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Capitol and more.
“It’s not your eighth-grade field trip as we keep saying,” Robinson said. “It is truly a once in a lifetime experience.”
The America 250-Ohio and American Legion partnership for the History Bee was the result of Paul LaRue, co-chairman of the America 250-Ohio K-12 Education Committee and president of the State Board of Education. LaRue was a top scorer of the Legion’s Americanism and Government Test in 1975 as a tenth grader who went on to attend American Legion Buckeye Boys State as a delegate and counselor.
“I’ve been so blessed with what The American Legion has done for me, and it’s probably helped me become the leader I am today,” LaRue said. “So (the partnership) was kind of a no brainer because I knew about test. And they (the American Legion Department of Ohio) have been fantastic partners.”
“Paul expressed about doing this event and we ended up running with it, and it’s been an amazing partnership,” Robinson echoed.
By National Executive Committee resolution, American Legion departments and posts are encouraged to connect with their state and local America 250 commissions. An online directory is available to contact these commissions at america250.org/our-partners/state-and-territory-commissions.
“The American Legion is a great partner and sometimes (posts) are not sure maybe how to engage and that’s what’s great about reaching out and making this partnership happen,” LaRue said, who sees America’s 250th birthday on July 4 as just the beginning.
“In 12 years, it will be the 250th of the U.S. Constitution. So I like to think of the 250 (birthday of America) not as a finishing point but really as a starting point.”
- USA250