Papa John’s and History

Sam Hofer

Every March, a group of high schoolers pack into a van with hopeful hearts and full bags. The object of their expedition? The Malaysia History Bee and Bowl, a quiz competition that is mainly attended by schools from KL. Each year, we drive down to KL, typically spending the night, then we compete and drive back to Penang. The ride there is typically spent talking about history or politics, reading, or quizzing.

This year’s group was a lot different than those used in previous competitions. For one, there were only two seniors, who typically form at least half of the group. Also, instead of two teams of five, which is normal, we had three teams of three. Despite the irregularities, Mrs. White, the leader and organizer of the trip, assured us that we would win. We had one of the best teams we’ve ever had, and Dalat has a long and proud record at the event. Dalat won the Varsity Bowl last year, and the JV Bowl for the past two years. In the individual competition, the Bee, Dalat has won JV for two years and varsity for one.

Despite Dalat’s good and consistent record in the History Bee and Bowl, I was somewhat nervous. I had won the individual round two years running, as well as getting fifth place in the International History Olympiad, so I had a lot to lose. Though I knew I was fully competent, I was just scared of messing up in a fatal way.

After spending the night in a shady motel after a long van ride, we set out for Sunway, the high school where the event was being hosted. The History Bowl had been hosted there in Malaysia since its introduction, but lately, attendance has waned. My first year we competed against three schools, but this year we competed against just one. Even though the competition was lacking compared to normal, the Dalat teams worked hard and scored victories. We won the Bowl for both JV and varsity, as well as both JV and varsity for the Bee (though Dalat was the only team in JV). We won medals and plaques, exhibited significant amounts of history knowledge, and, overall, had a good time.

Sadly, our favorite post-bowl haunt, Papa John’s, was closed this time. It has been tradition to eat there, and one of the incentives for those less interested in history. But we ate at Carl’s Junior instead. Though the van trip back to Penang was long, we were in high spirits and content with our victory, another win for Dalat’s record. Let’s hope we do just as well next year.