March Madness at Essex High School

The following article written by Matt Ryan appeared in the Burlington Free Press on April 2, 2009:

Propaganda plastered in a hallway at Essex High School touted the much anticipated showdown between Lincoln and Tokugawa. A supporter of the Japanese shogun, stuck posters proclaiming “Tokugawa united Japan — Lincoln split the U.S.A.,” over the American president’s “Vote for Lincoln or your not thinkin’” posters.

Lincoln and Tokugawa, personified by students Ben Wistrom and Craig Pastel, respectively, jockeyed for votes Tuesday in teacher Grady Long’s AP history class. Their classmates would decide who advanced to the Sweet 16 in the school’s March Madness-style tournament of world rulers throughout the ages. The field of 82 student rulers, who hail from the school’s four AP history classes, will be narrowed to 16 by the end of today, assuming Swedish King Adolphus, who has been ill this week, is well enough to face off against British Queen Victoria for the round’s final spot.

Long and fellow teacher Jason Webster moderate the debates during the tournament, which began five years ago. The rulers who advanced to the Final Four last year, Attaturk, Babur, Sejong and champion Monkut, each lost in the first round this year.

Students research their roles and try to dig up dirt on their opponents. They field questions from their opponents, teachers and classmates. Many dress the part. Some charismatic leaders even recruit followers to smear the competition. Honest Abe, complete with beard and stove-pipe hat, came out swinging during the Lincoln-Tokugawa debate. He breezed through his accomplishments and dressed down his opponent for wearing dresses and “chopsticks in his hair.” He left the podium and waded into the audience, a la Clinton debating Bush and Perot in 1992, and slipped Tokugawa a few underhanded compliments. “He is kind of a bulldog,” Lincoln said of his opponent. “I had two bulldogs, myself. I called them Grant and Sherman.” Tokugawa played it clean, addressing Lincoln as his “good friend” and politely suggesting the president was merely a smooth talker. Lincoln, after all, ruled over only one civil war, whereas Tokugawa ruled over many.The class voted, and Lincoln advanced to the next round as the only American still alive in the tournament.

The Lincoln-Tokugawa debate was the headliner for three other matches in Long’s class Tuesday. Haitian rebel leader Toussaint L’Ouverture, played by Derek Neal, advanced to the next round after he admonished Chinese emperor Qi Huangdi, played by Molly Jaques, for wasting money on the Terracotta Army. The Babylonian King Hammurabi, played by Katrina Kunker in a T-shirt that read “Make love and war,” defeated Mansa Musa of the Mali Empire, played by Kevin Bednar. Hammurabi, who took credit for writing the first code of law, may have bought a few votes when he (she) tossed Mardi Gras beads — Babylonian treasure — into the crowd.

Before her debate with Augustus Caesar, Catherine the Great, played by Stephanie Schmidt, blew her nose and apologized for being “really sick and gross.” Despite her illness, the Russian empress pointed to her record of enlightening the “poor, backward peasants,” and defeated Augustus. Augustus, played by Nick Orr in a hoodie, fought the good fight. The Roman emperor took credit for ridding the calendar of the month Sextilis, and, to recap his many other feats, said “I did what I did, which I did well, by the way.”