TOP CITY HISTORIANS
POST-TRIBUNE
BY: LISA DeNEAL

Tolleston Middle School proved it had the right stuff to repeat Thursday as the team recaptured first place in the African-American Superbowl at West Side High School.

While Emerson School for the Visual and Performing Arts was close, Tolleston team members Tuesdai Perry, Brandon Jentress, Lena Simmons and Shauna Creal, answered all but one question correctly in the three-round competition.

“This was so exciting for us and we studied really hard,” Perry said. Perry, a seventh-grader, was also the team captain. Not only did Tolleston receive a first-place trophy, they also received a trophy for most improved ISTEP scores.

Gary Mayor Scott King announced before the competition that the winning team would get a day at a Gary RailCats baseball game this spring, including the skybox treatment.

All of the teams began preparation for the competition in November. Gloria Griffin, coordinator for the superbowl, said this year's theme was the history of Gary, with the majority of the questions involving African-Americans.

“This is coinciding with the centennial celebration of Gary. We felt that it was important to honor the people and events in the steel city,” Griffin said. “This was a great competition and the students should be proud of themselves.”

Students prepared for the event using the history book, “Images of America: Gary's Central Business Community,” written by Dharathula “Dolly” Millender, local historian and former librarian and Gary School Board member.

“This is the second time they used my book as the students' study guide. I enjoyed this year's superbowl very much and the questions were definitely harder,” Millender said.

Some of the questions posed by commentators asked: What Gary mayor refused to donate funds to the YMCA until all races were allowed to use the facilities? Answer; Mayor George Chacharis. And, by 1916, what was the total African-American population in Gary? Answer; the population in the city totaled 3,000.

Second-place winners Anthony Nichols, Jonicia Ellison, Tashema Dancy and Precilla Gibson of Emerson, said they were happy to get second place.

“It feels OK to get second place. We worked hard, but not hard enough,” team captain Nichols said. Ellison said that while they deserved what they earned as far as placement, they will work harder next year.

“Oh yeah, definitely. But we did great. All of the teams did a great job,” she said.

Emerson also took home a trophy for the best school spirit as supportive peers seated in the audience cheered, stomped and waved their school colors in the air during the competition.