Over the past two years, Trinity Prep 8th grader Enzo Cuanan has secured two National History Bee Championships, as well as an International History Olympiad Championship this past summer in Hawaii. The talented middle schooler has pushed the definition of excellence, allowing his vast knowledge of the past to mold the course of his future. The Trinity Voice sat down with this not-so-ordinary Saint to figure out what makes him tick.
Trinity Voice: If you could have lunch with one historical figure, who would it be?
Enzo Cuanan: If I could have lunch with any historical figure, it would probably be Pliny the Elder. He was a notoriously unreliable encyclopedist; for example, he believed that there were a race of huge-eared people called Panotii who lived in Scandinavia.
TV: If you could only study one time period in history for the rest of your life, what would it be?
EC: I would probably study Ancient Egypt. I don’t know why, but I find everything about it fascinating; the pharaohs, their costumes, their gods, their way of life, and their battles. My interest in Ancient Egypt really started flourishing when I watched a 1972 production of Antony and Cleopatra, featuring historically accurate clothing. I wanted to know more about Cleopatra, so I purchased Stacy Schiff’s biography of her, and I read it.
TV: If you could go back in time to one period in history, when would it be?
EC: To be honest, in my study of history, I’ve seen how great we have it today. Elizabethan England for example, was horrifically smelly and barbaric. I wouldn’t want to go back to the past.
TV: How did you get started with your appreciation of history?
EC: To be honest, it started with my obsession with U.S. presidents. I’m not sure why I was obsessed, but I was. I read books about them day and night.
TV: Tell me about your experience with the history bee. What did it feel like when you won?
EC: I was afraid the second time with the History Bee because I knew the competition would be much harder. With all due respect though, I didn’t really feel any different than last time. When I won, I felt a strange mix of “yay for me” and “I’m really nervous in the spotlight.”
TV: How did you prepare for the competition?
EC: I had my parents read past question sets, and I would look up the answers I didn’t know. I also read all the history books I had.
TV: What history classes do you want to take in high school?
EC: I’m thinking about taking AP World History (or maybe not, I’ve heard it’s really hard). I’ve looked at the essays and DBQs, and I’m just shocked at the difficulty. I hope my teachers will prepare me for this.
