Buffalo Grove, Stevenson high shine at Chicano College Bowl

Buffalo Grove High School students competed among a dozen schools in the 13th annual Cinco de Mayo Chicano College Bowl at Highland Park High School April 30.

Students' knowledge was tested as they answered questions about the Chicano civil rights movements.

Overall, Buffalo Grove's varsity team, consisting of Francisco Torres, Elizabeth Aviles, Eileen Cuevas, and Sharon Navarrete, came in 2nd place to 1st place Stevenson High School.

Lopez and Aviles won scholarships based on their performance at the competition.

Sponsors for the BGHS team are instructional assistant Maria Dzien and Stephanie Ramos, teacher and English Language Learners Coordinator. According to Ramos, "It was an amazing night."

The keynote speaker at the event was Moctesuma Esparza, an American film producer and the CEO of Maya Cinemas. He was one of the organizers of the 1968 "Chicano Blowouts," which were student-led protests in which Mexican-American students demanded equal opportunities in education. Esparza spoke about the importance of obtaining a college education in order to have better options in life.