LBHS team takes on Euro Challenge On March 2 and 9, five Long Branch sophomores and their economics adviser, Noah Lipman, traveled to New York City to compete in the Euro Challenge. The competition, which was held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, involved 24 select high schools from the tristate area. The Euro Challenge was created to promote understanding of the European Union and the use of the Euro as currency. The competition required each school to select one of 13 countries that have chosen to use the Euro as their single currency, and to research the effect that the use of the Euro has had on its economy. The Long Branch team, consisting of Matthew Garlipp, Bryan Larco, Mariana Miranda, Madyson Nucci and Geisa Rodrigues, spent several months researching and preparing a 15-minute presentation on economic conditions in Ireland. The presentation was followed by a 10-minute question-and-answer session led by three noted European economists including Nigel Nagaranjan, the economic and financial counselor to the Delegation of the European Commission to the United States. The high school team advanced to the semifinal round before losing to the competition's winning team. They also attended an awards reception held at the Downtown Association Club, where they had an opportunity to meet and talk with John Bruton, the former prime minister of Ireland, who is now the ambassador and head of delegation to the European Commission to the United States. The Long Branch students were also selected to represent the competition at a gala celebration held in the General Assembly Hall of the United Nations March 28. This event featured a symphony performance and was held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, which established the formation of the European Union.