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Beaumont Middle School Wins Geographic Bee Bowling Green, Ky. - Ninety-one of Kentucky’s most geographically aware fourth- through eighth-graders competed for the state championship of the annual National Geographic Bee March 31 at Western Kentucky University’s Carroll Knicely Conference Center.
Matthew Hensley, a seventh-grader at Beaumont Middle School in Lexington, became the Kentucky State Champion for the second year in a row after successfully answering the championship round competition question: Name the cold ocean current that mixes with the warmer Gulf Stream to create fog along the coasts of New England and southeastern Canada (Labrador Current is the answer). Hensley and runner-up Maxwell Payne (who finished third in 2005) from Highlands Middle School in Fort Thomas battled in the championship round with a best-of-three format, with Hensley answering all three questions correctly while Maxwell failed to identify the Labrador Current. Hensley had also finished as runner-up in the 2004 competition and said that he was excited to compete again this year. John Tamplin from Meyzeek Middle School in Louisville finished third. The winner received a monetary award and a globe, along with an expenses-paid trip to the national competition. Sponsored locally by WKU’s departments of Geography and Geology and Teacher Education, along with the Kentucky Geographic Alliance, and nationally by JP Morgan Chase and National Geographic, the annual competition culminates with the national championship in Washington, D.C., each May, after state-level championship rounds on the last Friday in March. Students were tested on a range of geographic subjects, from capitals to culture, and from landforms to the environment. The National Geographic website (http://nationalgeographic.com/geographybee/index.html) provides details of the annual competition, along with a daily quiz with questions similar to the ones asked in the competition. Sample questions included: Priests called Brahmans have traditionally held the highest social rank among followers of what religion that originated in South Asia? (Hinduism); and What is the official language of Liechtenstein? (German). The championship round was introduced by Robert Porter from JP Morgan Chase and by Dr. Sam Evans, dean of WKU’s College of Education and Behavioral Sciences. The master of ceremonies for the final competition was Dr. David J. Keeling, head of WKU’s Department of Geography and Geology. Every year, thousands of schools across the United States participate in the National Geographic Bee using materials prepared by the National Geographic Society. “The contest allows students to demonstrate their geographical awareness of the world we live in,” Dr. Keeling said. “Moreover, the contest serves as an important recruitment tool for WKU and lets parents and students know that Western has nationally recognized programs in the geosciences.” Geography Bee state coordinator Kate Greer Fischer said the contests occur in three stages. The winners at each school take a written test. The top 100 scorers in each state and territory compete at the state level. The 55 state and territory winners will meet at the National Geographic Society headquarters for the national competition, where 10 finalists compete for a $25,000 college scholarship. More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu. For information, contact Scott Dobler at (270) 745-7078.
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