April 02, 2007
Bowling
Green, Ky. - One hundred of Kentucky’s most geographically aware fourth- through eighth-graders
competed for the state championship of the annual National Geographic Bee March 30 at Western Kentucky University’s Carroll Knicely Conference Center.
Solomon (Solly) Mayer, who attends Sayre School in Lexington, became the Kentucky State Champion after both students in the championship round failed to answer all three question of the best-of-three format correctly. Mayer prevailed on the first question of the tiebreaker round by correctly identifying the country where Altamira Cave, Cantabria, is located (Spain).
Mayer and runner-up Reid Herndon (who failed to make the championship round last year) from Benton Middle School in Marshall County battled in the championship round to a draw, as neither could take an advantage over the other.
Evan Stone from St. Athanasius in Louisville finished third.
Mayer received a monetary award and a globe, along with an expenses-paid trip to the national competition. The second- and third-place finishers also received a monetary award and a globe.
Sponsored locally by the Kentucky Geographic Alliance and by WKU’s departments of Geography and Geology and Teacher Education, 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: “North to the Future” is the motto of which northern state that is home to the Brooks Range? (Alaska); and Which South Asian capital, located on the flood-prone Ganges-Brahmaputra delta, serves as the industrial center of Bangladesh? (Dhaka).
The championship round was introduced by Steve Sutton, district manager from JP Morgan Chase, and by Dr. Blaine Ferrell, dean of WKU’s Ogden College of Science and Engineering. 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. “Geographic education is becoming more and more a critical issue for our nation to address, and this annual contest serves as an important recruitment tool for WKU. It 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.
Photo caption: Solomon (Solly) Mayer of Sayre School in Lexington (center) won the state geography bee March 30 at WKU. Reid Herndon (left) of Benton Middle School was runner-up while Evan Stone (right) of St. Athanasius in Louisville was third.
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For information, contact Scott Dobler at (270) 745-7078.
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