WASHINGTON, D.C. - Two area students will take part in the state-level competition of the 2008 National Geographic Bee April 4.
The winner will represent Indiana at the 20th annual National Geographic Bee. The bee will be at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., May 20-21 and moderated by "Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek.The national championship round of the bee will air May 21 on the National Geographic Channel, and later on public television stations.
Competing at the state level from the area are seventh-grader Thomas H. Naragon, Manchester Junior-Senior High School, North Manchester; and eighth-grader Henry I. Robison, Lakeview Middle School, Warsaw.
Up to 100 fourth- to eighth-graders in each of the 50 states, District of Columbia, U.S. territories and Department of Defense Dependent Schools have qualified for the state bees.
Each state winner will receive $100, a National Geographic globe and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the national finals on May 20-21.
Students are asked questions such as: The Adirondack Mountains are found in which state - Connecticut or New York? KwaZulu-Natal province located on the Indian Ocean, is the most populous province in which country bordering Botswana? Name the warm ocean current that flows between mainland Africa and the island of Madagascar.
The state bees are the second level of the annual National Geographic Bee. The first level started in November with contests in almost 14,000 U.S. schools.
The state-level competition will be held at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis lecture hall, 325 University Boulevard, Indianapolis. Preliminary rounds start at 12:45 p.m., with final round at 2:15 p.m.
First prize in the national competition is a $25,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. Second- and third-place finishers will receive $15,000 and $10,000 college scholarships.
