Congratulations Geography Bee finalists! (L-R, front) Brenna Hay, 3rd place; Sean MacDonell, 1st place; and Lars Scannell, 2nd place. (L-R, middle) Will Lamb, Selien Morawitz, Lauren Thompson, Noah Warren. (L-R, back) Danielle Hanson, Hunter Monson, Will Seaton.
The Wabash River forms part of the border between Illinois and what other state?
Do you know the answer to this question? If yes, you could possibly compete with the bright young people who took part in the 2010 Cook County Middle School Geography Bee on Friday, January 7. Ten students took the stage at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts in the final Geography Bee challenge.
Geography Bee organizer Dorie Carlson welcomed students and family members to the event, explaining that Middle School students began classroom competitions in December, narrowing the field down to the 10 students in the finals. It took awhile to get there, said Carlson. “Everyone did a terrific job. We had many tie-breaker rounds,” she said.
School District 166 Superintendent Beth Schwarz moderated, reading the sometimes tongue-twisting questions. For one of the first questions, students were given latitude and longitude and were asked to find a location on a map. Other questions had to be written on a tablet and still others answered orally. Students were eliminated after two incorrect answers and after several rounds, there were two contestants left—Lars Scannell and Sean MacDonell. They edged out third place finisher Brenna Hay.
The finalists in the Cook County Middle School Geography Bee answered questions orally and by writing their answers on a note board. Above, Brenna Hay shows her answer. Her fellow finalists nervously await their turn to show their answers— Will Lamb, Lars Scannell, Selien Morawitz, Sean MacDonell, Will Seaton, Hunter Monson, Lauren Thompson, Noah Warren, Danielle Hanson.
For the final round, Schwarz explained that three questions were to be asked. Whoever responded with the most correct answers would be the winner. Lars Scannell gave an incorrect answer to the first question. Sean MacDonell gave an incorrect answer to the last question. Neither competitor knew the answer to: Tet is an important holiday celebrating the New Year in what country west of the Gulf of Tonkin?
The boys answered Venezuela and Egypt. Superintendent Schwarz laughed and said, “You have to be old to get that one.”
A tiebreaker question was asked: Tianjin [Tyan- Jin], an important port city and manufacturing center, is on the Hai [Hi] River. Tianjin is in what country? Sean MacDonell replied correctly, and earned first place in the 2011 Geography Bee. He and Scannell exchanged friendly handshakes and the top three finishers received medals. MacDonell will also take a written exam to see if he can progress in regional National Bee competition.
Congratulations to all the student finalists—MacDonell, Scannell, Hay, Will Lamb, Selien Morawitz, Will Seaton, Hunter Monson, Lauren Thompson, Noah Warren and Danielle Hanson. And the answers to those tough geography questions? 1) Indiana 2) Vietnam 3) China
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