Geography Bee: A Contest Among the Worldly Wise

Which state borders both Kentucky and Lake Erie? What is the largest of the Greater Antilles?

For knowing the answers to these and every other question posed to her, Sarah Asher '21 won the NCS Geography Bee on Monday morning. That qualifies her for the April 1 Washington, D.C., State Bee at the Charles Sumner School, where she'll compete against some two dozen other school champions for a spot in the National Championship in May.

Monday's bee tested eight Middle School students, four 7th graders and four 8th graders, on their knowledge of maps, political boundaries, and bodies of water. Two incorrect answers would knock a contestant of the competition. Eventually, the field thinned until only Asher and Madeleine Fitzgerald '21 were left. They both knew the answers to all of the championship-round questions, but the title went to Asher since she had also answered all of the early-round questions correctly.

Four million students in grades 4 through 8 compete annually in the National Geographic Bee. The national champion receives a $50,000 scholarship and a trip to the Galapagos Islands, while the rest of the 10 finalists also win awards.