Three Richland One students qualify for state National Geographic Bee

Noah Fram of Hand Middle School, Hannah Van Patten of Crayton Middle and Aerial Bledsoe of Hopkins Middle were among 100 students statewide who qualified for the 2004 state National Geographic Bee.

The competition at the South Carolina State Museum featured public, private and home-schooled students in grades 4-8. Each of the 100 competitors had won one of 300 school-level Bees across South Carolina and scored in the top 100 on a qualifying test. Those 100 answered questions on world geography, economies, politics, cultures and religions, and the 10 top-scoring students then competed on stage in the state championship.

“More than ever before, it’s vital that today’s students understand their world,” said State Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum. “Newspaper headlines emphasize geography’s importance every day because they illustrate how people, economies and cultures are increasingly interconnected.”

Involving nearly 5 million students this year, the National Geographic Bee coincides with a reawakening of the nation’s interest in geography, which was the National Geographic Society’s primary objective when it created the competition in 1989.

“Jeopardy!” quiz show host Alex Trebek will moderate the national competition for the 16th year. The championship round of the National Geographic Bee will be held at National Geographic Society headquarters on May 26 and will air that day nationally on the National Geographic Channel. Produced by Maryland Public Television, the finals will be broadcast later on public television stations. Check local listings for viewing times.

Visitors to the Bee section of National Geographic Society Web site, www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee, can test their geography knowledge with questions from previous National Geographic Bees

The National Geographic Society developed the National Geographic Bee in response to concern about the lack of geographic knowledge among young people in the United States