VMS Students Buzzing with Answers in Geography Bee

The tension was mounting and the audience was on the edge of their seats. Who would be the next champion of the Valhalla Middle School Geography Bee?

While answering questions such as, “Officials have begun to sell advertising billboards on historical sites such as St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge, which are located in what European city?,” the two eighth-grade finalists remained composed as they drew upon their repertoire of facts.

The finalists jotted down “Venice,” then held up their written response and read it aloud. “Your answers are correct,” said Nori Lustig, seventh-grade social studies teacher and geography bee coordinator. It was clear that this was not your typical “What is the capital of Wyoming?” geography contest. These students need to be versed in world history, politics and geography in order to have a fighting chance of making it to the final rounds, which were held in the VMS auditorium on Dec. 23.

The finalists began their journey into the competition with 18 other students – from the sixth-through-eighth grades – participating in a preliminary round in their respective social studies classes. During the final round, the top ten students were eliminated one-by-one, after answering a second question incorrectly.

Then it was down to two boys, who sat side-by-side on the dimly-lit stage during the nail-biter championship round. The audience was hushed, the tiebreaker question announced: “Ramadan, a holy month of prayer and fasting, is observed by adherents of what religion?” At last the tie was broken, and one became the winner at the school level with his answer of “Islam.”

The winner's name will be engraved on a plaque with those of previous years’ winners, and he will also receive a medal. The next step is to take a qualifying test to determine his eligibility for the state competition.

The National Geographic Bee is an educational program of the National Geographic Society designed to encourage the teaching and study of geography. Registered schools must follow the eligibility rules when holding their school-level contests. The top 100 students from the thousands of schools that participate nationwide qualify to represent their schools at the state level. State winners are invited to National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C. in late May to compete in the national finals.