They may be too young to know the ways of the world, but they certainly know their way around it.
Several area students have qualified to be semifinalists in the 2016 Florida National Geographic State Bee, earning the right to compete at Jacksonville University on April 1.
Area semifinalists and their schools are:
- Reece Kaplan, Carrollwood Day School
- Hirsh Kabria, Charlie Walker Middle School
- Riju Datta, Corbett Preparatory School
- Ethan Rampersaud, Dr. John Long Middle School
- Noah Pearlman, Hillel Academy
- Samuel Glickman, Martinez Middle School
- Shlok Patel, Raymond B. Stewart Middle School
- Landry Samuels, St. Anthony School
- Rishi Nair, Williams Middle Magnet School
The semifinalist competition is the second level of the National Geographic Bee competition, now in its 28th year.
School Bees took place in schools with fourth- through eighth-grade students throughout Florida, to determine each school champion.
School champions then took an online qualifying test.
The National Geographic Society has invited up to 100 of the top-scoring students in each of the 50 states, District of Columbia, Department of Defense Dependents Schools and U.S. territories to compete in the state Bees.
Each state champion will receive $100, the National Geographic book “The National Parks: An Illustrated History” and a medal, and will journey to Washington D.C., to represent their state in the National Geographic Bee Championship at National Geographic Society headquarters, from May 22 through May 25.
The national champion will receive a $50,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. The national champion will also travel (along with one parent or guardian), all expenses paid, to Alaska’s coastal wilderness, including Glacier Bay National Park, in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.
The 2016 National Geographic Bee Championship final round will be moderated for the first time by journalist and humorist Mo Rocca.
Test your knowledge
How would you fare as a National Geographic Bee contestant? Here’s a sampling of the type of questions the Bee includes:
- To fish in Lake Winnipesaukee [wi-neh-peh-SAW-kee] and ski near Franconia Notch, you would travel to which state – New Hampshire or South Dakota? (New Hampshire)
- Visitors to Biscayne National Park in Florida can go fishing and lobstering along the shore of which kind of habitat – mangrove or desert? (Mangrove)
- Sea kayakers can explore hundreds of islands off the Dalmatian coast of which European country south of Slovenia? (Croatia)
- For centuries, the Chinese emperors lived in seclusion in the Forbidden City, which is located within what present-day city? (Beijing)
Published March 16, 2016
