Wednesday, March 28, 2001
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Wednesday, March 28, 2001 |
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Local students advance to state geography bee Four of the state's top students in geography can be found at Fayette's middle and elementary schools. Each year the National Geographic Bee, sponsored by the National Geographic Society, selects the top 100 students from each state to compete at the state level of the bee. In order to try out for the state competition, students have to win their individual schools' geographic bees. The winning students take a written test to determine if they will advance to the state level. The National Geographic Society selects the top 100 scorers from each state. Four of Georgia's top scorers are from Fayette County schools: Andrew Wedemyer, J.C. Booth Middle; Travis Giebler, Fayette Middle; Robin Kittrell, Whitewater Middle; and Jack Slagle, Spring Hill Elementary. Fayette's four state competitors will participate in the state geography bee April 6 at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville. One winner from each state will advance to the national competition May 22-23 at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C. J.C. Booth made a special presentation to Wedemyer March 15 in recognition of him winning the school's geography bee. While his social studies classmates looked on, teacher Katie Fisher presented Wedemyer with a special plaque bearing his name as the 2001 geography bee winner for the school. In addition, the same plaque was presented to Booth's 2000 winner, Steve Piasta. Principal Lyn Wenzel also gave Wedemyer a certificate from the National Geographic Bee honoring him as a state bee competitor. Wedemyer says he is preparing for the state bee by studying Mindquest cards, bearing various geographic information, five minutes each night. Also, he is reading National Geographic magazine and trying to stay up-to-date on current events. "I was surprised that I made it to the state competition. The questions were extremely difficult. I think it is just by luck that I got this far," says Wedemyer. While his social studies teacher Brenda Prebor agrees that advancing to the state and national competitions do require some luck as far as the type of questions given to each competitor, she also says that it takes a lot of knowledge on the part of the student to do well. "If anyone has the ability to win at the state bee it is Andrew. He is extremely intelligent and just a delight to have in class," Prebor adds. If luck does play a part, then there might just be a lucky desk in Prebor's social studies class. Last year Piasta sat in the same desk that Wedemyer does now. Although Piasta did not advance to the nationals last year, Wedemyer and his classmates are hoping that he will be chosen to compete in the national championship. However, if he does advance to nationals it could be a bittersweet victory for Wedemyer. He is also involved in Science Olympiad and national competition falls on the same day as the one for the geography bee. "I have given this a lot of thought. If I have to make a choice, I'm going to do Science Olympiad," Wedemyer says. Although history is one of Wedemyer's favorite subjects, he says he is planning to have a career in aeronautics and hopes to someday work for NASA.
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