First Girl in 17 Years Wins Geography Bee Title

ABC News ^ | 5/23/07 | NITYA VENKATARAMAN

[Emile]

With calm determination, 14-year-old Caitlin Snaring snared a title on Wednesday that only one other girl in geographic history has held: She won the National Geographic Bee.

[Emile]

Another homeschooler. Just can't keep 'em down.

[Osage Orange]

But she’s probably socially backward...........

[KarlInOhio]

She needs some public school socialization. Who will go to her house and teach her to smoke in the bathroom?

[olde north church]

That’s just because she stopped and asked for directions!

[jack_napier]

Tell me about it. When I was 12, I made it to the Tennessee state geography bee finals. Then my parents moved to North Carolina with it’s horrendous public school system and they didn’t even participate. I still hold a grudge, thinkin’ I could have made it farthers.

[HarmlessLovableFuzzball]

But whatever happened to Appuswaminaraynmuthysanjaya ?

[Onelifetogive]

But she’s probably socially backward...........

Agreed. The homeschoolers I know don't know the proper usage of "F^%$", "G&^ d&^%", "s%^&". And heaven help them if the situation call for them to string a few of them together. They are absolutely clueless!

[Graybeard58]

Snaring will go on to compete for the international title in the National Geographic's World Championship this August in San Diego.

Good luck kid!

She doesn't really need "luck" though, just her brain power.

[HarmlessLovableFuzzball]

When I was 12, I made it to the Tennessee state geography bee finals

Is that right ? Then lets see you spell pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

[Osage Orange]

Or learn that algore is the sole expert on "global warming"?

Or...that Heather has two mommies..and it's okay?

Or how it's okay to call your teacher a "ho" if you are black...but if you are white..you will be expelled?

Or, how gun's kill, SUV's kill, Homosexual's are gifts from God, and President Bush is a terrorist?

Yep, she needs socialization.....

[colorado tanker]

Snaring took the lead in the fourth championship round against competitor and second-place winner Suneil Iyer when she correctly identified Lampedusa -- a Mediterranean island known as a destination for illegal African immigrants trying to enter Europe -- as an administrative entity of Italy. (Iyer incorrectly answered "Spain.")

Yea, sure, I knew that . . . :-))

[Eternal_Bear]

I thought all the bees were disappearing?

[Osage Orange]

Hehehe.....

Good one.........

[goodnesswins]

ping to Washington State

[Dumpster Baby]

But she’s probably socially backward...........

"But I know where LLANFAIRPWLLGWYNGYLLGOGERYCHWYRNDROBWLLLLANTYSILIOGOGOGOCH is!"

[Kimmers]

Plus the homeschool boys do not know how to sag their jeans and the girls do know how to show all their business....and they say things like please and thank you ....such a shame...

do I need the sarc tag?

[knarf]

Pirce o' cake ...

(ahem)

p-n-e-u-m-o-n-o-u-l-t-r-a-m-i-c-r-o-s-c-o-p-i-c-s-i-l-i-c-o-v-o-l-c-a-n-o-c-o-n-i-o-s-i-s

pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, noun (NOO-muh-noh-UL-truh-MY-kruh-SKOP-ik-SIL -i-koh-vol-KAY-no-KOH-nee-O-sis)

A lung disease caused by inhaling fine particles of silica.

[From New Latin, from Greek pneumono- (lung) + Latin ultra- (beyond, extremely) + Greek micro- (small) + -scopic (looking) + Latin silico (like sand) + volcano + Greek konis (dust) + -osis (condition).]

Even though we have included the pronunciation of this word, we advise caution lest you may have to avail the services of an otorhinolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat specialist).

At 45 letters, it's the longest word in any English language dictionary. It's a trophy word -- its only job is to serve as the longest word. In day-to-day use, its nine-letter synonym "silicosis" works just as well. Whatever you call it, it is deadly.

[HarmlessLovableFuzzball]

Pirce o' cake ...

Oh, the irony...

[Osage Orange]

Hehehehe..............

[GovernmentShrinker]

I'm a big fan of home-schooling, but I think these spelling and geography bees have reached ludicrous levels (for all participants, not just the home-schooled ones). When I have children, I won't encourage them to participate in anything like this. How many hundreds of hours of mindless memorization of useless trivia do you suppose it took Caitlin to be able to answer all these questions? The one that put her over the top:

Snaring took the lead in the fourth championship round against competitor and second-place winner Suneil Iyer when she correctly identified Lampedusa -- a Mediterranean island known as a destination for illegal African immigrants trying to enter Europe -- as an administrative entity of Italy. (Iyer incorrectly answered "Spain.")

There have to be better things for intelligent and ambition adolescents to spend time on.

[Osage Orange]

You rock!

[GovernmentShrinker]

Oops, that was the next the last round. THIS one put her over the top:

In the fifth and final championship round, Snaring correctly identified the city divided by a river of the same name, an important cultural center of Vietnam, as "Hue." She was immediately announced the winner; and promptly burst into tears. (Iyer's answer: "Ho Chi Minh.")

[jws3sticks]

She's from Redmond, WA, home of Microsoft. Smart folks live in and near Redmond.

Good for her!

[knarf]

Oh, dear girl ... eat some steaks with mashed potatos and green beans .... once a day for a couple of weeks.

[California Patriot]

Absolutely — congrats are in order!

[Lizavetta]

When I have children, I won't encourage them to participate in anything like this. How many hundreds of hours of mindless memorization of useless trivia do you suppose it took Caitlin to be able to answer all these questions?

The value of spelling bees and geography bees are not, in my opinion, based on the knowledge one gains. I would bet anything almost all of that information will be forgotten because it probably won't be used again in their lifetime.

The VALUE of these things is traning yourself to make a goal, disciplining yourself each and every day for months and months, and working your keister off to reach that goal. To me that's a fantastic life skill to learn.

[Old Professer]

Yeah, but I’ll bet you never traversed the whole of Old Hickory Road in Nashville (the best place to get lost in plain sight I’ve never seen).

[Old Professer]

Gasp!!

[agent_delta]

rimshot

[Old Professer]

It’s irreversible; but have you ever heard of a lawsuit against a volcano?

[Old Professer]

Pot, speed and rock and roll!

[Myrddin]

Is that right ? Then lets see you spell pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

English speaking piker. Try this one in Welsh:

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

Spelling and geography were always my strong suits :-)

[knarf]

Well ... I think ya' aughta' send that suit out for some serious dry cleaning. Ya' spilled a whole buncha' vowels and consanants all over it.

Can it be de-fragged?

[Myrddin]

My family came from a Welsh village with the longest legitimate name. The one I referenced was cobbled up as a tourist attraction. My family's village was:

Llanfihangel y Creuddyn

[Myrddin]

The original sign is at the train station in Anglesey, Wales aka Ynys Mon. Hwyl!

[Dumpster Baby]

OK, where's this place? :O)

Krungthepmahanakornamornratanakosinmahintarayutthayamahadilokphopnopparatrajathaniburiromudomrajaniwesmahasatharnamornphimarnavatarnsathitsakkattiyavisanukamprasit

[knarf]

Llanfihangel y Creuddyn

Lan fih hang gull ih croidun ?

[Myrddin]

The closest phonetic version for an English speaker is:

THLAN vee han gull uh cray thin (th like THat, "in" as in pin)

[Myrddin]

Bangkok, Thailand

[Oztrich Boy]

[Erasmus]

>>When I was 12, I made it to the Tennessee state geography bee finals

>Is that right ? Then lets see you spell pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.

He can't spell it for you, but he can point it out on the map.

[Erasmus]

ps.

I think it’s in Wales.

[LibFreeOrDie]

“The Boy From…”

from: The Mad Show
music: Mary Rodgers
lyrics: Stephen Sondheim

Tall and tender, like an apollo,
He goes walking by, and I have to follow him,
The boy from Tacarembo la Tumbe del Fuego Santa Malipas Zatatecas la Junta del Sol y Cruz.

When we meet, I feel I ‘m on fire
And I’m breathless everytime I enquire,
“How are things in Tacarembo la Tumbe del Fuego Santa Malipas Zatatecas la Junta del Sol y Cruz?”

Why, when I speak, does he vanish?
Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo.
Why is he acting so clannish?
Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo.
I wish I understood Spanish.
When I tell him i think he’s the end,
He giggles a lot with his friend.

Tall and slender, moves like a dancer,
But I never seem to get any answer
From the boy from Tacarembo la Tumbe del Fuego Santa Malipas Zatatecas la Junta del Sol y Cruz
I got the blueth.

Why are his trousers vermillion?
His trousers are vermillion.
Why does he claim he’s Castilian?
He thayth that he’th Cathtilian.
Why do his friends call him Lillian?
And I hear at the end of the week
He’s leaving to start a boutique.

Thought I smile, I’m only pretending
‘Cause I know today’s the last I ‘ll be spending
With the boy from Tacarembo la Tumbe del Fuego Santa Malipas Zatatecas la Junta del Sol y Cruz.

Tomorrow he sails.
He’s moving to Wales,
To live in… Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyr ndrobullllandysiliogogogoch.*

[*pronounced: hchlan-vair-puch-gwin-gich-gwan-gai r-ich-wirn-drew-buch-hchlan-ta-sil- ly-aw-gaw-gaw-gawch]

[Michael A. Velli]

She looks a lot older than 14.

[SuziQ]

There have to be better things for intelligent and ambition adolescents to spend time on.

Different strokes for different folks. She could have spent all of her free time playing a sport in order to get an athletic scholarship, spent all of her extra time doing computer programming, or competing in chess tournaments. Some kids are just competitive, and this is a way for them to feed that need.

[shhrubbery!]

I saw an earlier AP article about this. As soon as I saw the headline, I said to myself 'I'll bet she's homeschooled' -- but looked in vain for any reference to schooling (home or not) in the AP's report.

So of course, I concluded she WAS homeschooled -- since the AP made no mention of any school at all.

You could bet the ranch they'd be trumpeting the school's name, had the winner had been public-schooled.

[I still care]

I was forced to watch CNN today in the dentist’s office. And the banner underneath said “homeschool”. I was surprised.

I also noticed this: “Long an admirer of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Snaring suggested Stanford, where Rice was once on the faculty and a provost, as a potential option.” (for college).

I know Condi’s busy, but I think she should send this young girl a note or something.

[Onelifetogive]

do I need the sarc tag?

Sadly, on FR, usually.....

[CholeraJoe]

Who will go to her house and teach her to smoke in the bathroom?

Or to dress like a slut?

[the_devils_advocate_666]

Oh, dear girl ... eat some steaks with mashed potatos and green beans .... once a day for a couple of weeks.

Those wacky homeschoolers, she's probably forced to be vegetarian. < /s >