Youngsters Square Off in Geographic Bee (Home-schooled Boy Wins)

AP | 5/21/03 | RANDOLPH E. SCHMID

[kattracks]

WASHINGTON (AP) — James Williams, a home-schooled 14-year-old from Vancouver, Wash., won the 15th annual National Geographic Bee on Wedenesday.

Williams captured the title by knowing that Goa in India was formerly a colony of Portugal.

That answer gave him a tiebraker victory over Dallas Simons, a 13-year-old from Nashville, Tenn.

Placing third in the competition was Sean Rao, 14, from Hubertus, Wis.

Williams said being home-schooled was a big help in the competition because it gave him extra time to concentrate on things he enjoys, like studying geography.

Williams made the trip to the competition here after participating in a science bowl competition in Ohio and later in the year he goes on to another competition as a member of the Washington-Oregon science bowl team.

The top three were among 5 million students from across the country who took part in local contests that narrowed the field down to 55 local champions for the finals in Washington.

First prize is a $25,000 college scholarship, a lifetime subscription to National Geographic magazine and a week at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Adventure Camps. Second and third prizes are scholarships of $15,000 and $10,000.

Joining the three winners in the contest's 10 finalists were:

_Jacob Felts, 14, of Highland High School in Jonesboro, Ark., who also represented his state last year. Jacob enjoys country music and would like to be a political scientist or ambassador.

_Kathryn Prose, 13, of D'Evelyn Junior High in Denver, who enjoys opera and studies Mandarin and Latin.

_Thomas Meyerson, 13, of Blessed Sacrament School in Washington, D.C., who also represented the capital city in the contest last year. He's a Boy Scout, plays saxophone and basketball and would like to be a stand-up comedian.

_David Goldman, 14, of Nova Southeastern University School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., who tutors in Hebrew school and would like a career in politics.

_Christopher Butler, 13, of Shaker Heights Middle School in Shaker Heights, Ohio, who collects license plates and composes music.

_Samuel Brandt, 11, of Roosevelt Middle School in Eugene, Ore. Samuel plays trombone, sings in the choir and would like to be a broadcaster one day.

_Karan Takhar, 12, of The Gordon School in East Providence, R.I. He plays piano, enjoys reading and would like to be an entrepreneur and introduce new products and ideas.

Nearly half this year's contestants — 25 — are 14 years old and some are as young as 11. They came to Washington from every state plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Pacific territories and military schools overseas.

Six of the contestants had been to the finals before, including Deborah Beihl, a 13-year-old home schooler from Saluda, S.C. Deborah's appearance carried on a family tradition. She also represented her state last year. Her brother David won the bee in 1999 and another brother, Thomas, represented South Carolina in 2001.

[dd5339]

Home school ping!

Semper Fi

[N. Theknow]

Home schooling is great.

My Mom taught me Latin for two years when I was in a public high school. I barely got through it.

She is now retired and one of the home school students she tutored won the national Latin contest.

[dawn53]

Williams said being home-schooled was a big help in the competition because it gave him extra time to concentrate on things he enjoys, like studying geography

The ever present "dig" at homeschool exists even in this article.

It implies the kid's education is imbalanced, uses his own words against him, i.e. homeschooled kids don't get a "rounded" education.

[JustPiper]

Bump from a longtime HS Mom. Our kids win more and more contests. -smiles-

[BibChr]

Wow! In spite of the terrible disadvantage of being schooled by an untrained, uncertified, unqualified amateur!

Wow!

< /dripping acid sarcasm >

Dan

[nevergore]

A kid from my son's class was at this contest today.....He was representing the State of Georgia and was just 11 years old (maybe 12 now)......

Had to be a tough contest cause this kid's a Savant...

NeverGore

[newgeezer]

It implies the kid's education is imbalanced, uses his own words against him, i.e. homeschooled kids don't get a "rounded" education.

Methinks thou dost protest too much.

Regardless, a homeschool education is most certainly not "rounded." It denied this poor child every opportunity to learn tolerance, diversity, and countless valuable social skills, the likes of which can only be provided in the arena of public education.</sarcasm>

[newgeezer]

First prize [includes] a lifetime subscription to National Geographic magazine

Oh, well... At least the photography is top-notch.

[homeschool mama]

The kid must live in a cave, surrounded by maps and volumes of geography books, pastey looking and wearing coke bottle lense glasses. **more dripping sarcasm**

[biblewonk]

Regardless, a homeschool education is most certainly not "rounded." It denied this poor child every opportunity to learn tolerance, diversity, and countless valuable social skills, the likes of which can only be provided in the arena of public education.

My poor kids find themselves not doing very well in pissing matches with public school kids. They often don't even get sexual inuendo(sp). They don't know much drug lingo or how to roll a joint or what kind of protection to use. They don't even know what they are suppose to protect themselves from until most of their public school peers have already experiences many needs for protection.

[Carolina]

That answer gave him a tiebraker victory over Dallas Simons, a 13-year-old from Nashville, Tenn.

Tiebraker[sic]?????

Well, obviously the reporter didn't win any spelling bees.

[kattracks]

LOL, good catch.
I'll bet the reporter wasn't home schooled.

[CyberCowboy777]

Washington State (home taught) kid wins!

Washington State Ping List

This is all known Washington State Freepers and interested parties as of 1/03/03
Less those who opted out
If you want on or off this ping list Freepmail me.

[Billy_bob_bob]

How long before competitions like this one shut out the homeschooled? It is obvious that having homeschooled kids compete against public schooled kids is like having the Montana/Rice era 49ers playing against Mama Goodhearts nursery school team. It's beyond humiliating, it just ends up in a bloody mess that nobody can feel good about. Public schooled kids are defenseless against homeschooled kids. It's like putting 350 pound linebackers up against four year old toddlers who weigh 40 pounds each. It really is brutal.

Perhaps if they made the homeschooled kids have to undergo a sub-orbital icepick lobotomy before the competition, then the public schooled kids would have a chance of winning. But probably not.

[Aquinasfan]

Granted these contests are oddities, homeschoolers are well represented, especially considering the fact that they represent about 2% of school-age children.

[CyberCowboy777]

The state is taking care of those pesky home school kids!

More and more requirements are being placed on parents that must be meet before they can home school.

I saw a story on the news about this bee and I told my wife that if they do not mention his school I would bet he is home taught. They did not and he is!

[CyberCowboy777]

homeschoolers are well represented

That is because while public schools rarely put out exceptional students, it is the norm for home schools and private schools.

Most kids are better than the public school allows/fosters them to be.

Our schools have been scientifically designed to prevent over-education from happening...The average American [should be] content with their humble role in life, because they're not tempted to think about any other role."
- William Harris, U.S. Commissioner of Education, 1889

[CyberCowboy777]

You must train the children to their studies in a playful manner, and without any air of constraint, with the further object of discerning more readily the natural bent of their respective characters.

- Plato

[Aquinasfan]

Most kids are better than the public school allows/fosters them to be.

Good point. I've noticed that with my own children. My wife and I don't spend a lot of time teaching our children, but we don't spend any time holding them back. We let them move ahead as soon as they "get" a subject.