New Jersey Teen Wins 2015 National Geographic Bee
From News Dispatches
A 14-year-old eighth-grader from New Jersey has won the 2015 National Geographic Bee. Karan Menon of Edison clinched the title and a $50,000 scholarship by correctly identifying the Congo River as the site of the Grand Inga Dam.
Menon, who defeated 54 students from fourth to eight grades, also won a trip to the Galápagos Islands. Shriya Yarlagadda of Grand Blanc, Michigan, came in second, while Sojas Wagle, an eighth-grader from Springdale, Arkansas took third place. Both Yarlagadda and Wagle won a $25,000 and $10,000 scholarship respectively.
This year’s competition, moderated by television journalist Soledad O’Brien was a cliff-hanger, with Yarlagadda leading for most of the competition. However, Menon pulled ahead by one point after explaining why Sapporo, Japan, site of the 1972 Winter Olympics, would be a better location for a ski resort than Beijing or Darjeeling, India.
Menon told Reuters the national championship is the high point of his lifetime achievements. “You get to explore all the world by just sitting at a table at home,” he said about his love for geography. Menon got the chance to compete in the national competition after taking first place at this year’s National Geographic Bee state finals March 27 at Rowan University. The event tested the geographic knowledge of more than 100 fourth- through eighth-graders from New Jersey middle schools.
National Geographic started the Bee in 1989 to improve geographic literacy among young people. Michael Jordan majored in geography and Mother Theresa taught it, the organizers noted. Alex Trebek served as the host for the first 25 years.
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