Students embrace geography

By Matthew Bernat
Turley Publications Reporter

STURBRIDGE - What is the name of the arid U.S. valley that lies between the Amargosa Range and the Panamint range?
You may not know the answer, but the students at Burgess Elementary School do – it’s Death Valley.
Burgess student Jack Mazeika answered questions like that one to come out on top as the winner of the school’s annual geography bee held Thursday, Dec. 17, sponsored by National Geographic.
The bee started on the class level. The top students from 12 classes – that’s children in 4th and 5th grade – went on to compete against each other on the stage of the school’s north cafeteria in front of an audience of students, teachers and parents.
Assistant Principal Jack Canavan introduced the contestants with gusto after explaining the format and rules.
Students were asked questions about the states and the world and were allowed two incorrect answers before they had to step off the stage. Contestants went several rounds until three were left - Grace Foulis, Jack Mazeika and Petra Zwiebel who placed third, first and second respectively.
Jack and Petra faced off during a final round of three questions. Both were asked the same three questions and wrote their answers on a white board.
Jack earned his victory on this question: Which Mediterranean country located at the southern end of the Balkan peninsula is Europe’s largest exporter of cotton? The answer – Greece.
Canavan said students prepared by reviewing atlases.
As the winner of the school’s bee, Jack was given the chance to qualify for the state bee, to be held at Clark University in Worcester. He will have to take a 60-minute quiz of 70 questions to qualify.
Should he score in the top 100 students from across the Commonwealth, he will attend the statewide bee to be held in Worcester next year.
The winner of the state competition will go on to compete in Washington D.C. with host Alex Trebek of “Jeopardy” fame. Winners at the national contest will have the chance to win cash prizes and college scholarships as well as a trip to the Galapagos Islands.
For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee.
The following students were also contestants in the Burgess Elementary bee: Oscar Appleton, Madison Doherty, Zackary Fitzgibbons, Ben Garrett, Elise Hankis, Brianna Hastings, Shayna Kushner and Sam Matton.