Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Education Law Blogs -> BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog

Education Law

: BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog

Sixth-grader wins National Geographic Bee

The urban area of Cochabamba has been in the news in recent years due to protests over the privatization of the municipal water supply and regional autonomy issues. Cochabamba is the third largest conurbation in what country? Where BoardBuzz replied with "what?" 11-year-old Akshay Rajagopal answered "Bolivia" and won the 20th annual National Geographic Bee on Wednesday. Nearly five million students took part in National Geographic Bee state and territory competitions this year before the 55 finalists came to National Geographic Society headquarters this week. Akshay Rajagopal, a sixth grader and the youngest of the top ten finalists, not only won the bee, but he did so by getting no answers wrong. "I think I was just lucky," he said. Smart and humble? BoardBuzz is proud to point out that he attends Lux Middle School in Lincoln, Nebraska. "He's been interested in geography since he was 5," said his mother, Suchitra Srinivas. Akshay said he was unsure of only one question: what country lies east of Iran and holds the city of Balkh?the supposed birthplace of the ancient 13th-century Persian poet Rumi? His guess of Afghanistan was the correct answer. The Lux Middle School student is now eligible to compete for a spot on the geography team that will represent the United States in the biennial National Geographic World Championship in 2009. Akshay will receive a $25,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society.

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on May 23, 2008 (boomark / email).