The Turpan Depression, an oasis near the northern boundary of the Taklimakan Desert, is the lowest point in which country in Asia? Which country has the world’s largest Muslim population—Indonesia or Mexico? What is the term for a part of an ocean or sea that cuts far into the bordering landmass and may contain one or more bays?
Answering these types of questions is par for the course for 13-year old Thomas Winters, an Old Rochester Regional eighth grader who recently qualified as one of Massachusetts’ 2012 semifinalists for the National Geographic Geography Bee. Questions at these events touch on a wide range of topics – from weather, politics, culture to language – at the global level.
After winning the school-wide GeoBee at Old Rochester Regional Junior High in February, Winters’ score on the national qualifying test established him as a semifinalist, according to eighth grade social studies teacher Steve Kocur.
“With this achievement he is eligible to compete at Worcester State University on Friday, March 30, for the state title,” Kocur said.
Although Winters has not traveled beyond the U.S. borders, he said he enjoys world geography very much.
“I have an interest in it,” he explained, adding that his nonfiction reading helps deepen his knowledge.
Winters described his victory at the ORRJHS Geographic Bee as a “nerve wracking” experience (He had lost the competition the previous year to a question on the Calgary Stampede).
“It came down to the best of three questions,” he said, recalling that the final score was 1-0. The competition involved eight students, the top two geography whizzes from each grade, including John Breault, Connor Kelley, Becket Kiernan, Josh Lerman, Victor Morrison, Bryant Salkind, and Emil Assing.
As the junior high’s victor, Winters took the 70-question National Geographic Geography Bee qualifying test; only 100 of the estimated 250 students who take the test get invited to the state semifinals, he said. All 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories, host semifinals to establish the best of the best.
If Winters wins the semifinals, he receives $100, the complete National Geographic Magazine on DVD, and gets the opportunity to compete the National Finals in Washington DC (hosted by Alex Trebec) on May 22 to 24.
And if he becomes the national champ, he’ll receive $25,000 in college scholarships and an all-expenses paid trip to the Galapagos Islands.
For now, Winters said he is busy preparing for the Semifinals, which he said he is planning to attend with his parents.
By Laura Fedak Pedulli