Update: The winner of the Texas Geographic Bee is Tine Valencic, a seventh grader from Colleyville Middle School, who won for the second year in a row. He will represent Texas at the National Geographic Bee next month in Washington, D.C. He was named state champion after a head-to-head battle with Rahul Nagvekar, from Missouri City, who is a seventh grader at Quail Valley Middle School.
The top three finalists -- the same from last year--have been battling for 45 minutes without missing a question. They have gone through all the questions and the remaining unused ones from the tie breaker round earlier today. They are now asking words from previous years that were used to break ties for a championship round. Apparently this has never happened before. Students are Gentry Clark of Austin, Tine Valencic of Colleyville, last year's winner, and Rahul Nagvekar of Missouri City.
Jessamy Brown
This might make a good story but the bottom line is "this is not the way to conduct a bee." First, it is regrettable questions list was exhausted. The National Geographic Society not having a backup is not acceptable. It does not speak well. Next, you cannot ask last year's questions that may be outdated. The coordinator, I thought, was supposed to call National Geographic, wait for half hour, and the Society should have faxed them a set of newer questions. Were the protocols followed?
Three students should have been made joint winners.
Posted by: Observ | April 14, 2011 at 01:45 PM