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Victory puts boy on the map

A sixth-grader is heading to the state Geography Bee. The best part? "Beating an eighth-grader."

By MICHELE MILLER
Published March 16, 2005

LAND O'LAKES - When it comes to the state-level National Geography Bee, Pine View Middle School has been on a bit of a roll. In the past four years, winners at the school level have gone on to qualify for the state competition.

Still, this year's winner is a bit of a first. According to teacher Kelly Floyd, who coordinated the Geography Bee at Pine View Middle, Ben Kessel, is the first sixth-grader from the school to go on to the state Geography Bee.

That competition, sponsored by the National Geographic Society, will be April 1 at Jacksonville University. The state winner will be treated to an all-expenses-paid trip to compete in the final round, featuring Jeopardy's Alex Trebek as moderator, in May in Washington, D.C.

The national winner will receive a $25,000 college scholarship and a lifetime membership to the National Geographic Society.

That would be nice, but just winning the school-level bee was a sweet victory for Ben.

The best thing about it, he said, "was beating an eighth-grader."

Getting to state competition isn't an easy endeavor. After winning on the school level, students must pass a rigorous written exam that includes questions such as: In Hawaii, which crop is burned before it is harvested? Pineapples, sugar cane, bananas or macadamia nuts?

Sarawak Chamber, one of the world's largest caves, is on which island? Corsica, Madagascar, Borneo or Sri Lanka?

The Seikan Tunnel runs for approximately 34 miles between Hokkaido and what other island? Hong Kong, Honshu, Taiwan, Kyushu.

The correct answers: sugar cane, Borneo and Honshu. Ben ranked in the top 100 students in Florida to take the test.

"It was tough," said Ben, who counts geography as his second favorite subject - after math. "A lot tougher than the FCAT."

Preparation for the geography test included a daily perusal of a world atlas.

A fondness of the board game Axis and Allies and the History Channel combined with his being born into a military family that moved around a bit probably helped him along, said his mom, Dawn Kessel.

Before his dad, Steve Kessel, retired from the Air Force and settled his family in Land O'Lakes, Ben lived in Belleville, Ill.; Washington, D.C.; and Fort Walton Beach.

And there was the rather educational RV trip through Western states in 2000, Ben said.

"Sometimes experience is the best teacher," said Floyd, though Ben credits his social studies teacher Catherine Clark and his parents for giving their guidance.

Ben says he is using the same study tactics for the state competition, although he is adding a little reinforcement by writing his own index cards filled with geography facts.

Is he nervous?

"Very," Ben says. "But going to the state Geography Bee is just nice in itself. Winning would be a miracle. I'd be happy just to get second or third. I'd be happy just for the experience."

[Last modified March 16, 2005, 01:33:12]