Published on March 31, 2008 by Mary Wimberley  

Alabama's top 100 geography students will compete in the State Geographic Bee at Samford University Friday, April 4.

The competitors, all in grades four through eight, qualified for the event after winning contests in their schools and placing among the top 100 scorers in the state on a test administered by the National Geographic Society. They represent schools in 24 Alabama counties.

The winner of Friday's competition will receive a $100 cash prize, a world globe and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete for a college scholarship at the national finals in late May.

Preliminary rounds begin Friday at 1 p.m. at various locations at Samford. The final round will begin at 3 p.m. in Brock Forum, located in Dwight Beeson Hall

The contest is designed to spark student interest in geography and increase public awareness about the subject. The championship round of the National Geographic Bee on May 21 will air nationally on the National Geographic Channel, and will also be broadcast later on public television stations.

Amanda Williams, a teacher in Homewood City Schools, is coordinator of the state finals.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.