Smithfield student heads to state geography bee

Photo courtesy of Smithfield Elementary School
Smithfield Elementary School geography whizzes (from left) Purush Ramanathan, who placed first in the school’s recent geography bee, and second-place finisher Steven Hemingway have earned solid reputations as geography aficionados among their Smithfield peers.
February 5, 2010
Anna Dykema

One could argue Smithfield Elementary School fifth-grader Purush Ramanathan and fourth-grader Steven Hemingway have an uncanny sense of global awareness. In January, the students excelled in the first round of the 22nd Annual National Geographic Bee, held at Smithfield, 3200 Smithfield Road. Ramanthan took home first place, and Hemingway placed second.

With a local win under his belt, Ramanthan now will advance to the contest’s next level, a 100-question written exam. If he’s among North Carolina’s top scorers he’ll advance to the state Bee, April 9, 2010, in Raleigh. If Ramanthan’s winning streak continues at the state level, he’ll win an all-expense paid trip to the National Geographic Society ­Geography Bee, May 25, in Washington, D.C., where he’ll compete alongside student winners from across the nation for the contest’s grand prize, a $25,000 college scholarship.

“Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebeck will moderate the national finals, which will be televised nationally.

For more information on National Geographic Society Geography Bee, sponsored by Google, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.