2003 PA Geographic Bee Results

"After an economic collapse in the late 1990s, what South American country declared the dollar to be its official currency, replacing the sucre?"

Jacob Arem, an eighth-grader at Akiba Hebrew Academy in Merion, correctly identified "Ecuador" as the country in question to win the 2003 Pennsylvania Geographic Bee, narrowly defeating eighth-grader Colin Reynolds from Lemoyne Middle School. John Gasper, an eighth-grader at Lakeland Jr.-Sr. High School in Jermyn, earned third place.

Rounding out the Top Ten Finalists were Francois Greer (8th grade, Park Forest Middle School - State College), Corbin Helis (8th grade, St. Patrick's School - Carlisle), Brian Kingan (8th grade, Great Valley Middle School - Malvern), Rebekah Newborn (8th grade, Family Learning Opportunities, Export), Jacob Nichols (8th grade, Tunkhannock Area Middle School), Joseph Papa (7th grade, St. Bartholemew School, Pittsburgh), and Rachel Rothenberg (5th grade, St. Edmund's Academy, Pittsburgh).

Four of the 101 competitors earned a perfect score in the Preliminary Competition and automatically advanced to the finals. Nineteen students missed only one question and competed during the Tiebreaker Competition for the remaining six seats. Two competitors, seventh-graders Kimberly Bega (Christian Life Academy, Seneca) and Bradley Weaver (Annville-Cleona Middle School) have made it to the State Competition every year they were eligible (starting as fourth-graders in 2000); we hope to see them again next year!

Ms. Cheryl Farrell, a member of the Jeopardy! Clew Crew, moderated the Bee's Final Competition. Geoff Hatchard, who won the Pennsylvania Bee in 1992, placed second at the National Bee Finals that year, and is currently finishing an MS in geography at Penn State, presented the top three winners with certificates, cash awards, and National Geographic globes. State Bee Coordinator Jodi Vender (Penn State) gratefully acknowledges the tremendous institutional support offered again this year by Shippensburg University and its Department of Geography and Earth Science, as well as the assistance of dedicated volunteers from the Pennsylvania Geographical Society, Pennsylvania Geographic Alliance, and students from Shippensburg and Penn State.

Officials for the 2003 PA Bee included:
Mike Applegarth, John Benhart, Bill Blewett, Alison Feeney, Tom Feeney, Kurt Fuellhart, Craig Oyen, Diane Stanitski-Martin, Kay Williams, Ashley Brookhart, Adam Dellinger, Anna Epperly, Karen Flanigan, Becky Hawthorne, Amy Jack, Pierre MaCoy, Jeanette McBryan, Katie Mohn, and Jeremy Monn, (all from Shippensburg Univ.); Adam Bender, Phil Clinese, Geoff Hatchard, Jennie Karalewich, John Murphy, Jodi Vender, and Morgan Windram (all from Penn State Univ.); Mary Graham and Pat Oden (York College); Mary Braccili (Lehigh-Carbon Community College); Ed Grode (Erie S.D.); John Katana (Indiana S.D.); Frank Kerch (Shippensburg Area S.D.); Liz Lewis (Donegal S.D.); William Murray (Mechanicsburg Area S.D.), Lon Pritchard (Coatesville); Jan Smith (Slippery Rock Univ.); Bev Wagner (Tuscarora S.D.).

Jacob Arem advanced to the National Geographic Bee Finals, which took place in Washington, DC on May 20-21, 2003.