First Girl in 17 Years Wins Geography Bee Title

ABC News ^ | 5/23/07 | NITYA VENKATARAMAN

[Emile]

With calm determination, 14-year-old Caitlin Snaring snared a title on Wednesday that only one other girl in geographic history has held: She won the National Geographic Bee.

[Emile]

Another homeschooler. Just can't keep 'em down.

[Osage Orange]

But she’s probably socially backward...........

[KarlInOhio]

She needs some public school socialization. Who will go to her house and teach her to smoke in the bathroom?

[olde north church]

That’s just because she stopped and asked for directions!

[jack_napier]

Tell me about it. When I was 12, I made it to the Tennessee state geography bee finals. Then my parents moved to North Carolina with it’s horrendous public school system and they didn’t even participate. I still hold a grudge, thinkin’ I could have made it farthers.

[HarmlessLovableFuzzball]

But whatever happened to Appuswaminaraynmuthysanjaya ?

[Onelifetogive]

But she’s probably socially backward...........

Agreed. The homeschoolers I know don't know the proper usage of "F^%$", "G&^ d&^%", "s%^&". And heaven help them if the situation call for them to string a few of them together. They are absolutely clueless!

[Graybeard58]

Snaring will go on to compete for the international title in the National Geographic's World Championship this August in San Diego.

Good luck kid!

She doesn't really need "luck" though, just her brain power.

[HarmlessLovableFuzzball]

When I was 12, I made it to the Tennessee state geography bee finals

Is that right ? Then lets see you spell pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

[Osage Orange]

Or learn that algore is the sole expert on "global warming"?

Or...that Heather has two mommies..and it's okay?

Or how it's okay to call your teacher a "ho" if you are black...but if you are white..you will be expelled?

Or, how gun's kill, SUV's kill, Homosexual's are gifts from God, and President Bush is a terrorist?

Yep, she needs socialization.....

[colorado tanker]

Snaring took the lead in the fourth championship round against competitor and second-place winner Suneil Iyer when she correctly identified Lampedusa -- a Mediterranean island known as a destination for illegal African immigrants trying to enter Europe -- as an administrative entity of Italy. (Iyer incorrectly answered "Spain.")

Yea, sure, I knew that . . . :-))

[Eternal_Bear]

I thought all the bees were disappearing?

[Osage Orange]

Hehehe.....

Good one.........

[goodnesswins]

ping to Washington State

[Dumpster Baby]

But she’s probably socially backward...........

"But I know where LLANFAIRPWLLGWYNGYLLGOGERYCHWYRNDROBWLLLLANTYSILIOGOGOGOCH is!"

[Kimmers]

Plus the homeschool boys do not know how to sag their jeans and the girls do know how to show all their business....and they say things like please and thank you ....such a shame...

do I need the sarc tag?

[knarf]

Pirce o' cake ...

(ahem)

p-n-e-u-m-o-n-o-u-l-t-r-a-m-i-c-r-o-s-c-o-p-i-c-s-i-l-i-c-o-v-o-l-c-a-n-o-c-o-n-i-o-s-i-s

pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, noun (NOO-muh-noh-UL-truh-MY-kruh-SKOP-ik-SIL -i-koh-vol-KAY-no-KOH-nee-O-sis)

A lung disease caused by inhaling fine particles of silica.

[From New Latin, from Greek pneumono- (lung) + Latin ultra- (beyond, extremely) + Greek micro- (small) + -scopic (looking) + Latin silico (like sand) + volcano + Greek konis (dust) + -osis (condition).]

Even though we have included the pronunciation of this word, we advise caution lest you may have to avail the services of an otorhinolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat specialist).

At 45 letters, it's the longest word in any English language dictionary. It's a trophy word -- its only job is to serve as the longest word. In day-to-day use, its nine-letter synonym "silicosis" works just as well. Whatever you call it, it is deadly.

[HarmlessLovableFuzzball]

Pirce o' cake ...

Oh, the irony...

[Osage Orange]

Hehehehe..............

[GovernmentShrinker]

I'm a big fan of home-schooling, but I think these spelling and geography bees have reached ludicrous levels (for all participants, not just the home-schooled ones). When I have children, I won't encourage them to participate in anything like this. How many hundreds of hours of mindless memorization of useless trivia do you suppose it took Caitlin to be able to answer all these questions? The one that put her over the top:

Snaring took the lead in the fourth championship round against competitor and second-place winner Suneil Iyer when she correctly identified Lampedusa -- a Mediterranean island known as a destination for illegal African immigrants trying to enter Europe -- as an administrative entity of Italy. (Iyer incorrectly answered "Spain.")

There have to be better things for intelligent and ambition adolescents to spend time on.