Lux sixth-grader wins National Geographic Bee
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BY KEVIN ABOUREZK / Lincoln Journal Star
Cochabamba is the third largest conurbation in what country?
Know the answer?
Akshay Rajagopal, a Lux Middle School sixth-grader, did.
Related Link(s):
NET Television will re-broadcast the National Geographic Bee's final rounds on NET1 and NET-HD (Time Warner Cable channels 12 and 112, respectively) at 8:30 a.m. Sunday and on NET2 (channel 17) at 6 p.m. Sunday, 5 p.m. Monday and 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The other finalists competing included:
In the championship round Wednesday, Akshay Rajagopal, a sixth-grader at Lux Middle School in Lincoln, beat out nine other finalists to win the National Geographic Bee.
Hunter Bledsoe of Alabama; William Lee of Massachusetts; Nikhil Desai of California; Benjamin Geyer of Washington, D.C.; Erik Troske of Indiana; Isaac Pasley of Missouri; Joseph Perea of Montana; Milan Sandhu of New Hampshire; and Taylor Morris of North Carolina.
Geography questions
Think you know your geography? Try out these five questions that finalists in the National Geographic Bee answered on Wednesday:
1. The indigenous peoples of Australia include the Aboriginal peoples and a second group whose name comes from what strait that separates Australia from New Guinea?
2. Bornean orangutans are threatened with extinction in the wild due to habitat destruction by expanding palm oil plantations on the island of Borneo. Most of this island is part of which country?
3. Tillya Tepe, near the ancient city of Balkh, is located in what present-day country?
4. After Brazil, which South American country has the most area covered by rainforest?
5. Makossa is a type of music popular in which country that lies northeast of the island of Bioko?
Click here for the answers.
With his answer — Bolivia — the 11-year-old won the National Geographic Bee in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
“It’s been a pretty good day,” Akshay said by phone Wednesday. “I’m feeling very good.”
The last two questions leading up to the winning question were the capital of earthquake-ravaged Sichuan province in China (Chengdu) and the westernmost Asian national capital (Ankara in Turkey).
“Jeopardy!’s” Alex Trebek hosted the bee, which will be re-broadcast on NET Television next week.
Akshay, the youngest of the final 10 contestants, won a $25,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society.
He didn’t miss a single question in preliminary rounds Tuesday or in Wednesday’s final rounds.
His father attributed Akshay’s win to his “phenomenal” ability to memorize names and capitals of countries, and to the six months of work his wife, Suchitra Srinivas, did to prepare him.
“It was very nice to watch, very gratifying with the results,” Vijay Rajagopal said. “He looked very confident, today and yesterday.”
His son’s interest in geography facts started at age 5 when he was living in Malaysia with his family, Vijay Rajagopal said.
Akshay won first place at the state National Geographic Bee on April 4 at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, which earned him a trip to compete at the nationals.
It was his first time competing in the National Geographic Bee, open to students in grades 4-8.
Akshay said he prepared by watching geography DVDs and reading “Lands and Peoples,” a series of geography books by Grolier Educational.
Akshay, who is considering a career involving geography, said he plans to continue competing in quiz bowls.
“I might do the science bowl,” he said.
Lux Principal Bill Bucher said students cheered when they got the news Wednesday morning that Akshay had won.
“All of his classmates and schoolmates and teachers and principal are very proud of him,” he said.
Vijay Rajagopal said he and his family planned to fly to New York City Wednesday night to be interviewed Thursday morning by “Good Morning America” and CNN. He said he was not surprised by his son’s success.
“I think about two months back I told him I had a dream that he won, and it was true actually,” he said.
(In case you were wondering, a conurbation is a very large, densely populated urban area.)
Reach Kevin Abourezk at 473-7225 or kabourezk@journalstar.com.
Reporter Lori Pilger contributed to this report.
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Bidisha and Dipanjan Nag wrote on May 22, 2008 12:09 pm:
Congratulations to Vijay, Suchita and Divit! We still remember little Akshay being an avid fan of 'Sharukh Uncle'!!! "