Jordan Winter’s first thoughts on Luverne Middle School’s geography bee were based on reality.
“I wasn’t really thinking I would win it,” he said. “There are a lot of smart kids in Luverne.”
Winter is now included as one of them as Luverne Middle School’s 2016 Geography Bee champion.
Students in sixth- through eighth-grade completed a series of written tests through the National Geographic-sponsored contest that “is designed to inspire students to be curious about the world,” according to its website.
This is the third time Winter, an eighth-grader, participated in the local geography bee. He said it’s usually an eighth-grader who wins the local Bee.
Each of Luverne’s 279 middle school students completed the first multiple-choice test to be eligible for this year’s school finals.
“It (the first test) was pretty easy, I think,” Winter said.
The first written test focused on U.S. states and cities. The second written test was harder.
According to adviser and eighth-grade geography teacher April Wallace, 15 students completed the second test.
As the local winner, Winter qualified to take an online test to qualify as one of 100 students from each state to participate in their state’s contest April 1.
Winter did not qualify. “It was really difficult,” he said.
The state contest delved beyond geographic landmarks and asked questions on regional economies.
Winter recalled one question about islands he never heard of and posed questions such as where a cocoa bean farmer would best locate his farm.
“The (state) competition is really tough,” Wallace said. “By conducting the geography bee every year, I hope it inspires students to become more curious about their world.”