The 23nd annual Harrells Christian Academy Geography Bee was held on Tuesday, January 10, 2017 in the school auditorium. The competition is open to all fourth – eighth grade students. There were seven preliminary rounds administered to all fourth through eighth grade students. There was also a tiebreaker round to determine the ten finalists on stage.
The ten finalists were:
Ty Smoak – Winner
Matthew Thornton – 2nd place
Kolby Jessup – 3rd place
Josh deAndrade
Jacob Barnes
Sarah Benton
Diego Fleury
Isabella Rumbold
Harrison DeVane
Aaron Sessoms
Each participant received a certificate and a $10.00 gift card to Barnes and Noble. The winner this year was: Ty Smoak of Garland. The winning question was: The Bab el Mandeb, a strait between the Arabian Pennisula and the Horn of Africa, connects the Gulf of Aden to which body of water? The answer was: Red Sea. The winner in addition to the $10.00 gift card, also received $25.00 CASH, a medal, and their name engraved on a plaque that stays in the media center. Ty, after winning the school title, will take a written test to possibly advance to the state level bee in Raleigh. The state level winner will advance to the national level, where a $25,000 scholarship will be awarded by the National Geographic Society.
The event was coordinated by Mrs. Joy Usher, the librarian, who also served as judge during the competition. The moderator was Mr. Holden Quinn, HCA Senior. The scorekeeper was Mrs. Sabrina Armstrong, HCA lower school Art. The timekeepers were Miss Allison Usher and Mrs. Michelle Quinn, both are HCA Alumni. The Geography Bee is sponsored annually by the media center as a way of gaining a better understanding of the world in which we live.