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University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

NEWS RELEASE

News Bureau • Schofield Hall 201 • Eau Claire, WI 54702
phone: (715) 836-4741
fax: (715) 836-2900

Five Students Win at
UW-Eau Claire Geography Bee

MAILED: Nov. 27, 2002

         EAU CLAIRE — Most kids learned about geography in elementary school. Some even had a song to remember all of the fifty nifty United States. So if asked to find the United States on a map, most anyone could do so, right?
         Not so according to a recent study done by CNN, where a sample of 18 to 24-year-old Americans were handed a map and asked to find the country they live in.
         Only 89 percent were able to correctly locate the USA, leaving 11 percent geographically clueless.
         In the 1980s, National Geographic Awareness week began as a part of a campaign to help promote geographical literacy in America.
         To celebrate this year’s National Geographic Awareness week, Nov. 17 to 23, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Geography Club and the Wisconsin Geographic Alliance held a Geography Bee.
         The annual Bee attracted 23 UW-Eau Claire participants and turned out five winners.
         First place was awarded to senior Reid Wilson, a geography major from Tomahawk. In second place was senior geology major Luke Beranek, Rice Lake. And in a three-way tie for third place were sophomore Chris Telisak, a history major from Chippewa Falls, sophomore Emily Hynek, a social work major from Sparta, and senior Nik Novak, a social work major from Eau Claire.
         The winners received cash prizes of $100, $75 and $50 for first, second and third place, respectively.
         That same CNN study also found that only about one in seven or 13 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 could find Iraq or Iran on a map.
         So for those still contemplating what to get some young person for Christmas, maybe a world map or a globe would be the way to go this year.
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UW-Eau Claire Home  News Bureau
Judy Berthiaume
UW-Eau Claire News Bureau
Schofield 201
(715) 836-4741
newsbur@uwec.edu

Updated: November 26, 2002