Keene Sentinel

April 3, 2004

A home-schooled sixth-grader from Francestown wins the N.H. state geography bee (4/3/04)

By VICTORIA McGRANE for SentinelSource

He was the smallest competitor up there, his scuffed navy sneakers dangling inches about the stage floor. But in nine rounds, Matt J. Savage, 11, proved his slight frame contained continents worth of knowledge.

The home-schooled 6th-grader from Francestown captured the state title in the 16th National Geographic Bee, a program of the National Geographic Society, held Friday at Keene State College’s Mabel Brown Room. Top honor earned him a $100 check and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete against winners from around the country.

“I’m pretty surprised,” he said afterward. “I never knew I would be the best.”

Friday was Matt’s first time at the state bee. He represented the Monadnock Area Cooperative School in Hancock.

Eight rounds of questions winnowed the field from 10 finalists to two: Matt, who hadn’t missed a question yet, and Kaitlin E. Fink, a 5th-grader from Memorial School in Bedford, who’d missed just one question.

The two opponents squared off over three questions in the championship round. Both easily answered the first.

The second question asked the name of the Canadian province that lies between the Bay of Chaleurs and the Bay of Gaspe.

“Quebec,” wrote Kaitlin. “Newfoundland and Labrador,” wrote Matt. “New Brunswick,” moderator Jim Jeannotte corrected them.
The audience gasped.

Matt quickly recovered and correctly named Montserrat as the Caribbean island where a 1997 volcano destroyed its capital city. Kaitlin didn’t.

Still, she said she felt good about her performance; last year she didn’t make it to the finals.
“It’s just such an awesome experience,” she beamed between fierce hugs from her father, mother and sister. “I just love places and finding them.”

In fact, geography is a family affair for Kaitlin. Her interest was sparked by listening to her sister study for earlier bees with their mom.

“It just gives them a better sense of where they are,” Pam Grich, Kaitlin and Allison’s mother, said of her daughters’ interest in geography.

For luck Friday, the younger sister wore a green vest decorated with roses and swans, an exact match to one the older sister wore several years earlier. Allison, now in 8th grade, helped by wearing her old vest Friday as well.
Apparently, the talisman worked: “She got 2nd place, too,” laughed the sisters’ father Lou.

Several bee participants echoed Kaitlin’s reason for studying geography: They like it.

“It can help you a lot in everyday life,” said Rebecca U. Hayes, 11, a 5th-grader at Franklin School in Keene.
Rebecca, who narrowly missed making Friday’s finals, said she caught the geography bug in 2nd grade when she got an atlas for Christmas. Her favorite place is Saudi Arabia: “Even though its very hot there, they can still farm,” she said, adding that she likes learning about the Al-Saud, the country’s ruling family.

“Everybody should know at least something about the world around them,” noted Matt. He absorbs his geographic knowledge through books, maps and television, he said. He credited a video on natural disasters for his wining answer.

“He’s one of those kids who loves to stare at atlases,” Matt’s mother Diane said. He doesn’t study; he just loves to read, she added. Matt is also an accomplished jazz pianist and leads his own trio. The other members are 36 and 44 years old.

Not everyone at Friday’s competition was a life-long geography nut.
“I didn’t even know I liked geography,” said Cecilia B. Falter of Thorton. Then the 5th-grader won her school bee and started studying.

Matt has the chance to win a $25,000 college scholarship during the televised national competition in Washington, D.C., on May 25 and 26, which will be moderated by “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek.

He also has a gift for his opponents: 60 mini-bottles of pure N.H. maple syrup.

Students in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and some U.S. territories all held their championships Friday.

Local students participating were:

Nathaniel S. Locke, 7th grade, Vilas School, Alstead.
Matthew J. Savage, 6th grade, Monadnock Area Cooperative School, Hancock.
Eleanor K. Calhoun, 6th grade, Wells Memorial School, Harrisville.
Matthew Magliacane, 6th grade, Jaffrey-Rindge Middle School.
Shawn M. Pelletier, 7th grade, St. Patrick School, Jaffrey.
Edward D. Meyers, 5th grade, Jaffrey Grade School.
Rebecca U. Hayes, 5th grade, Franklin School, Keene.
Gregory S. Yerkes, 6th grade, South Meadow School, Peterborough.
Rebecca M. Osborn, 6th grade, Cutler School, Swanzey.
Colin P. Dunn, 7th grade, Monadnock Regional Junior-Senior High School, Swanzey.
Jonathan White, 8th grade, Westmoreland School.
Aaron S. Howland, 8th grade, Thayer Middle School, Winchester.