Wednesday, May 22, 2002
Grand Rapids Press (appearing on Mlive.com)

By Sarah Kellogg

Grand Rapids Press Washington Bureau

When Calvin McCarter of
Jenison began his quest to be
the National Geography Bee
champion, the odds were
nearly 5 million-to-1 that he
would win. Today, they're a lot
better.

Calvin was to face nine
challengers in the bee's
championship rounds today in
Washington, D.C., after the
field of 55 state and territory
winners was narrowed to 10.
The contest began with 5
million students.

Calvin, 10, was one of three
students to walk away with perfect scores Tuesday. The other
two are national finals veterans -- Ryan Felix, 14, of the
Department of Defense Schools and Nathaniel Mattison, 13,
of New York. Calvin is a rookie -- and is tied as the youngest
finalist ever.

Calvin was the youngest state winner ever when he bested
100 fourth- through eighth-graders last month.

The win earned him $100 and an all-expense paid trip to the
national championship.

"I knew they were good," Calvin said of the competiton at the
national level. "I'm not really (intimidated). I kind of enjoy the
challenge."

Calvin, the home-schooled son of J. Parnell and Charlotte
McCarter, is by far the shortest of the finalists, but his
knowledge stands out.

He advanced by knowing such things as the Andes Mountains
copper mines are in Chile and that the Niger River empties
into the Gulf of Guinea.

His father, mother and brother, D. Parnell McCarter, 12, are in
the nation's capital to cheer Calvin on.

The National Geographic Society sponsors the annual
competition, which tests students' knowledge of geography in
areas as diverse as culture and current events.

To compete, a student must be between 10 and 15 and in the
eighth grade or lower.

Today's winner will take home a $25,000 college scholarship
and a lifetime subscription to National Geographic magazine.
Second- and third-place winners receive $15,000 and
$10,000 scholarships, respectively.

"It's very unusual for a 10-year-old to make it to the finals for a
lot of reasons, not just the culmination of knowledge," said
Ellen Siskind, spokeswoman for the National Geographic
Society that is sponsoring the finals.

"It's really tense. Most kids can't sit and wait their turn, much
less sit and wait their turn and answer an incredibly difficult
question on geography."

Siskind said she was impressed by Calvin's performance in
competition on Tuesday.

"He's obviously brilliant, and he's adorable. "He's very poised
and very calm," she said.

"He's only been alive 10 years -- I don't know how he learned
that much."

Before coming to Washington, Calvin won Michigan's
geography bee. The 55 contestants represent the 50 states,
the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Island,
the Pacific Territories and the Defense Department Schools.

Calvin says the secret to his success is studying.

"I read a lot of geography books," he said, adding that he was
going to spend most of Tuesday night going over his notes
and books in the hotel.

Calvin said he might stay up into the early morning hours to
study, noting that he'd be too nervous to sleep anyway. His
mother quickly squashed that idea with a firm "no."

"He just loves geography and God has given him the gift of
remembering what he studies," Charlotte McCarter said.

Alex Trebek, the host of the syndicated TV game show
"Jeopardy!," will moderate the championship rounds, which
will be televised live on the National Geographic Channel.

Press reporter Melissa Slager contributed to this report.
 
 

     © 2002 Grand Rapids Press. Used with permission