War of the Worlds

This New York Times op-ed piece takes a look at the comparative merits of spelling and geography bees. The author’s conclusion? Geography comes out on top.

“…The spelling bee continues to receive all the attention. Perhaps that’s because spelling is a tantalizingly easy concept to grasp. You either spell a word right or you don’t. The answers are all in the dictionary.

“Geography, on the other hand, asks more. But it offers more in return: to know the world is to know how to make it a better place, from a path to peace in war-torn regions to a promise to conserve our planet’s natural resources.”

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