National Treasure: Book of Secrets
3 min - Aug 14, 2007
Starring Bruce Greenwood, Diane Kruger, Ed Harris, Harvey Keitel, Helen Mirren, Jon Voight, Justin Bartha, & Nicolas Cage. Treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates (Cage) looks to discover the truth behind the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, by uncovering the mystery within the 18 pages missing from assassin John Wilkes Booth's diary.
SAN DIEGO (Aug. 9, 2007)–Unseating five-time champion the United States, Mexico triumphed at the eighth National Geographic World Championship held today at SeaWorld San Diego. The U.S. team came second, and Canada was third. Organized by the National Geographic Society, the competition was sponsored by SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Adventure Parks.
The Mexican team included Ángel Aliseda-Alonso, 16, of Zapopan, Jalisco; Carlos Elías Franco-Ruiz, 14, of Zapotlán de Juárez, Hidalgo; and Emanuel Johansen-Campos, 15, of Tejalpa, Morelos. This is the third National Geographic World Championship in which Mexico has participated.
The U.S. team members were Kelsey Schilperoort, 15, of Prescott, Ariz.; Neeraj Sirdeshmukh, 15, of Nashua, N.H.; and Matthew Vengalil, 15, of Grosse Pointe Shores, Mich.
The Canadian team comprised Marky Freeman, 14, of Thornhill, Ontario; Maxim Ralchenko, 13, of Nepean, Ontario; and Jonathan Whyte, 13, of Toronto, Ontario.
The winning question was: “What historic site was carved from sandstone in about
1200 B.C.? This site includes two huge temples and statues of an ancient ruler.” Answer: Abu Simbel.
In an Olympics-style ceremony, medals were awarded to the first-, second- and third-placed teams. Alex Trebek, host of the U.S. television quiz show “Jeopardy!”, moderated the finals.
Mexico, the United States and Canada qualified for the final round after obtaining the highest combined scores in a written contest on Monday and in Tuesday’s preliminary activity that included an outdoor map-reading course at SeaWorld.
Students were eligible to take part in the World Championship competition by winning or being a top finisher in the national competitions of their home regions. The 14 other teams that competed this year were from Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Chinese Taipei, France, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, India, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore and United Kingdom.
John Fahey, president of the National Geographic Society, said the competition was a great way for talented young geographers around the world to match wits against each other and to enjoy a rewarding cross-cultural exchange. “The competition enhances international dialogue and understanding and promotes friendships around the globe,” he added.
The National Geographic World Championship is held every two years. The first contest, held in London in 1993, was won by the United States, which beat teams from the United Kingdom and Russia. Australia, competing against four other teams, won the 1995 competition in Orlando, Fla. The third championship, held in 1997 at National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C., was won by Canada, which bested eight other teams. The United States won the fourth competition against 11 teams in Toronto, Canada, in 1999. The United Sates also took first place against 12 other teams in the 2001 contest in Vancouver, Canada; against 17 other teams at Busch Gardens, Fla., in 2003; and against 17 other teams in Budapest, Hungary, in 2005.
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NOTE: Up-to-date information about the competition will be posted in the National
Geographic online press room at nationalgeographic.com/pressroom.
Photographs can be downloaded at FTP site http://ftp.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/wrldgeobee. User name: press
Password: press
EPK of the National Geographic World Championship will be available:
Date: Thursday, Aug. 9
Time: 16:30 ET to 16:45 ET
Satellite: Galaxy 26 (formerly IA6) (C-Band)
Transponder: 17(V)
DL Frequency: 4040 MHz
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Episode 4 2 of 3
9 min - Aug 8, 2007
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya episode 4 part 2 of 3 subbed by a.f.k.
WHAT: Teams of students from Canada, Mexico and the United States have qualified for the final round of the National Geographic World Championship being held at SeaWorld San Diego this week. Alex Trebek, host of the U.S. television quiz show “Jeopardy!”, will moderate. A total of 17 teams took part in two preliminary activities. Canada, Mexico and the United States gained the highest scores in the earlier rounds.
WHEN:
Final Round
9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (approx.),
Thursday, Aug. 9
Media may enter at 8:30 a.m. (audio and video mult-box provided)
WHERE: Shamu Stadium, SeaWorld, San Diego**
** Media interested in covering events on SeaWorld property must call SeaWorld Public Relations to arrange entrance.
CONTACTS:
National Geographic Communications:
Ellen Siskind, esiskind@ngs.org, (202) 828-5650 (after 8/5 (301) 219-0769)
Bethanne Patrick, bpatrick@ngs.org, (202) 775-6190 (after 8/5 (703) 798-0468)
International Press: Sarah Clark, sclark@ngs.org, (202) 828-5664
SeaWorld Public Relations:
Kelly Terry, kelly.terry@seaworld.com, (619) 225-3241
NOTE: Up-to-date information about the competition will be posted in the National
Geographic online press room at nationalgeographic.com/pressroom.
Photographs can be downloaded at FTP site: http://ftp.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/wrldgeobee/
User name: press
Password: press
EPK of the preliminary round held Tuesday, Aug. 7, is available:
Date: Tuesday, Aug. 7
Time: 14:30 PT to 14:45 PT
Satellite: Galaxy 26 (formerly IA6)(C-Band)
Transponder:17(V)
DL Frequency:4040 MHz
Audio: 6.2/6.8
EPK of the final round on Aug. 9, will be available:
Date:T hursday, Aug. 9
Time: 16:30 ET to 16:45 ET
Satellite: Galaxy 26 (formerly IA6)(C-Band)
Transponder: 17(V)
DL Frequency: 4040 MHz
###
WASHINGTON (Aug. 3, 2007)–White House photographer Diana Walker has spent the last 30 years making iconic images of presidents, politicians, entrepreneurs, entertainers, royalty and everyday men and women around the world.
In THE BIGGER PICTURE: 30 Years of Portraits, a National Geographic book in bookstores Nov. 6, 2007, Walker redefines “portrait” — capturing reality, rather than stylized and posed subjects. Through her camera, she captures the personalities and emotions of some of the most extraordinary and enduring luminaries of this last century, while also chronicling the quiet heroism and everyday joys of people who would otherwise remain anonymous, their stories untold.
In addition to its 200 portraits divided into themes of “The Press,” “Politics,” “Presidents” and “All in a Day’s Work,” THE BIGGER PICTURE features exclusive interviews with Madeleine Albright, Steve Jobs, Karenna Gore Schiff (about her father), Jamie Lee Curtis and Hillary Clinton. Walker sharpens the focus on everyday moments rarely seen by the public, thus offering a bigger picture, beyond the extraordinary careers led by these individuals.
Though the portraits in THE BIGGER PICTURE are accompanied by captions, the images form a narrative all their own, validating the maxim “a picture is worth a thousand words.” They evoke sadness and happiness, success and despair, and small moments that are easily missed but often treasured.
o At a White House holiday party, Nancy Reagan sits on “Santa” Mr. T’s lap and tells him what she wants for Christmas.
o Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton enjoy some camaraderie.
o Princess Diana gives Prince Charles a knowing slantwise glance.
o Steve Jobs’ success is tracked from his almost bare home in 1982 to his elegant house and cluttered office 25 years later.
o A young boy, once held by rebels in Uganda, stares into the camera with haunted eyes.
o Presidential families share wonderfully candid moments, while world leaders are caught in the course of momentous, historical events.
o Through Walker’s lens, we see the small gestures, the “human moments” that breathe life into otherwise frozen moments in time.
“My hope is that I have managed to tell you something about the people I have photographed, perhaps shedding light on aspects of their character you might not have noticed, or reinforcing opinions you already had,” writes Walker in her introduction.
Coupled with narration from Walker and the individuals in her portraits, the book offers first-person commentary that provides background for the moment or event. The result is a delightfully layered story, both visual and verbal, told from multiple points of view. The book will have wide appeal to readers who are interested in great photography, famous figures and the political and cultural life of our times.
THE BIGGER PICTURE is Walker’s second National Geographic book. “Public & Private: Twenty Years Photographing the Presidency,” published in 2002, showcases Walker’s own collection of White House and Washington photographs, taken mostly on assignment for Time magazine.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: 30 Years of Portraits, by Diana Walker
Nonfiction / ISBN 978-1-4262-0129-5 / $40 / 10.5 x 10 / 200 pages / 200 color and B&W photographs
National Geographic / Hardcover / Nov. 6, 2007
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At the Movies Review - Superbad
4 min - Aug 3, 2007
Michael Phillips and Richard Roeper review the feature, "Superbad".
WHAT: The eighth National Geographic World Championship, a competition among 17 teams of student geography champions from around the globe. “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek will moderate the final round.
WHO: Teams from the 17 regions taking part comprise three participants each, ages 12 to 16, who qualified for the international contest by excelling in national geography competitions in their home regions.
WHEN/ WHERE: Preliminary Activity
9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. PT, Tuesday, Aug. 7
Teams compete in an outdoor geography activity.
(Media may enter at 8 a.m.)
SeaWorld San Diego **
Final Round
9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. PT (approx.), Thursday, Aug. 9
The three teams with the highest scores from the two preliminary activities advance to the final competition to be held at SeaWorld.
(Media may enter at 8:30 a.m.; audio and video mult-box provided.)
Shamu Stadium, SeaWorld San Diego **
** Media interested in covering events on SeaWorld property must call SeaWorld Public Relations to arrange entrance.
CONTACTS:National Geographic Communications:
Ellen Siskind, esiskind@ngs.org, (202) 828-5650 (after 8/5 (301) 219-0769)
Bethanne Patrick, bpatrick@ngs.org, (202) 775-6190 (after 8/5 (703) 798-0468)
International Press: Sarah Clark, sclark@ngs.org, (202) 828-5664
SeaWorld Public Relations:
Kelly Terry, kelly.terry@seaworld.com, (619) 225-3241
NOTE: Up-to-date information about the competition will be posted in the National
Geographic online press room at nationalgeographic.com/pressroom.
Photographs can be downloaded at FTP site: http://ftp.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/wrldgeobee/
User name: press
Password: press
EPK of the National Geographic World Championship will be available:
Date:Thursday, Aug. 9
Time:16:30 ET to 16:45 ET
Satellite:Galaxy 26 (formerly IA6)
Transponder:17
DL Frequency4040 B-Band
###
WASHINGTON (Aug.1, 2007)–Three of the country’s brightest geography students, who have excelled in the National Geographic Bee, will represent the United States at the eighth National Geographic World Championship from Aug. 5 to Aug.10 at SeaWorld San Diego. This year’s international contest, which includes teams from 17 regions, is organized by the National Geographic Society and sponsored by SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Adventure Parks.
The U.S. team members, all 15-year-old 10th-graders, are Kelsey Schilperoort of Prescott High School in Prescott, Ariz.; Matthew Vengalil of Grosse Pointe North High School in Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.; and Neeraj Sirdeshmukh of Nashua High School South in Nashua, N.H. To be eligible for the U.S team, students had to have finished in the top 10 of the National Geographic Bee in 2006 or 2007.
The United States, current world champion, will defend its title against teams from Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Chinese Taipei, France, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, India, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore and the United Kingdom. The contestants will answer questions on physical, cultural and economic geography in two levels of competition.
On Sunday, Aug. 5, the students will arrive in San Diego. The teams will take a written test on Monday, Aug. 6, and explore some of the San Diego area; the following day they will battle each other in a challenging outdoor activity. On Wednesday, Aug. 8, they will visit Balboa Park and all of its attractions. The three teams with the highest scores from the written test and geography activity will meet at SeaWorld’s Shamu Stadium for the championship finals on Thursday, Aug. 9. They will answer questions in a game-show format, moderated by Alex Trebek, host of the quiz show “Jeopardy!”
The National Geographic World Championship takes place every two years. The first contest, held in London in 1993, was won by the United States, which beat teams from the United Kingdom and Russia. The Australians, competing against four other teams, won the 1995 competition at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla. The third championship, held in 1997 in Washington, D.C., was won by Canada, which bested teams from eight other regions. The fourth competition, held in Toronto, in 1999, was won by the United States, which also won the 2001 contest in Vancouver, the 2003 contest at Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay, Fla., and the 2005 contest in Budapest, Hungary.
“Promoting geography education is at the heart of the mission of the National Geographic Society,” said John Fahey, Society president and CEO. “The National Geographic World Championship provides a forum for top geography students from all corners of the globe to pit their wits against each other to determine which team is the international geography champion. Each student gains knowledge of the other competing regions’ cultures and becomes a better global citizen for the experience.”
“We are honored to play host to the 2007 National Geographic World Championship
at SeaWorld San Diego,” said Keith Kasen, president and chairman of the board of Busch Entertainment Corporation, parent company of SeaWorld and Busch Gardens. “Each year our parks welcome millions of guests from around the world. Those visitors experience up-close animal encounters that we hope inspire a lifelong appreciation for wildlife and the world we all share. This important geography competition brings much-deserved recognition to a diverse, extraordinary group of young people, while helping celebrate our shared world.”
The National Geographic Society developed the National Geographic Bee in 1989 and the National Geographic World Championship in 1993 in response to concern about the lack of geographic knowledge among young people in the United States.
The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 300 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and four other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; radio programs; films; books; DVDs; maps; and interactive media. National Geographic has funded more than 8,000 scientific research projects and supports an education program combating geographic illiteracy. For more information, visit nationalgeographic.com.
SeaWorld Adventure Parks are in San Diego; Orlando, Fla.; and San Antonio. In addition to the SeaWorld Adventure Parks, St. Louis-based Busch Entertainment Corporation operates Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa Bay, Fla., and Busch Gardens Europe in Williamsburg, Va.; Adventure Island in Tampa Bay; Water Country USA in Williamsburg; Sesame Place near Philadelphia; and Discovery Cove in Orlando. The nine parks entertain more than 20 million guests a year and employ more than 15,000 people. Aquatica, SeaWorld’s water park, is under construction in Orlando and is scheduled to open spring 2008.
Leaders in conservation and education, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Discovery Cove care for the largest animal collection in the world and offer an education Web site especially for students and teachers at www.seaworld.org. Information on the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund is at www.swbg-conservationfund.org. General park information is found at www.seaworld.com.
NOTE: Up-to-date information about the National Geographic World Championship will be posted in the National Geographic online press room at nationalgeographic.com/pressroom.
Photographs can be downloaded at FTP site:
http://ftp.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/wrldgeobee/
User name: press
Password: press
Electronic Press Kit of the National Geographic World Championship will be available:
Date:Thursday, Aug. 9
Time:16:30 ET to 16:45 ET
Satellite:Galaxy 26 (formerly IA6)
Transponder:17
DL Frequency4040 B-Band
###
