Students Put Through Wringer in Citizen Bee : Education: Tough questions on politics and geography give teen-agers a chance to flaunt an in-depth knowledge that would silence most critics.

It should have been a day of celebration for Tung Phan. Saturday marked his 10th year in the United States after fleeing the communists of his native Vietnam. Saturday was also his 17th birthday.

And on Saturday, Tung participated in a nerve-racking competition against 20 other California high school students, answering tough questions about politics and geography while seeking to win scholarship money and the chance to compete in the nationwide Citizen Bee.

But Tung, who had endured 10 rounds of mind-probing questions, faltered on his 11th: Name the organization, founded in 1912, that is the largest national organization for businesses, representing about 4.5 million members.

Tung, concentrating with his head bowed as if in prayer while the judges awaited his answer, guessed, “The Kiwanis.” The correct answer is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. As he stepped down from the stage, crestfallen, Tung became the last of five students from Orange County to be eliminated from the contest.

“Another chance next year,” the junior from Kennedy High shrugged.

He finished in 10th place. First place in the state Citizen Bee was earned by Everett Chun, a San Gabriel High student, who said he was “an average student who believes in commitment” to studying. Everett won a $3,000 scholarship. The top three winners will face students from all over the country in June in the national Citizen Bee for even more scholarship money.

With education leaders complaining that high school students know more about singer George Michael than they do about George Washington, the Citizen Bee gave these students a chance to flaunt an in-depth knowledge that would silence most education critics.

For each contestant, it meant hundreds of grueling hours of studying history, economics, geography, government and current events. With the encouragement of parents and the guidance of teachers, these 20 students emerged from 900 competitors throughout California in regional competitions in late March and early April.

And after mastering everything from the French Revolution to the geographical location of the Hawaiian Island, the 20 students put their intelligence to the test. Seated on a stage in the Harry Chandler Auditorium in the downtown Los Angeles Times building, they approached a microphone, lights shining in their faces, and responded to questions. One by one, they were picked off by a single tricky question or unfamiliar topic.

“It blasted my ego,” said Mayumi Negishi , a senior at El Toro High. “At your school, you think you’re the best student. But the contest kind of put things in perspective, seeing so many people who know so much. It’s a little bit humbling.”

Mayumi floundered in the sixth round. The troubling question: What did Adam Smith mean by the “invisible hand” that operates in market economies? The right answer: Individuals who act out of self-interest.

Huell Howser, producer of KCET’s “Videolog,” asked students the questions from the podium.

“I was a history major in college,” Howser said. “And I knew about 70% of the answers. The rest--I didn’t have a clue. It’s amazing the depth of knowledge that these students have.”

The students were given special books to help them master the mounds of historical and cultural tidbits asked in the contest. But many of the whiz kids, refuting critics who complain about the quality of high school education, said they learned almost all they know from their teachers.

“The background information from all my classes helped more than the book,” Mayumi said.

For Tung, studying began in earnest when he was in the fourth grade. Of course, he said, he didn’t know then that he would one day test his knowledge against some of the smartest students from throughout the state. He studied out of personal interest. As a refugee who fled as a 7-year-old by boat from Vietnam, Tung read five books in different languages about the Vietnam war. That, in turn, sparked an interest in the history of his new country.

“Then I realized the contributions of our early fathers--George Washington and Abraham Lincoln,” he said. “And I read more.”

Dennis Ulrich and Mark Goldrup, both seniors from Mission Viejo High, stayed up past midnight Friday with their teacher in a Los Angeles hotel, cramming for Saturday’s battery of questions. Unfortunately, they were asked about material they hadn’t studied in the early rounds.

Dennis was asked to name the author of “The Good Earth.” The answer is Pearl Buck. Mark was asked about the subject matter of Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring.” He guess the answer was global warming, but the correct response was the dangers of pesticides.