The Fourth of July is Nearing/Patriotic Music/Doing Other Things While Spelling

As the Fourth of July approaches, here are Independence Day Words:

• independence
• patriot
• leadership
• fireworks
• freedom
• loyal
• opportunities
• heritage
• history
• kindness
• democracy
• jubilation
• liberation
• republic
• united
• valiance
• sacrifice
• citizenship
• equality
• ebullience
• glory
• heroes

There are just so many Independence Day words, that I cannot post them all. Within the next few days, I will post several words that have to do with patriotism. I will also be posting videos of patriotic songs.

Ronald Reagan's Inauguration (Battle Hymn of the Republic sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir)

Full Version of the Battle Hymn of the Republic



For those who have seen Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular, you may recognize Kristen Hertzenberg who plays Christine Daae. This is her singing the National Anthem (Star Spangled Banner)

You may be wondering why I chose these artists in particular...

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is my favorite choir, even if I am not a Latter Day Saint. My choir has performed with them many times, including the Cultural Olympiad with John Williams around the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake, the Rededication of the Utah Capitol, a performance with Natalie Cole, and so many more that I probably cannot name them.

I chose Kristen Hertzenberg, because she is my favorite U.S. Christine. I saw her in Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular back in 2009. She has such an amazing voice, that I cried! If you haven't seen her perform live, I suggest that you do.

Why am I talking about this? A lot of spellers love music. They sing, play the violin, flute, piano, saxophone,  and so many more instruments! When I listen to music, I can concentrate on homework, then spelling after. I decided to use this, so I could get used to distractions. I also hula hoop, play with Legos, jump rope, and do other things while spelling, although music is the easiest way for me to concentrate. My mind works better when I am doing other things while spelling.
Continue spelling, and good luck!

Words that Bring Back Memories

There were several words used at the Bee this year that brought back good and bad memories. I will also include the words that were mentioned by spellers and Dr. Bailly in their videos, and maybe words that may be used in the future.

Sardoodledom (2007) Dr. Bailly mentioned this word in his video, and I remember Kennyi Aouad cracking up.

Alopecoid (2004) This was also somewhat mentioned in Dr. Bailly's video, and Akshay Buddiga fainted. It brought back bad memories, but Akshay nailed the word! I also don't believe that I had a friend who witnessed that event.

Weltschmerz (2006) When Anja Beth Swoap received this word, I thought she had it. When I heard it, the 2006 National Spelling Bee popped into my mind. Finola Hackett misspelled this word as veltschmerz, and she placed second. Kerry Close had to spell another word, then Ursprache to take the title that year. Unfortunately, Anja misspelled the word as weldschmerz.

Hukilau (2006) This word was on the written test this year, and it was spelled by Kerry Close in 2006. It was not on any of my lists, but I am glad that I watched the Bee that year! In fact, I never heard from the word again, until the written test.

Pappardelle/Rascacio (2007) Although pappardelle was replaced with cucaracha, this word reminded me of the 2007 Champion, Evan O'Dorney. Rascacio was the first word he received during the championship finals, but was used in Round 3 this year. He did not seem to have problems with any word.

Boudin (2003) The word Samir Patel misspelled when he was only nine! The word was misspelled this year as well.
Words that may bring back memories in the future

Secernent (2008) This word was misspelled by five-peat, Matthew Evans, and many people were heartbroken.

Opificer (2008) This word was misspelled by five-peat, Tia Thomas, and she placed third. On every word before, she seemed to know them all. Well, she asked, "Can I have the California pronunciation?" when she received canicular.

Clevis (2007) Who will ever forget this dreadful moment in Round 5, when five-peat, Samir Patel, misspelled this word? It will bring back good and bad memories if this word is ever used again.

Reblochon (2007) When Sarah Harmsworth of Montana knew she misspelled the word, she said, "I'm gonna ding!" I remember the day before, she said, "Are we on TV?"

Fustanella (2010) Tim Ruiter, who tied for second in 2009, was eliminated in Round 4. People were shocked, and it was very unexpected.

Hebdomadally (2009) I do not know if anyone will remember the moment when Nicholas Rushlow said,"heb-what-a-lee?", but it sure made me laugh.

There are so many more words that bring back memories, but it will take me forever to write them! Good luck to all the spellers next year, and remember to do your best!

The 2012 Bee Arriving Quickly!/Busy Summer

As my teachers say, "Due dates are closer than they appear!". I say, 2012 National Spelling Bee will be here anytime soon! Even if the Bee is over 300 days away, it will be here before you know it! I know that there are some spellers who have not stopped studying since they first competed! Even if I never made it to nationals, I studied every day since 2005, and it was never tiring to learn new words! In fact, my skills improved every year! I have not stopped studying, and will never stop learning new words. Even champions still like to learn new words!

I still hope the Bee can be extended throughout high school! I will still miss it, but my spelling spirit is not gone, and will hopefully never go away! I want to coach spellers still, and hopefully finish the spelling bee club planning by the end of the summer. It is so much harder than I thought it would be. You really need to organize, set dates, plan activities, find a good video camera, get materials prepared, and find time!

Of course, the summer is busy. I do not have a lot of free time, because of the Spelling Bee Club, Bible Bee, and Geometry classes. After my Geometry classes, my family is going to Southern California to go to Seaworld, San Diego Zoo, and Legoland. This is going to be busy, but I hope to have time do my other activities, too! I hope you all have a great summer!

Tips for when you are on stage

• When you get an obscure word that you do not know, and you asked for all the information you could ask for, do not freak out.
• If you think the bell will ring on you, it will most likely do so.
• Concentrate on your word, and use what you know to figure it out.
• Always ask, listen, and think.
• Do not mind all the media, but make sure you act professional.
• Do your best.

Continue spelling, and good luck to every single speller competing next year!

Words in Music

At the Bee, there are several music terms. If you play an instrument, you may recognize a lot of the terms. Playing the flute, violin, piano, and singing, I have learned a lot of new words.

In Suzuki Flute School Volume 5, the 2005 National Spelling Bee winning word is in that book. Appoggiatura is the word, but it was unfortunately misspelled as appogiatura (it's spelled correctly in Volume 6). I have also learned siciliano, forzato, scherzo, gavotte, concerto, ecossaise, passacaglia, and a lot more terms.

Words are all around us, not just music. Maybe your next spelling bee word will be the name of a street you went through, or a song that you learned in music lessons. It might be one of the words from your language class. Who knows what it will be? Be prepared no matter what!

Do you have any interesting words to share from books, music, or anywhere else? Comment below!

Good luck and continue spelling!

Who is Studying For the 2012 National Spelling Bee?

Since the 2011 National Spelling Bee is over, is there anyone who has started studying for next year? Even if I am not competing, I am continuing my streak of not missing a day of studying, which began in 2005. I say that even if you are coaching someone else, you are still studying. I probably am going to keep that streak, until the end of eleventh grade, or maybe even twelfth grade.

Have any of you spellers never miss a day of studying since you started competing? I know there are several who have, and even started studying before they started competing!

If you are too old to compete now, and you competed before, think about all the memories you had about the Bee. I hope that the Bee will be extended throughout high school. So many spellers miss it so much, but I hope my sister makes it next year! For all the spellers who aspire to make it to nationals, and/or really want to go back, I hope you all make it!

Next year, we hope to see two five-peats: Nicholas Rushlow and Rahul Malayappan. They were both four-peats this year. I was upset that Rahul and another four-peat, Julianna Canabal-Rodriguez, did not advance to semifinals this year. Last year, Rahul tied for 33rd, while Julianna tied for ninth.

Besides Nicholas and Rahul, there are a lot of other spellers going for the championship next year, such as Arvind Mahankali, Sriram Hathwar, Dhivya Murugan, Veronica Penny, Nabeel Rahman, and Samuel Estep. If Arvind returns next year, he will be the highest returning finisher as a seventh grader! That hasn't happened since 2005-2006 (Samir Patel).

Did you know that Kerry Close (2006) is the only five-peat to win nationals? Samir Patel would have been second, he was eliminated in Round 5 in 2007. In 2008, Matthew Evans and Tia Thomas were the five-peats. Tia placed third, and Matthew tied for 17th. If Nicholas Rushlow or Rahul Malayappan win next year, one of those will be the second five-peat to win.

Good luck, and continue studying!

Happy Father's Day! (Spellers whose Dads are Their Coaches, say Thank You to Them!)

Since today is Father's Day, here are some words for today!

pa
papa
pappy
begetter
forebearer
love

Those words may seem very simple, but they mean a lot!

My dad is my spelling bee coach, and I thank him for helping me!

Knowing Languages Pays Off

Many spellers at the National Spelling Bee speak other languages besides English. They speak French, German, Tagalog, Spanish, Romanian, Russian, Italian, and a lot other languages. I know French, German, Spanish, although I am only conversational in all of them. I only know how to say eat and light in Tagalog. Perhaps in a few years, I will be fluent in at least one of them.

I will admit that I used to highly dislike French. The rules were annoying to me. The long "A" sound can be spelled with é, ée, et, ez, er, and probably many other ways. At least that one did not annoy me as much as the long "O" sound. Those words can be spelled with ot, eau, eaux, maybe just o, and a lot of different ways as well. When it comes to the long "O" words, and the word is a singular noun, ot and eau are in my mind. Take the word rougeot for example. The word is a singular noun, but it can be misspelled as rougeau.
At least French is not really confusing to me anymore.

I have mentioned this several times, but a speller named Anna-Marie Sprenger knows so many languages. She only studied the Spell It! booklet one night before the Bee. Since she knows languages so well, she used roots she knew from each origin. This was her first year in the Bee, too, and I was very impressed. She is fluent in French and Romanian, and if she was given a Romanian word, she most likely would have spelled it correctly. Romanian is a rare language used in the Bee.

If there are language classes at your school, take at least one of them. It may pay off!

Spelling Bee Champ Competed in National History Day

Someone, named Alison Armentrout, does digital public affairs at Edelman, a communications firm in Washington D.C., where one of her clients is with National History Day (NHD), told me to share a video about  former speller, Tony Incorvati of Ohio. NHD is a year-long academic program focused on grades 6-12 that works with both students and teachers to improve the teaching and learning of history. Tony competed in the 2008, 2009, and 2011 National Spelling Bees.
Tony said the national competitions, such as the National History Day competition, have widened his horizons. "These have gotten me accustomed to a wider level of competition and helped me make friends outside my school," Tony said.
To learn more about this contest, click on the link:
http://nationalhistoryday.org/

To view the video interview with Tony Incorvati, please click on the link:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN1bEEivMwI

Tony is also one of the spellers who encouraged me to continue on in the Bee. Thank you so much to you and Nicholas Rushlow!
http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/wunderkind/2151/

Utah at the National Spelling Bee

There were four Utahns who made it to the National Spelling Bee. They all did well, and this is the best Utah has done, ever. I do not count 2001, because there was no written test then. Anna-Marie Sprenger of Provo, Utah, advanced to semifinals, but was unfortunately eliminated in Round 5 after misspelling privatim as privatum. All the Utahns impressed me this year, even if Matthew Perry misspelled keest as kiest. Even if I knew the word, I thought Matthew took a pretty good guess.

I was upset that Vismaya Kharkar did not make it to semifinals. This year, she did amazing at the Salt Lake Valley Spelling Bee, but it was hard to make it to semifinals this year. Spellers had to get a minimum of 29 points, unlike last year when spellers could have a minimum of 27 or 28 points. Nine more could have made it to semifinals if the minimum was lowered. In 2007, spellers needed to spell at least 18 words, correctly on the written test.

I though Jared Ward did amazing, too. He would take his time to think about the word, while he was up at the microphone. I had a feeling that he knew Ulyssean and echolalia, but he wanted to make sure that he had the right letters. When he was at the microphone, he reminded me of Veronica Penny. Veronica really takes all the time she needs at the microphone.

Back to Vismaya. When I heard maillot, I knew she had it! That word is in How to Spell Like a Champ, and she told me that she has the book.

Anna-Marie was one of the spellers who was impressive to watch. When she heard persillade and zucchini, she knew the etymologies right away. She did not hesitate on any word at all. During semifinals, she would ask for all the information, then say, "I think I got this!". She was a quick thinker, and never had the clock run low on her. If she was thrown a lot French, German, Romanian, and Spanish words, she would have probably won. Anna-Marie, you really showed what Utah can do at the National Spelling Bee! I wish you had a few more years of eligibility!

I was not just proud of Utah this year, but all the spellers. They were really focused this year, unlike last year, when a lot of words from Spell It! were misspelled. To me, the words seem to get easier every year. This year, no speller seemed nervous. Perhaps there were some, but it did not show.

I am proud of all the millions of spellers every year, who try to aim for the Scripps National Spelling Bee title. This is the longest-running educational program! I hope the Bee is extended throughout high school, because I want more students to compete. It hurts that the Bee is only until eighth grade. Good to every speller to every speller who will be competing in the future. Treasure every moment of the Bee!

Spelling Bee Studies

Spelling Bee studies are going great! I am still studying no matter what, because I love words and they will stay with me my whole life. I do not know how life would be like if I had never become interested in the spelling bee. My sister has been studying, too, and whenever she studies the Scripps Bee DS Game, she is hooked for hours. She said that by the end of the summer she hopes to be on the Ultimate level, which is the level with words at nationals. Right now she is on the Champion level.

If you win the National Spelling Bee, all the time you used to study was worth it all. It does not matter how long you have studied, even if you studied for six straight years. If you do not win ever, think of everything you did every year at the Bee. When I misspelled my final word at the spelling bee, I saw memories of the Bee and all my friends who would be disappointed. If the spelling bee gets extended throughout high school, I will continue studying. If I had made it to nationals from 2007-2011, leaving friends would probably be the hardest part of the Bee.

I am grateful that the Bee is open to the public now. So much has changed this year, that I thought it was magical. I badly want my sister to make it to nationals next year! I have seen so many photos of the Gaylord National Hotel, and they are all gorgeous.

Good luck to all the spellers, in advance! I will really miss the Bee, even if I have said this over a hundred times. I spent so many years of my life preparing for the spelling bee.

Busy Life

I guess I underestimated how busy summer will be. Today, I began Geometry for high school credit. Yesterday, I continued my planning for the spelling bee club. Right now, it is going well, so if you want to help, please email me. spellingchamp135@gmail.com.

I also have the Bible Bee to work with, which is way difficult, because you have to recite the verses word for word. During the semifinals and finals, you are not allowed to restart, but during preliminaries, you are allowed to. In my opinion, the National Bible Bee is stricter than the National Spelling Bee. I have found the National Geographic Bee and the National Bible Bee harder than the National Spelling Bee and Mathcounts.

A new activity was added to my schedule after I learned that I was promoted to the touring level of choir. On Saturday, my choir had to do a recording. It was so much fun, and very tiring after a while. Whenever we had a break I studied some spelling.

I hope to put up a few spelling lists up soon!

Spelling Bee Poems

I wrote a few spelling bee poems, and I am planning to write more.

Figuring out the Word

I hear a very obscure word.

I ask for the definition, language of origin,

alternate pronunciations, and other information.

I started to think about this esoteric word.

It is not in the Consolidated Word List.

It is not in my Hexco products.

It is not on my wall of words.

There is nothing I can 

recall from my note cards.

It is not in any books I have read.

It is not in any of my twenty-five binders.

The clock continued winding down.

I asked for information again.

The clock was soon at thirty seconds. 

It was all on me now.

I slowly spelled the word, 

Judge Mary Brooks rang the bell.

Dr. Jacques Bailly gave me the correct spelling.

I said, "Thanks!", walked off the stage, and 

was led to the Comfort Room.

The Defining Moment

A fellow speller just walked backed to his seat

after misspelling his word.

I have two more words to spell.

If I spell them both correctly,

I will be the champion.

I began walking to the microphone, 

and listened to my word.

I then asked for the information,

and I knew it.

My hand and finger are trembling

while spelling the word.

Now I am moving onto the final round.

I received my word.

This cannot be the word 

I learned in History!

When I heard the definition and origin,

my heart began to pump quickly, 

that I almost started to jump, and scream 

the letters out, like the 1997 champion,

Rebecca Sealfon.

I smiled and slowly spelled the word.

When Judge Mary Brooks said,

"You are the champion!"

tears came out of my eyes, 

and the audience stood up, clapped,

screamed, and cried.

My family embraced me, then I was

given the trophy.

This is a moment I will never forget.

I have never shared these poems to anyone outside my family (this includes relatives). These poems show how I would feel in the spelling bee. I wrote these poems before the 2010-2011 spelling bee season began. If you can give me more ideas, I would love to write about them, too.

By the way, I will be posting Word of the Day again, when the 2011-2012 school year begins. Continue spelling this summer. If you want to win, study when you have time. If you find yourself distracted by the television, computer, Ipod, and other electronics, turn them off and study! It is okay if you are studying from the computer, Ipod, or other electronics. Good luck to everyone competing next year and the next years! 

Ecrire avec Votre Rêve! Ecrire avec Votre Coeur! Ecrire avec Votre Amour!

If you do not get what the title means, it says, "Spell with your dream! Spell with your heart! Spell with your love!" I do not know if my French is accurate, but it is the best I can do. I hope you continue doing that, and never give up. As long as you persevere, you will do amazing!

Now that the 2011 National Spelling Bee is over, it is time to continue studying for the 2012 National Spelling Bee. I have not taken a break since 2005. I thought my consecutive studying led back only to 2009, but I checked old calendars, which had marks for each day I studied. My streak is still going! April 12, 2005 to whenever a day when the spelling bee will pass. I do not think spelling will pass for me, because I still want to study with other spellers.

I also count choir as studying for the spelling bee as well, because we learn a lot of word patterns, along with their etymology as well.

Always do your best. Do not misspell a word, because you do not really care if you win. Then again, I do not think any competitive speller wants to misspell. Think of the word patterns in your head.

Do not compete against each other. As 2009 National Spelling Bee Champion, Kavya Shivashankar once said, "Instead of competing against each other, I compete against the dictionary." When I competed, I never cared about my competition. I cared about them, because I wanted them to spell their words correctly. We were never like, "I'm against you, so I have to hate you." It was more of, "Good luck, and do your best, no matter what the outcome is."

I focus on my motto always. I say it before, during, and after every competition.

Remember to make a schedule for your studying. I doesn't matter how long you study, or how many words you know. What matters is figuring out words when you are in the contest.

Always be glad with your placement. Always set goals and dreams.

Spelling Bee Club/Choir Summer Camp/Find all the Words in the Song which are in Webster's Third

As many people may ask me, you're still studying? Of course! There is no reason to stop learning about words! In fact, I still need it for the spelling bee club I'm planning! By the way, if you are not from Salt Lake, Davis, Juab, Utah, or Wasatch Counties in Utah, each session will be filmed, and you can study from them. Spellers from Utah in the counties mentioned, you can watch the videos, too if you cannot make it to a session. Other spellers around the nation and world are welcome as well. Email me at spellingchamp135@gmail.com.

Who is starting the studying now for the 2012 National Spelling Bee in my family? My cousin, who lives in Denver, Colorado and my sister! They are both outstanding spellers! They are the first official members of my club. Just last night, my sister just started to study with the Scripps Bee Game on the Nintendo D.S. She was hooked onto it for nearly two hours.

I am ready to begin my spelling bee club whenever it is ready. I am going to be slow with updates at first, but I will pick up the pace. I will try to make a website, but I confess that I am not good with computers. I will post the videos on the blog, if I cannot make a website. If you want to know about how to do something, post a comment, and I will make a non-session video.

Tips will not just be about spelling, but what to do, and what not to do when you are on stage. Here are some:

• Do not freak out! Stay relaxed. 
• When you are waiting for your word, make sure you are not messing around, biting your nails, or any other bad habit. 
• While you are spelling, ask for the information you need. Do not ask for unnecessary information, or the audience will smell your show-off behavior, and find it annoying. Plus, you will waste your precious time. Two minutes and thirty seconds is plenty of time.

Sometimes I like to go somewhat off subject. You know how there are Suzuki Music camps all over the world? The camp I am talking to you about is a choir camp. This year was very special, because we had a day with the Drakensberg Boys Choir from South Africa. We learned Zulu songs, which made me think, has there ever been a Zulu word used at the National Spelling Bee? Some of the songs the boys sang were Afrikaans, and I am pretty sure those words have been used at the Bee. Here are some:

• muishond
• blouwildebeesoog
• wildebeest
• hartebeest

I enjoy trying to relate the National Spelling Bee to other things. I closely relate it to choir, except my choir is not a contest, until we go to the World Choir Games or another contest.

Find all the words in the song which are in Webster's Third. I will help with the first words, and they will be bolded.

Le Ciel a Visite la Terre

Le ciel a visité la terre,

Mon bien-aimé repose en moi

Du saint amour c'est le mystère!

Ô mon âme adore et tais-toi!

Amour que je ne puis comprendre,

Jésus habite dans mon coeur!

Jusques là vous pouvez descendre,

Humilité de mon sauveur!

Le ciel a visité la terre,

Mon bien-aimé repose en moi

Du saint amour c'est le mystère!

Ô mon âme adore et tais-toi!

Vous savez bien que je vous aime,

Moi, qui par vous fut tant aimé!

Que tout autre amour que vous même

Par votre feu soit consumé!

Le ciel a visité la terre,

Mon bien-aimé repose en moi

Du saint amour c'est le mystère!

Ô mon âme adore et tais-toi!

À votre chair mon âme unie

De vos élus ressent la paix

Divin Jésus, sainte harmonie,

Venez en mon coeur à jamais!

Le ciel a visité la terre,

Mon bien-aimé repose en moi

Du saint amour c'est le mystère!

Ô mon âme adore et tais-toi!

Good luck, and continue spelling! Email me if you have a question, or want a post about any spelling bee topic! spellingchamp135@gmail.com.

Round 3 - I'm Writing This During the First Half

Several of these words were used at the 2007 National Spelling Bee: pappardelle and rascacio. They were both spelled by the 2007 champion, Evan O'Dorney. Perhaps words such as zacate, fauchard, genizah, sagittal, coryza, epaulement, reblochon, clevis, truttaceous, cilice, and videlicet, will appear again! Another word I remember being used is calenture. 


Veronica took a while spelling vaquero. I am pretty sure she knew the word, but she wanted to make sure she had the right letters!


I am proud of Rachael Cundey for spelling both of her words correctly today. In 2009 and 2010, she misspelled her words. In 2010, the judges to a while to confirm whether she had correctly spelled or misspelled mihrab. I assume that she accidentally added an e (mihreab). She seems more confident this year!

I do not see a certain topic on which the words are on this year. Last year, there were plenty of culinary and science words.

I am glad that I watched replays and live contests this year, because a lot of the words are from those bees. They were used in Canspell National Spelling Bee, Salt Lake Valley Spelling Bee, Utah Valley Spelling Bee, Virginian-Pilot Spelling Bee, and perhaps all the Local Bees around the U.S.! A lot of words are from Canspell Finals, including rupicolous, hirsutism, edacious, brachiate, hordeolum, appetency, and clavichord. A lot of the words are from Spell It!

Oh no! Swetha Jasti from Olathe, Kansas misspelled commissar as comissar. She beat Vanya Shivashankar as the Olathe District Bee. I hope she got a good score on the written test! If you do not make it to semifinals, you still have next year, unless Vanya beats you. Good luck and continue spelling!

The sentences are great this year, and a lot of them have to do with the National Spelling Bee. One  sentence was something like "After the National Spelling Bee, I watched the replays over and over again, to hear my mellisonant voice." The sentence for threnody was funny, but long, so I do not quite remember it.

One girl was getting waiting to see if she spelled tokamak correctly, because she mispronounced "t". She spelled it correctly. After, the computers had to update.

This is getting more intense. Speller #114 was waiting for the signal to see if he correctly spelled divagate. Yes, he is correct!

What fell that made a loud sound? Dr. Bailly said, "The show must go on!"

Aha! There is another Canspell word: propinquity.


I get very nervous when a 2008-2010 semifinalist and/or championship finalist comes up. I am not a not a nervous person, but it is nerve-racking to watch other spellers. I have a lot of confidence at the microphone, but when it is the other spellers, I feel as if I am going to pass out, and that is how I feel right now.


The timer has not been showing a lot. Then again, this is preliminaries. It will show more tomorrow, with the sting of that dreaded bell. Ding!

From Round 2: I am so glad that Vismaya spelled her word correctly: maillot. That word is in How to Spell Like a Champ, and she told me that she has that book. She'll be okay, because she studied the Consolidated Word List, too.

First half of Round 3 is over. Cataclysmic concludes the end of Round 3. Unfortunately it was misspelled as cataclysmatic.

Round 2

Spellers are doing great!

When Laura Newcombe came up to the microphone I was shaking, then when I heard equinoctial, I calmed down. Veronica startled me most of all the spellers. She received the word Fauntleroy, and thought about it for a while. Graham, was very confident while spelling alkali. I hope all three of them make it to semifinals.

Results for Utah
Matthew - keest (kiest)
Jared - Ulyssean
Anna-Marie - persillade (I love how you knew the origin right away!)
Vismaya - maillot (You are very confident)

Four-peats
Rahul - anomaly
Nicholas - clairsentience 
Julianna - tahini

Round closes with brontophobia.

Round 2 is over!

I was very impressed with #254 Ethan Ruggeri. He flawlessly spelled glabrous. Keep in mind that this kid is only eight. If he wins this year, next year, or the year after that, he will be the youngest champion. Virginia hasn't had a champion since 1992 (winning word: lyceum). He reminds me of Samir Patel (speller from 2003-2007), who was only a third grader when he tied for 3rd. I think he skipped a grade, but I do not remember, because it has been such a long time since Samir Patel. If you do not know who Samir Patel is, I suggest watching the video and reading the article:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=3414046

http://espn.go.com/espn3 

It is Time!

At 8:00 Eastern Time, it is time for Round 2 to begin. I am a little nervous for the spellers. Whenever it comes to the Bee, I'm never nervous, but I am for the spellers. I will try and post as the Bee is going on, and during the commercial breaks. If you want to watch, here is the link:

http://espn.go.com/espn3

As the spellers do last minute studying, let us breathe.