Posted on 06/05/2010 4:57:13 AM PDT by reaganaut1
Shantanu Srivatsa and Anamika Veeramani sat nervously, side by side on stage.
Once again, an Indian-American was going to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee. It was just a matter of what word and what time on Friday.
Shantanu, 13, an eighth-grader from West Fargo, N.D., stepped to the microphone first and couldn't spell "ochidore."
Anamika — showing the cool demeanor she kept throughout — kept her hands behind her back and rattled off the correct letters for the medical term "stromuhr." She didn't crack a smile until the trophy was presented.
"It was too surreal," she said. "It was an amazing experience. I usually have a poker face, so that's what that was."
The 14-year-old girl from North Royalton, Ohio, won the 83rd bee, claiming the trophy and more than $40,000 in cash and prizes — some of which she says she intends to spend.
She also became the third consecutive Indian-American bee champion.
Indian-Americans comprise less than 1 percent of the U.S. population according to 2000 census data, but they have an impressive bee winning streak — taking the trophy in eight of the past 12 years.
"All of the past champions inspire me, they all have something different and they're all amazing people," Anamika said after the prime-time finals on Friday.
She survived the round by spelling "juvia" — a Brazil nut — and then had to sit through a tense 3 1/2-minute commercial before spelling the championship word.
"It was just really nerve-racking," Anamika said. "The commercial breaks didn't really help."
The finals were preceded by an unpopular move that had some spellers and parents claiming the bee was unfair and had kowtowed too much to television.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
No, but spelling obscure and even foreign words helps one to spell other words or to sound out the spelling of more difficult words, such as foreign words used in English language or people’s names. There is no downside to being able to spell well. I can’t tell you how many marketing products I’ve seen at my company that are misspelled, exhibit poor grammar, etc. all on the first and second drafts. And some end up published that way.
An admirable young woman. Good for her.
Perhaps not, but would you like to know how many job applications I go over in a years time with multiple spelling errors? Being able to spell exceptionally well might not be a great accomplishment, but not being able to spell well at all is a great handicap.
I have two children at home who are 18 and 16. Living in Dallas, we have a sizable Asian and Indian population. I hate to say it, but an inordinate number of my children’s white friends are aspiring rock stars, an inordinate number of their black friends are aspiring sports figures, but their Asian and Indian friends have such unrealistic goals as becoming doctors and engineers. There really is a different mindset behind the academic success of Asians and Indians. It’s not racial, but cultural.
I was wondering the same thing. No mention if the winner is home schooled.
Indians (as well as Arabs and Persians) are Caucasians, albeit not “white” Caucasians. However, they’re much closer genetically to a Swede than to a Nigerian or a Chinese.
I’ve heard the term “Dot, not feather...”
doesn’t matter really. my bet is that regardless of private/public school, they also have home schooled sessions in addition. most 1-2 gen asians are like that.
lol... excellent.
Home schooled kids have quite a winning streak going in this competition, and I wanted to know whether or not the winning streak is still ongoing.
Yes it is. It demonstrates a facility and precision of mind that is easily transferrable to other disciplines. It is also a direct manifestation of diligence and hard work.
I know these kids. Not all of them are brilliant although I could name a goodly number who could bump Bobby Jindal to the short bus. Regardless of aptitude, they are all popping on all eight cylinders. They work, so much so that we are trying to restrain them. They have a tendency to be too narrowly focused and they are missing what I would call the sweep of the occidental mind.
That is no great leap. Once they make it we will see Jindals popping up all over the country.
> “ The Asian and Indian contestants clearly outnumbered the caucasians......”
My wife hates the term “Asian”, she always tells me that Vladimir Putin is an Asian, she’s Oriental.
So you’re a lousy speller, huh? One’s spelling prowess is indicative of their overall education/knowledge.
Had 4 years of Latin and 4 years of French and I’m an excellent speller. The idea that spelling a kind of a nut makes one a champion is ridiculous.
Could there be a reason why Americans drive Japanese cars to Swedish stores filled with Chinese products?
Perfect for a spelling bee thread! LOL
Proofreading is good ,too.
Anyone for a Ebonics Bee??
Yauuwzaa!
Absolutely. The non-Indian contestants should be given easier words and the Indian-americans harder ones. So the non-Indian kids feelings won't get hurt. Because contests are all about the feelings of the losers. (smirk)
The recent winner of the Jeopardy Tournament of Champions was an Indian immigrant.
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