Boy Wins Spelling Bee With 'Serrefine' (Another homeschooler victory)

AP via Las Vegas Sun ^ | 31 May 07 | AP

[gobucks]

Evan O'Dorney always eats fish before his spelling bees. The brain food apparently has served him well: He's the 2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion.

The 13-year-old from Danville, Calif., aced "serrefine" Thursday night to become the last youngster standing at the 80th annual bee. He won a tense duel with Nate Gartke of Spruce Grove, Alberta, who was trying to become the first Canadian to win the bee.

Evan won a trophy and a $35,000 prize, plus a $5,000 scholarship, a $2,500 savings bond and a set of reference works. He said he knew how to spell the winning word - a noun describing small forceps - as soon as the pronouncer said it.

Evan said he wasn't surprised to win, but he confessed that spelling isn't his top interest.

"My favorite things to do were math and music, and with the math I really like the way the numbers fit together," he said. "And with the music I like to let out ideas by composing notes - and the spelling is just a bunch of memorization."

[gobucks]

ABC Televised it live and it ended about a half hour ago: the boy hugged his Mom and Dad ... and the reporter noted that Evan was the third home schooler to win this event.

[Secret Agent Man]

“The Scripps NATIONAL Spelling bee”......

When in holy hell did Canada take part in America’s National spelling bee????? What the frick???

[NormsRevenge]

Evan won a trophy and a $35,000 prize, plus a $5,000 scholarship, a $2,500 savings bond and a set of reference works.

—

What?
No iPod or Blackberry or PS2?

Great job, Evan!

[EagleUSA]

Clearly, a product of a private school....(/s)

[utherdoul]

was this American dollars or Canadian dollars? Either way great job, I think I saw something about this earlier. Damn when I was that age I could barely spell Encyclopedia.

[abigailsmybaby]

I don’t even know how to pronounce it.

[SubMareener]

NAFTA!

[gobucks]

Canada does have a bunch of sponsers for the bee, the pathway into it....New Zealand and Jamica are also allowed to compete.

2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee Sponsor Index
ALABAMA
The Birmingham News
ALASKA
Anchorage Daily News
Daily News-Miner, Fairbanks
AMERICAN SAMOA
Samoa News, Pago Pago
ARIZONA
Arizona Educational Foundation,
Scottsdale
Navajo Times, Window Rock
ARKANSAS
Arkansas Democrat Gazette
THE BAHAMAS
The Nassau Guardian
CALIFORNIA
The Bakersfield Californian
Desert Dispatch, Barstow
Contra Costa Times
Sierra Telephone/
Mountain Home School
Imperial Valley Press, El Centro
Daily News Los Angeles
Monterey County Office of Education
The Orange County Register
Record Searchlight, Redding
The Press-Enterprise, Riverside
The Sacramento Bee
The San Diego Union-Tribune
San Francisco Chronicle
Ventura County Star
Daily Press, Victorville
Visalia Times-Delta/
Tulare Advance-Register
CANADA
Calgary Herald
The Guardian, Charlottetown
National Post, Don Mills
Edmonton Journal
The Daily News, Halifax
The Daily News, Kamloops
Kelowna Daily Courier
Lethbridge Herald
The Gazette, Montreal
Ottawa Citizen
Prince George Citizen
Leader-Post, Regina
The Star Phoenix, Saskatoon
The Telegraph-Journal, Saint John
The Telegram, St. John’s
Cape Breton Post, Sydney
The Vancouver Sun
Times Colonist, Victoria
The Windsor Star
Winnipeg Free Press
COLORADO
Daily Camera, Boulder
Rocky Mountain News, Denver
CONNECTICUT
New Haven Register
The Ridgefield Press
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The Washington Informer
EUROPE
Stars & Stripes
FLORIDA
The Tribune, Fort Pierce
The Florida Times-Union,
Jacksonville
The Ledger, Lakeland
The Miami Herald
Naples Daily News
Orlando Sentinel
The Palm Beach Post
The News Herald, Panama City
The News, Stuart
Tallahassee Democrat
The Tampa Tribune
Press-Journal, Vero Beach
GEORGIA
Atlanta Daily World
The Augusta Chronicle
GUAM
Pacific Daily News, Agana
HAWAII
The Honolulu Advertiser
IDAHO
Coeur d’Alene Press
Lewiston Morning Tribune
ILLINOIS
The Pantagraph, Bloomington
Chicago Tribune
Herald & Review, Decatur
The Telegraph, Dixon
The Journal-Standard, Freeport
The Daily Journal, Kankakee
The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus,
Moline
Peoria Journal Star
The Quincy Herald-Whig
Rockford Register Star
The State Journal-Register, Springfield
The Daily Gazette, Sterling
INDIANA
The Herald Bulletin, Anderson
The Herald-Times, Bloomington
Evansville Courier & Press
Topics Newspapers, Fishers
The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne
Journal and Courier, Lafayette
The Kokomo Tribune
The Herald-Argus, LaPorte
Chronicle-Tribune, Marion
The Star Press, Muncie
The Times, Munster
South Bend Tribune
The Tribune-Star, Terre Haute
Zionsville Times Sentinel/
The Lebanon Reporter
IOWA
The Des Moines Register
Telegraph Herald, Dubuque
JAMAICA
Jamaica Gleaner, Kingston
KANSAS
The Olathe News
The Topeka Capital-Journal
KENTUCKY
The Kentucky Post, Covington
Kentucky Derby Festival, Louisville
LOUISIANA
The Daily Advertiser, Lafayette
The American Press, Lake Charles
The News-Star, Monroe
The Times-Picayune, New Orleans
The Times, Shreveport
MAINE
Bangor Daily News
MARYLAND
Capital-Gazette Newspapers,
Annapolis
Catapult Online, Baltimore
The Aegis, Bel Air
Howard County Library and
The Baltimore Sun
The Herald-Mail, Hagerstown
Gazette Newspapers, Landover
The Enterprise, Lexington Park
The Recorder, Prince Frederick
Maryland Independent, Waldorf
MASSACHUSETTS
Sentinel & Enterprise, Fitchburg
The Sun, Lowell
The Daily Item, Lynn
The Martha’s Vineyard Times
The Patriot Ledger, Quincy
MICHIGAN
The Detroit News
The Flint Journal
Grand Haven Tribune
The Grand Rapids Press
The Jackson Citizen Patriot
The County Press, Lapeer
Ludington Daily News
The Macomb Daily
Ogden News Publishing of Michigan,
Marquette
The Oakland Press
The Saginaw News
The Herald Palladium, St. Joseph
Traverse City Record-Eagle
MINNESOTA
Brainerd Dispatch
Forum Communications Company
The Free Press, Mankato
Star Tribune, Minneapolis
MISSISSIPPI
The Clarion-Ledger, Jackson
MISSOURI
Cass County Democrat Missourian
Columbia Daily Tribune
The Examiner, Independence
St. Joseph News-Press
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Sedalia Democrat
Unite, Springfield
MONTANA
Lee Newspapers of Montana, Billings
NEBRASKA
Omaha World-Herald
NEVADA
Las Vegas Review-Journal
NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire Union Leader
NEW JERSEY
Asbury Park Press/
Home News Tribune
The Press of Atlantic City
Burlington County Times
The Record and Herald News,
Hackensack
The Jersey Journal, Jersey City
The Times of Trenton
NEW MEXICO
The Albuquerque Tribune
Freedom Newspapers of New Mexico,
Clovis
NEW YORK
Times Union, Albany
The Buffalo News
The Leader, Corning
Finger Lakes Times, Geneva
The Leader-Herald, Gloversville
Daily Freeman and Sunday Freeman,
Kingston
Long Island Jewish World
Times Herald-Record, Middletown
Mount Vernon Inquirer
Daily News, New York
The Daily Star, Oneonta
The Palladium-Times, Oswego
The Gazette, Port Jervis
Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester
The Post-Standard, Syracuse
Watertown Daily Times
NEW ZEALAND
The New Zealand Listener,
Wellington
NORTH CAROLINA
Times-News, Burlington
The Charlotte Observer
The Daily Record, Dunn
The Fayetteville Observer
The Gaston Gazette
The Shelby Star
Washington Daily News
Wilson Daily Times
Winston-Salem Journal
NORTH DAKOTA
Jamestown Sun
OHIO
The Akron Beacon Journal
The Repository, Canton
The Cincinnati Post
The Plain Dealer, Cleveland
The Columbus Dispatch
Dayton Daily News
The Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria
Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
The Lima News
The Marietta Times
The Times Leader, Martins Ferry
The Medina Gazette
Salem News, East Liverpool Review and
The Morning Journal
The Herald-Star, Steubenville
The Blade, Toledo
The Tribune Chronicle, Warren
The News-Herald, Willoughby
The Vindicator, Youngstown
OKLAHOMA
The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City
Tulsa World
OREGON
The Bulletin, Bend
Portland Tribune
PENNSYLVANIA
Delaware County Daily & Sunday Times
The Intelligencer, Doylestown
The Express-Times, Easton
The Patriot-News, Harrisburg
Intelligencer Journal, Lancaster
The Times Herald, Norristown
The Philadelphia Tribune
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Republican & Herald, Pottsville
Reading Eagle
The Morning Times, Sayre
Pocono Record, Stroudsburg
Daily Local News, West Chester
Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre
PUERTO RICO
Caribbean Preparatory School, San Juan
RHODE ISLAND
The Valley Breeze, Cumberland
SOUTH CAROLINA
The Allendale Sun
Anderson Independent Mail
The Post and Courier, Charleston
Morning News, Florence
The Sun News, Myrtle Beach
Herald-Journal, Spartanburg
SOUTH DAKOTA
Rapid City Journal
TENNESSEE
Chattanooga Times Free Press
The Jackson Sun
The Knoxville News Sentinel
The Commercial Appeal, Memphis
The Tennessean, Nashville
TEXAS
Abilene Reporter-News
Amarillo Globe-News
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
The Dallas Morning News
El Paso Times
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Valley Freedom Newspapers,
Harlingen
Houston Chronicle
Laredo Morning Times
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Midland Reporter-Telegram
Odessa American
San Angelo Standard-Times
San Antonio Express-News
Victoria Advocate
Times Record News, Wichita Falls
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
The Virgin Islands Daily News
UTAH
Davis County Clipper, Bountiful
Sun Advocate and Emery County Progress,
Price
Daily Herald, Provo
VERMONT
The Burlington Free Press
VIRGINIA
The Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg
Daily News-Record, Harrisonburg
Loudoun Times-Mirror, Leesburg
The News & Advance, Lynchburg
The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk
Times Community Newspapers,
Reston
Richlands News-Press
Richmond Times-Dispatch
The Roanoke Times
The News-Virginian, Waynesboro
The Winchester Star
Potomac News, Woodbridge
WASHINGTON
The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton
Skagit Valley Herald, Mount Vernon
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Wenatchee World
WEST VIRGINIA
Charleston Gazette-Mail
The Clarksburg Exponent-Telegram
The Journal, Martinsburg
The Dominion-Post, Morgantown
Hampshire Review, Romney
The Intelligencer and
Wheeling News-Register
WISCONSIN
Wisconsin State Journal, Madison
WYOMING
Casper Star Tribune

[krb]

Wow is all I have to say...wow.

serre·fine (sâr-fn, sr-)
n.
A small spring forceps used for approximating the edges of a wound, or for temporarily closing an artery during surgery.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary

[krb]

[NormsRevenge]

USD.

I went to a state spelling bee when I was 13 or so,, didn’t make it past the first round,, funny tho that like the winner I did eat a lot of fish back about that time. ;-)

The local Bay Area news mentioned him last night, glad to see he pulled it off.

[kaboom]

Good thing this kid is homeschooled. Knowing how to spell a word like that will get you beat up in public schools.

As they always say "Chicks dig the Scripps!".

[gobucks]

here is the whole list of words he got, and spelled.

1. Multiple-Choice Test
2. boundary boundary
3. compunctious compunctious
4. corrigenda corrigenda
5. affiche affiche
6. corinne corinne
7. rascacio rascacio
8. schuhplattler schuhplattler
9. laquear laquear
10. Zoilus Zoilus
11. pappardelle pappardelle
12. yosenabe yosenabe
13. serrefine serrefine

The first column is the word he got, and the 2nd was his spelling. Perfect is as perfect does.

[gobucks]

Last summer Evan was chosen as an onstage contestant for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, but the judges could not outsmart his spelling skills and resorted to making him spell out of order and giving him non-dictionary words. Evan is dedicated to Tae Kwon Do and has earned a first degree black belt. He loves to play piano: In addition to taking lessons at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, he accompanies his church’s children’s choir. This year he began attending the Berkeley Math Circle and achieved success in various math competitions: He earned a perfect score in the American Mathematics Competition for 10th grade, the American Invitational Mathematics Examination, and the Bay Area Math Olympiad. He also placed fifth in the Northern California Mathcounts competition. His parents are Jennifer O’Dorney, his home school teacher, and Michael O’Dorney, a Bay Area Rapid Transit train operator.

From the bee website...

[California Patriot]

Nice to see a boy win this.

[EDINVA]

Everything about the kid was impressive ... he’s just a regular genius, the spelling being the least of it. I heard he studies at the SF Conservatory and has a black belt as well.

[gobucks]

School Type:
192 public (67.13%)
38 private (13.29%)
36 home (12.59%)
14 parochial (4.9%)
5 charter (1.75%)
1 virtual (.34%)
Of last year’s 274 spellers, 195 were public-schooled, 37 were home-schooled, 26 were private-schooled, 13 were parochial-schooled, and 3 were charter-schooled.

Hmmmm....about 1 out of 10 of the these kids who made it to the bee were homeshcooled.

Now of the 15 finalists, 5 were home schooled...

Wow.

[gobucks]

And his dad drives a train for a living ... only in America.

[gracesdad]

The problem with the spelling bee is that it proves nothing whatsoever about intelligence or what education system is best.

Being a championship speller doesn’t mean you can write a meaningful essay about anything or that you will save the world from whatever. All it means is that you spent incredible amounts of time memorizing lists and that you understand how words are put together. You are exceptional in some areas, but what does it mean in the end?

To some degree, it also means you were lucky. A recent champ, maybe last year’s, I can’t remember, said there were numerous words she couldn’t have spelled, but none were given to her. If one of those words had fallen on her turn, she would have been out.

[kaboom]

So based on the bio, the kid is either super ambitious or pushed to the max by his parents. I just hope that he has had a chance to be a “dumb” kid once in a while. Hopefully he has found a balance. I also hope that he has developed a sense of humor.