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Speller No. 76, David Scott Tidmarsh |
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Posted on 06/03/2004 7:33:34 PM PDT by snopercod
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a new definition of a fainting spell, the runner-up in the National Spelling Bee apparently fainted on Thursday when asked to spell "alopecoid" in the contest eventually won by a 14-year-old Indiana boy. Akshay Buddiga, 13, from Colorado Springs, Colorado, recovered enough to spell the word correctly and continued into the championship round, but he stood out from the crowd by spelling from a seated position, unlike the other competitors, who remained standing as they spelled.
Buddiga lost on the word "schwarmerei," a German term that means adulation.
He got plenty of that and a standing ovation from the hundreds of defeated spellers, their families, friends and teachers who watched the three-day competition.
The champion was David Tidmarsh, whose final winning word was "autochthonous," meaning indigenous.
Tidmarsh, from South Bend, Indiana, also triumphed over such spelling nightmares as "sumpsimus," "sophrosyne" and "serpiginous."
That feat won Tidmarsh a $12,000 cash prize and a huge loving cup he seemed barely able to grasp after the strain of spelling. As soon as he realized he had spelled the final word correctly, he covered his face with his identifying placard and acknowledged later he was crying tears of joy.
"I was so nervous, I couldn't even begin to explain," Tidmarsh said after it was all over. "I was just hoping I got a word I had studied."
He said his favorite movie was "Spellbound," a documentary about the National Spelling Bee, an annual rite of nerves for children under the age of 16 administered by E. W. Scripps Co. and some 250 other sponsors.
Tidmarsh and Buddiga were among 265 spellers who gathered in Washington from across the United States.
Asked if the experience was as good as Hollywood could make it, Tidmarsh replied, "It's even better."
Correction: As a German noun, Schwarmerei should be spelled with a capital "S."
How about scherherazadean?
Was the winner home schooled? Anybody know?
Probably, otherwise the school district the kid is from would have been mentioned. (I admit, that is a cynical remark)
"Correction: As a German noun, Schwarmerei should be spelled with a capital "S.""
He is a student at Edison Intermediate Center in South Bend
Damn. Now the NEA will beg for more money.
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Speller No. 76, David Scott Tidmarsh |
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They said the winner's mom (in the audience) is a university adminstrator. Given they are in South Bend, IN, it is a good bet she is at Notre Dame.
That, and a bit of horseradish go great on a hot dog...
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Speller No. 25, Akshay Buddiga |
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I wonder if these dudes will be able to spell their own name after they have their first date....?
Just kidding, congrats to them for a job well done.
schwarmerei: excessive or unwholesome sentiment. A suitable adjective for liberal Democrats.
When that little Indian fainted I had to LMAO... I have seen athletes fainting after a marathon. But now the little nerd couldn't handle the strenous pressure of a spelling bee? Not enough iron in his daily diet?
I thought Nicholas (the winner) was going to collapse and faint, at the end, he was shaking so much. He was so excited that "autochthonous" had been on his study list that he was afraid he was going to screw up.
If only a few more intellectual competitions could gather a little limelight.
I had no idea foreign words were fair game for this. How many foreign languages were represented?
believe it or not, some kids value competition as much as some athletes value it.....
they had tons of stress on them.....
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