When a newly-fashioned Item Regional Spelling Bee is conducted online Tuesday, March 9, there will be a new wrinkle: a 10-word vocabulary test that Scripps — the national sponsor of the event — hopes will prevent a tie.
The Item has hosted the regional bee for 36 years. However, this will be the 35th competition, as the event was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 was still an impediment to holding the usual contest this year, too. There were three options: in-person, a Zoom meeting with a pronouncer and judges, or an online contest that Scripps developed. The online format was chosen in this region, as Lynn City Hall’s auditorium is still unavailable for use.
Under this format, students will hear a word spoken by official Scripps pronouncer Dr. Jacques Bailly and then type in the correct spelling.
Scripps suggested a vocabulary test be incorporated into the competition to further ensure that there would not be any ties. The 10 words will be multiple choice.
The winner of next week’s bee will have to go through three additional levels of remote competition before reaching the finals on the grounds of ESPN Wide World of Sports at Disney Resort in Florida.
The continuing presence of the coronavirus has also reduced the number of participants in the regional bee. In 2020, more than 100 students were slated to participate, but only 29 schools signed up this year. And of those 29, only 22 are participating. Also, there will only be 40 words used.
Joel and Mary Abramson of Marblehead will be the event’s co-sponsors.
The participants are Tyler Doan, Drewicz Elementary, Lynn; Natania Fernandez, Academy of Notre Dame, Tyngsborough; Sonali Koo, Pickering Middle School, Lynn; Toniloluwa Asenuga, Covenant Christian Academy, Peabody; Nate Felix, Dedham Country Day School; Sanya Nadeem, Eleanor N. Johnson Middle School, Walpole; Benjamin Stewart, Fowler School, Maynard; Muhammed Cham, Holten Richmond Middle School, Danvers; Abisola Ogundipe Beckley, Lynn Vocational Technical Institute; Gabrielle Doney, Lynn Woods Elementary, Lynn; Dylan Uttam, Marblehead Community Charter Public School; Anthony Vizy, Marblehead Veterans Middle School; Raquel del Rio Vicario, Montrose School, Wakefield; Gabriella Hill, Norwell Middle School; Bennett Goodwin, Old Rochester Regional Junior High; Allie Cristofori, Our Lady’s Academy, Waltham; Marcus Irwin, St. John’s Preparatory School, Danvers; Miriam Mansare, Ste. Jeanne D’arc Elementary School, Lowell; Rushil Kelapure, Think Explore Create School, Worcester; Reem Ahrabar, Thurgood Marshall Middle School, Lynn; Lindhan Nguyen, Tucker School, Milton; Hoda Britel, William P. Connery Elementary, Lynn.
