Champion Speller to Compete in US

MEDIA RELEASE

21 March 2009

New Zealand Champion Speller to Compete in US Spelling Bee Final

Pictures from the final available at www.r2.co.nz/20090321/photos

Streaming available at www.r2.co.nz/20090321

After 90 minutes of high drama and suspense, Christopher Jury, a 13 year-old from Hamilton Boys High School, Hamilton, was declared the 2009 NZ Vegemite Spelling Bee Champion and the country’s representative at the 82nd Scripps Howard Spelling Bee, the Olympics of Spelling, in Washington DC from May 26 -28.

“You could hear a pin drop in the hall. It was round after grueling round,” said the event’s manager, Janet Lucas. “The caliber of this year’s contestants was exceptionally high.”

Christopher’s winning word was “iterative”. The runner up was Aiden Brock from Scot’s College, Wellington. He tripped over the word, “pecuniary”.

Amanda Tan from Auckland’s Rangitoto College came third after misspelling the word “peloton.”

Thirteen finalists from around the country – five girls and eight boys - were brought to Wellington to compete on Saturday afternoon in the national final after winning a place in one of five regional competitions.

Winner Christopher said “It was totally nerve-wracking. You’d spell a word right and go back feeling relieved. But straight away you’d start to get nervous again about the next round”.

Christopher says he is excited about the prospect of representing New Zealand at the US Final but realises he has a lot of preparation beforehand.

Christopher will spend the next two months studying the Scripps National Spelling Bee word list and reading Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, consisting of 470,000 words. Christopher will also try to master the differences in American - English spelling.

The winner of the 2009 final is this country’s fifth representative at the US Spelling Bee, the world’s longest running academic competition and held more times than the Academy Awards. In America it attracts more than nine million competitors hopeful of winning a place in the championship final.

Janet says it is a great honour that New Zealand is able to participate in this competition.

The spellers work through a series of rounds, with each speller given one word per round. If they spell it correctly they progress to the next round. An incorrect spelling and a bell is rung, signaling they are out of the competition.

The NZ Vegemite Spelling Bee 2009 is open to all Year 9 students under the age of 16 and able to travel to the United States.

Dianne Bardsley, main judge at the event and Lexicographer and Director at the New Zealand Dictionary Centre at Victoria University of Wellington, says the Spelling Bee creates excellent standards for NZ children.

“It is great, when the current mantra for standards in language and communication is “anything goes,” that Janet Lucas and her band of volunteers are providing students with the opportunity to “get it right” and are willing to stand up for the ideal of excellence.

There is nothing old-fashioned about correct spelling; it is simply an ideal that conscientious teachers and parents are willing to fight for, and it’s basic for achieving clarity in communication.”

The competition’s pronouncer is Hamish McDouall, youngest winner of Sale of the Century and a winner of Mastermind. Hamish has held the position of Pronouncer since the event started in 2005.

Karen Wheelahan, sales and marketing manager, says Kraft Foods is delighted to be supporting New Zealand's Spelling Bee with its number one spread, Vegemite.

“There are strong synergies between the two brands. Vegemite is loaded with vitamins and minerals, especially Vitamin B, great for vitality and keeping minds bright and attentive,” she says.

The other supporters are The New Zealand Listener, ZM, Franklin Electronic Publishers, Oxford University Press and the New Zealand Dictionary Centre.

The New Zealand Vegemite Spelling Bee is administered by a charitable trust. Its’ purpose is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts, and develop correct English usage.

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