Jan. 17—One speller at this year’s Santa Fe County Spelling Bee couldn’t help but laugh when she was asked to spell the word “anxiety.”
The irony wasn’t lost on Friday’s audience either, which was full of anxious parents and family members who gathered in the Susan Lumley Gymnasium at the Academy for Technology and the Classics to support their loved ones.
The students — third through eighth graders from 18 private and public schools in Santa Fe County — earned their spot at the district bee by performing well in their respective school spelling bees.
“All of these students here today are champions. … They all work very, very hard,” moderator Meredith Madri told the audience. “And I want to really honor the fact that this is about so much more than spelling. It takes so much confidence and poise to come up here in front of a room full of strangers, stand at a microphone and be put on the spot to spell the word.”
Audience members held their breath as they watched the students shift, tap and jitter before bravely approaching center stage to spell their given word and await either a green or red paddle from the judges. A collective sigh of relief was released after each round concluded, accompanied by cheers and some tears.
The tension in the air was cut by lighthearted moments such as when one speller, instead of asking for a definition, jokingly asked, “Can I get the spelling?”
After seven rounds, the 47 spellers who started the competition were winnowed to three: sixth grader Jules Oatey of Rio Grande School, eighth grader Joshua Bala of Mandela International Magnet School and eighth grader Bhavith Sai Gurram of host school the Academy for Technology and the Classics.
Oatey, who impressed the crowd with his out-loud processing, earned third place after incorrectly spelling the adjective “dietetic” in the ninth round.
After that, Bala and Gurram went neck and neck for 12 rounds, wowing the remaining audience members with their ability to spell words like “declension,” “atrabilious,” “curmudgeon” and “chevalier.” The judges finally took a break to confer on which word list could potentially bring the competition to a close.
The noun “priory” is what bested Bala in the 21st round, and “Cleopatra” is the word that gave Gurram a shot at victory. By correctly spelling the word “mistletoe,” Gurram sealed the deal and became this year’s district champion.
Cheering commenced as Oatey, Bala and Gurram shook hands and posed for photos. The three top spellers made themselves eligible for the New Mexico State Spelling Bee, but first they have to compete against students from other New Mexico school districts in a virtual State Qualifying Test on Feb. 28. The top 25 spellers from that test will move on to the state spelling bee in April and have a chance at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May.
Going all the way is the goal, Gurram said with the giant first-place trophy in hand.
“It feels good,” the 13-year-old said. “Hopefully I’ll get to nationals.”
This was Gurram’s first time winning first place at the district spelling bee; he took third place two years ago and went on to place tenth at state that year. This year’s win was backed by two to three months of preparation, studying word lists, doing at-home bees with his parents and utilizing an app called Word Club, a free spelling bee preparation tool.
Home court didn’t feel like an advantage for ATC’s Gurram.
“‘There is more pressure on me.’ That’s what he was saying. But finally he got it,” his mother, Prasanthi Kothapalli said. “I’m so happy.”
Other parents also shared in the feeling of pride. Maggie Moore, mother of sixth grader Rasa Moore, said she was “in awe” of all of the participants.
“It’s just so cool to see the kids and the effort that they put into it. … It teaches them so many skills. To come in front of a crowd, being able to set a goal, focus, plan, strategize — it’s that patience and the responsibility of it,” she said, adding that even defeat is valuable in showing students how to deal with that and show compassion to themselves and others.
While Rasa didn’t make it to the end, the Carlos Gilbert Elementary student said she plans to continue participating in spelling bees and enjoying the experience of growing, learning and meeting people.
As spelling bee coordinator for Santa Fe Public Schools, Lynda Volkman sees firsthand the hard work the kids pour into the bee every year.
“It’s really important,” Volkman said. “These kids work so hard.”