National spelling bee results

[Mikegaite]

In case you missed it when you were skipping over ESPN on tv...

 

http://www.jconline.com/story/news/nation/2016/05/26/forty-five-spellers-remain-national-bee-moves-into-final-day/84965116/

[Kenny]

The Dumpster should have entered the bee.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UIE_MRAhEA

[mike carey]

As long as they limited the words in the bee to if, but and maybe, and perhaps self-serving and idiot. And of course 'best' and 'words'.

[+ beethoven]

I think it's a wonderful tribute to America that the winners of the National Spelling Bee were young men named Jairam and Nithar. When I was in high school 60 years ago, all of the winners in spelling bees and national science talent searches were, like me, of European origin, frequently first- or second-generation Americans. Now they're all from the eastern hemisphere, and more power to them!

 

It's ironic that Kenny posted a clip of Donald Trump here. I wonder if some of his "words" include National Spelling Bee. If The Trumpenik ever builds a wall, I hope he stays on the other side of it.

[+ saminseattle]

I think it's a wonderful tribute to America that the winners of the National Spelling Bee were young men named Jairam and Nithar. When I was in high school 60 years ago, all of the winners in spelling bees and national science talent searches were, like me, of European origin, frequently first- or second-generation Americans. Now they're all from the eastern hemisphere, and more power to them!

 

I think it’s even more specific than that. For some reason, South Asians have come to completely dominate the spelling bee. Children of Pakistani or Indian heritage have now won the contest for 9 years in a row. At one point in the 2015 final, six of the remaining seven spellers were of South Asian ancestry, and in the end there were two: co-champions Vanya Shivashankar and Gokul Venkatachalam. For a group that makes up only 1% of the population, this can hardly be a coincidence. Most of the explanations put forward involve the cultural value put on education. http://time.com/3901006/scripps-spelling-bee-south-asian-india-pakistan-bangladesh/, https://www.learnthat.org/news/why-indian-americans-rule-the-scripps-national-spelling-bee/. Still, I can’t help but wonder if there is some linguistic element to it. Perhaps exposure to multiple Indo-European languages at a young age gives them an edge?