What's Happening in Medina, OH…

Owen Kovalik of Medina was top of the class at the recent Akron Beacon Journal Regional Spelling Bee, held at the public library.

The March 7 contest ran more than three hours and took fifteen rounds to complete. Kovalik, who is in the sixth grade, beat out eighth-grader Lucas Lindenmuth to win the Bee, and the chance to compete against national winners in the nation's capital in May. He sealed the victory by correctly spelling ‘vernation’ – a term for the formation of new leaves.

The word ‘debate’ came up in round two, and surfaced again in round ten, when judges and audience members engaged in a heated exchange over possible cheating. An audience member apparently called out a letter to one of the contestants, loudly enough to be overheard by others. Another person pointed this out to the judges, and it took 20 minutes, and some vociferous arguments among parents, before the matter was settled.

The delay did not rattle Lindenmuth, though he said he got increasingly hungry as the day wore on. Kovalik admitted to being a bit stressed by the interruption, since his father was one of those engaged in the argument. After a time, though, the judges decided to just pick up where they had left off, since the speller said he had not heard the comment.

Kovalik's teachers might consider working with a banner printing company to create a festive piece to display indoors to congratulate him on the win, and wish him luck in Washington.