[S]lavering. S-L-A-V-E-R-I-N-G. The word originates from Middle English; it means “letting saliva run from the mouth.”
That was the final word in the Vermont Scripps Spelling Bee tournament this week.
With two students left on stage, it was Raghav Dhandi’s turn to answer. He had spelled every word he had been given correctly and if he got this one right, he would win.
Raghav, 12, paused to think about the word for a moment, then spelled it perfectly.
For the seventh-grader at Main Street Middle School in Montpelier, the word “slavering” would be a reminder of the day that he won the Vermont Scripps Spelling Bee.
Raghav was among 28 Vermonters under the age of 14 who got a chance to display their spelling skills Wednesday at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester.
Each had previously won similar spelling competitions in their own schools. The tournament was single elimination, requiring each contestant to spell correctly every word they were given.
When asked what the hardest word was, Raghav responded: “They were all just really fun to spell.”
Representing Vermont, he will go up against the top spellers in the country in late May at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington.
“If I don’t win, I am going to study for another year and come back more prepared next year,” he said.
Raghav said he spends 30 minutes a day studying with his mom and reads 40 to 50 pages a night.
The competition, which is now in its 90th year, began as a way to promote literacy and appreciation for the English language. Each year, the tournament is sponsored by a news organization, carrying on a tradition set by the Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky.
VTDigger sponsored the Vermont competition this year, with support from Milne Travel, the Vermont Student Assistance Corp., the Vermont Principals’ Association and the Vermont Humanities Council, marking the first time an online news site had hosted the event.
In addition to a trip to Washington, Raghav also received a $250 award that will go towards his college education. In an interview with VTDigger last week, he said he hoped to attend Harvard and become a nuclear physicist.
Raghav will attend the Washington finals with his father, Hari Dhandi, and mother, Janaki Kasiviswanathan.
