The Indian Panorama

Tag: Dr. J. Michael Durnil

  • Nine Indian Americans among 11 US Spelling Bee Finalists this Year 

    Nine Indian Americans among 11 US Spelling Bee Finalists this Year 

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Nine of the 11 finalists for this year’s US Spelling Bee contest are Indian Americans, reflecting the dominance young kids from the small ethnic community have had on this prestigious and high-pressure endurance test for more than a decade now. The 11 spellers, of which nine are Indian-Americans, will compete for the champion title during the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals on July 8, a statement said on Monday, June 28. During the in-person finals, the Bee will have the option of activating a spell-off if needed. The spell-off would be activated in the closing minutes of the competition if a champion has not yet been declared in a traditional, one-person, one-word round, it said. “We are honored to introduce our 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finalists. Round after round, this group of spellers proved their mettle, and we look forward to seeing them show off their knowledge and hard work as they square off against the dictionary on the national stage,” said Dr J Michael Durnil, executive director of the Bee.

    “Congratulations to all of this year’s 209 national qualifiers – they’ve persevered over a year that has been challenging in many ways, and our team is proud to have witnessed their journey,” he said.

    The National Bee is a high-profile, high-pressure endurance test as much as a nerd spelling match and spellers spend months preparing for it. The final rounds of this year’s contest will be hosted in person at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida, and will be broadcast live in prime time on ESPN2.

    The 11 finalists are Roy Seligman, 12, from Nassau, The Bahamas; Bhavana Madini, 13, from New York; Sreethan Gajula, 14, from Charlotte, North Carolina; Ashrita Gandhari, 14, from Leesburg, Virginia; Avani Joshi, 13, from Illinois; Zaila Avant-garde, 14, from New Orleans; Vivinsha Veduru, 10, from Texas; Dhroov Bharatia, 12, from Dallas; Vihaan Sibal, 12, from Texas; Akshainie Kamma, 13, from Texas and Chaitra Thummala, 12, from San Francisco.

    Over the past 20 years, Indian Americans have been dominating the Spelling Bee contest even though they comprise only about 1 per cent of the US population.

    The Bee was cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. But there were eight co-champions in 2019, seven of whom were Indian Americans, bringing the total number of Indian-American champions since 1999 to 26.

  • Indian Americans dominated Scripps National Spelling Bee season is back

    Indian Americans dominated Scripps National Spelling Bee season is back

    NEW YORK (TIP): The Scripps National Spelling Bee, America’s largest and longest-running educational program dominated for a dozen years by Indian Americans, is back this summer after a year of hiatus due to covid pandemic. Starting with the first round on June 12, the final rounds of this year’s Bee will be hosted in person at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida, on July 8, the Bee announced Tuesday.

    The national finals of the program were cancelled in 2020 for first time since the World War II years (1943-1945), according to the Bee.

    The 2021 finals, featuring 10-12 accomplished spellers, will be broadcast live in primetime on ESPN2.

    The 10 to 12 finalists who will travel to Orlando will be determined by a series of virtual spelling rounds that will be held in the lead-up to the July 8 finals: the preliminaries, quarterfinals and semifinals.

    Each of the virtual rounds of the competition will be broadcast on ESPN platforms, beginning June 12 with the preliminaries and concluding June 27 with the semifinals.

    “It will be an excitement-building sequence for the spellers and the audiences watching at home as the action and suspense of ‘speller versus the dictionary’ plays out over several weeks of competition this year,” said Dr. J. Michael Durnil, executive director of the Bee.

    “Last year was challenging for so many as we learned to cope with the pandemic. Now, as pandemic guidelines across the country continue to evolve, we’ve charted a path for the 2021 competition and national finals activities by taking enhanced health and safety measures for the spellers, their families and the team of people who support and produce the Bee.

    “I’m proud of the program and our safety teams that have worked so diligently to give spellers an opportunity to show off their skills this year while promoting a fun and safe experience for all involved.”

    As the country continues to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, the in-person portion of the competition at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney will follow protocols based on guidance from health authorities for social distancing and masking, the Bee said.

    Scripps also is reviewing its COVID-19-related health and safety measures with medical experts at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to help facilitate an environment that promotes the well-being of all, it said.

    The official Scripps National Spelling Bee live broadcast schedule:

    Preliminaries: Saturday, June 12, 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN3

    Quarterfinals: Tuesday, June 15, noon-6 p.m. on ESPN3

    Semifinals: Sunday, June 27, 7-11 p.m. on ESPN2 (Play Along version on ESPNU)

    Finals: Thursday, July 8, 8-10 p.m. on ESPN2 (Play Along version on ESPNU)