BY M.K. MOYNAHAN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ONEONTA _ “Sevruga,”
a Russian word for a pricey
variety of caviar, is the word
Cooperstown student Isabella
Penola spelled correctly to
win the title of regional champ
Saturday at the eighth annual
Regional Spelling Bee held at
the State University College at
Oneonta.
Isabella, 12, is home-schooled
and a member of NY LEAH, or
New York Loving Education
at Home. The competition, according
to the judges, ran longer
than previous years, lasting
nine rounds.
“I’ve been judging the competition
for eight years, and I noticed
this year the spellers are
better prepared and asked very
good questions,” said Julie P.
Suarez Hayes, an assistant professor
of English at Hartwick
College. “It’s nice to see that
spelling is not dead. Contests
like these are keeping it alive,
and this proves that spelling
matters to kids still.”
Judge Paul Kirby, a professor
at the State University College
of Technology at Delhi, said
academic competitions such
as the spelling bee should get
more publicity.
“Athletics get all the news
space,’’ he said.’’ It’s nice to
have intellectual competitions
highlighted, rather than athletics.”
More than 100 parents, relatives,
friends and teachers were
in the Goodrich Theater for Saturday’s
competition, where 24
students from across the region
competed. The competition was
sponsored by The Daily Star,
Delaware-Chenango-Madison-
Otsego BOCES, Otsego-Northern
Catskills BOCES and SUNY
Oneonta. The contest is open to
qualifying pupils through the
eighth grade.
“I was very surprised I won,”
Isabella said. “There were a lot
of very good spellers there. I
hadn’t expected to go as far as
I did.”
Isabella will represent the
region at the Scripps National
Spelling Bee in Washington,
D.C., in May. All expenses will
be paid for her and an adult
chaperone by The Daily Star.
Daily Star Publisher Tanya
Shalor was the moderator
for the event. She said this
year’s competition was very exciting.
“We are very proud to carry
on the tradition,” Shalor said.
Retired Daily Star Publisher
Dan Swift, also a judge, was
instrumental in implementing
the collaborative contest.
“When I was the publisher, I
got phone calls wondering why
The Daily Star was not sponsoring
the spelling bee along with
ONC BOCES, which originally
ran the spelling bee,” Swift explained.
“My degree is in English
teaching, and I saw that the
newspaper gave an enormous
amount of coverage to sporting
events, and I thought it would
be a very good idea to enlist
the other BOCES and SUNY to
sponsor this, as well as cover
the event.”
Runner-up Sarah Siegel, also
of Cooperstown, was knocked
out of the competition in the
eighth round when she misspelled
“homburg,” a German
word for a man’s felt hat. In
round seven, Kyle Sherry of
Laurens and Bertha Miller of
Schenevus were eliminated
when they misspelled “alliteration”
and “spaghetti,” respectively.
On her way to the title, Isabella
correctly spelled “angst,”
“trauma,” “tithe,” “foliate” and
“refugee.” Isabella said she
used a computer spelling program
provided on the Scripps’
website to prepare for the competition.
In addition to the trip and a
chance to win a national title,
Isabella won a $100 savings
bond, a dictionary and a oneyear
subscription to Encyclopedia
Britannica online.
According to her mother,
Lora, and father, John, Isabella’s
intellectual hobbies made
her well-prepared for the competition.
“Isabella is constantly reading
and writing. Plus she studies
Latin and Greek. She has
a real passion for both,” John
Penola said.
The entire family _ including
Isabella’s two brothers and
a younger sister _ will attend
the nationals with Isabella, he
said.
“We’ll all end up going and
making it a family trip,’’ Penola
said. ``We’ll see some sights
while in D.C.”
Also competing Saturday
were Tyler Burns of Afton
Central School, Rachel Harp
of Andes Central School,
Charleen Hitt of Bainbridge-
Guilford Central School, Tyler
Dugan of Delaware Academy
in Delhi, Hannah Weyrauch
of Downsville Central School,
Amanda Gelatt of Edmeston
Central School, Stephen
Banks of Franklin Central
School, Summer Mealey of Gilbertsville-
Mount Upton Central
School, Derrick Brown
of Gilboa-Conesville Central
School, Elizabeth Brown of
Hancock Central School, Carly
Diamond of Jefferson Central
School, Joshua Schecter
of Milford Central School,
Ben Kirkland of the Norwich
School District, Arden
Wise of the Oneonta School
District, Jordan Maynard of
Oxford Central School, Jude
George of Roxbury Central
School, Tatum Kiff of Sidney
Central School, Catherine
Melville of South Kortright
Central School and Kayla Tiffany
of Unadilla Valley Central
School.
The competition will be
shown on Public Access Channel
23 at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday,
March 9; at 5 p.m. Thursday,
March 11; and at noon Saturday,
March 13.
