CCHS Spelling Bee

Current Culver City High School junior and previous Scripps National Spelling Bee finalist Cooper Komatsu recently hosted the first annual Spelling Bee at Culver City High School.

As a competition that included fifteen students and ten teachers and staff, the spelling bee was an enjoyable and difficult task as the participants spelled out words like yakitori, acquiesce, and biennial. A 55-word list containing words from the first round was already released to the participants prior to the competition, but the second and third were not, meaning that they had to try their best spelling them. This competition consisted of three rounds lasting two and a half hours, but it didn’t seem that long with the atmosphere being filled with sweat, intrigue, and anticipation. Surprisingly, the participants proved to be very advanced spellers as they conquered grueling words.

After two hours, only three people were standing. In first place was an eighth grader named Zachary Kronlage, who stole the light of the show as he correctly spelled all ten words. However, the most attention went to the second place winner, the principal's secretary JoNellia Guinn. She was a brilliant speller as many were shocked by her spectacular performance in the competition. And finally, in third place was a junior named Alisha Hasan who hung on tightly and fought hard throughout the whole competition to secure the third place position.

Overall, the spelling bee was great place for all to, as the coordinator, Cooper Komatsu remarked, “stop grading papers and studying for tests for a moment and instead enjoy a nice afternoon to get together and have a fun time.”