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The bee goes to Plum Point
Friday, March 13, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photos by DARWIN WEIGEL
Courtney Williams of Southern Middle School and Zachary Johnson of Plum Point Middle School were the last two standing after five rounds at the Calvert County Spelling Bee on Wednesday at the Mary Harrison Cultural Arts Center in Owings. Johnson went on to win in the seventh round and will represent the county at the national bee in May.
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Zach Johnson, 13, gave his mother the best birthday present she could ask for by being the winner of the 22nd Annual Calvert County Spelling Bee on Wednesday night at the Mary Harrison Cultural Arts Center at Northern High School in Owings.
Johnson, an eighth-grader at Plum Point Middle School, only wished he could have won with a more difficult word.
"I had to spell ‘tensile' … an easy word," Johnson said.
He did admit, however, that he was "ecstatic about the whole thing," including attending the Scripps National Spelling Bee held in Washington, D.C., from May 26 to 29.
"I'm nervous about being on TV for one thing, but I think it'll be really fun; I think it'll be a great experience," Johnson said.
Despite admitting he studies "a lot," Johnson said that spelling has always come easy to him. He was, however, able to offer a few pointers.
"Look for the grouping and origin of words … they've all got different patterns you have to look for to spell," Johnson said.
Courtney Williams, a seventh-grader at Southern Middle School, came in second place, misspelling the word "whippoorwill."
"I'm still shaking, it's really cool," said Williams, 12, of her first runner-up position, which she did "not at all" expect to be in, despite winning her class spelling bee at school.
"I just spell [a word] the way it sounds, sort of," she said, when asked for spelling tips.
For Luladay Price, a seventh-grader at The Calverton School and a runner-up at the spelling bee, anxiety dissipated throughout the contest.
"At first I was really nervous and then I got kind of excited to see what the next word would be," Price, 12, said, adding, "I thought I did really well, but I'm kind of relieved it's over now."
Our Lady Star of the Sea sixth-grader Sam Metz was eliminated because of the word "militia" but was still pleased with his runner-up status.
"I think I did pretty good. I'm happy that I made it to [the Calvert County contest] and that I made it this far, but I wish I had done a little better," Metz, 11, said.
The contest judges included principals Bruce Hutchison of Calvert Middle School, Karl Adler of The Calverton School, Darrel Prioleau of Mill Creek Middle School, Karen Burnett of Northern Middle School, Mary Friedman of Plum Point Middle School, Sylvia Lawson of Southern Middle School, Sister Rosella Summe of Our Lady Star of the Sea, Nancy Miller of Windy Hill Middle School and retired educator Maureen Sengstack. The announcer for the competition was Cheryl Johnson.
College of Southern Maryland professor Victoria Clements acted as pronouncer, which Johnson referred to as "the second most difficult," role in the spelling bee, with the first being that of the spellers.
All student participants had already won a contest at their respective school, Johnson said.
Calvert County Superintendent of Schools Jack Smith, Deputy Superintendent Robin Welsch, Executive Director of School Operations Deborah Pulley and Assistant Superintendent of Administration Jeff Walker were all in the audience, as were Calvert County Board of Education President Eugene Karol, Board of Education Vice President William Phalen and board member Tracy McGuire.
Contest sponsors included The Calvert Recorder, the College of Southern Maryland, Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative and Chaney Enterprises.
Friedman said that the night made her proud not only as a judge, but as the principal of the winning contestant, who she referred to as "a wonderful young man."
"[Johnson is] an exemplary example of integrity, respect, academics … he's everything you'd ever want as a son or a student."
As a son, Johnson still had to be reminded by his father, Mark Johnson of Huntingtown, to wish his mother Ailsa a happy birthday.
Mom, however, did not seem to mind. "It's an awesome present," she said.
In addition to accommodations for the national bee, the champion of the local bee won Webster's Third New International Dictionary; a Samuel Louis Sugarman Award Certificate for a $100 U.S. Savings Bond; and a one-year subscription to Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Other winners received subscriptions to Encyclopedia Britannica Online; Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh edition, donated by Merriam-Webster; and $20 Amazon.com gift cards.
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