 Good afternoon. My name is Bob Johnson and I work as the Associate Executive Director for the Vermont Principles Association. On behalf of our sponsors, Vermont Digger, the Vermont Principles Association, the Vermont Humanities Council, and our co-sponsors, the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, the Vermont Superintendent's Association, and Kinney Drugs, and the WE Performance Center here at T-Rex, I would like to welcome you to the 2022 Vermont Regional Competition of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Today, students from 17 schools, elementary and middle schools in Vermont, will be competing to become Vermont's representative to the National Spelling Bee, which is held at the end of May in Washington, D.C. Before we start today, I would like to go over just a few rules for today's competitors. Today's competition is a single elimination competition. At the end of each round, students who misspell a word will be eliminated from the competition and will just leave the stage at that time. We do that at the end of each round. Rounds will continue until we are down to our last few competitors. At that time, a new criteria goes into place where a potentially winning competitor has to spell two words correctly before being declared the winner. Appeals. A speller's parent, legal guardian, or teacher coach may appeal for a speller's reinstatement if the speller has incorrectly spelled a word. The appeal must be written and give the name of the student and the word in question. And by the way, to file an appeal, you fill out a card, which is right down here with a pen, and you have to give your reason for the appeal. This needs to be done by the end of the round or before the speller would normally spell their next word. Index cards are available in the front and should be handed to the judges between spellers. The judges will consider the appeal, their decision is final. Please note that you may file only an appeal for your student. You cannot file on behalf of someone else, or you cannot file and say someone else made a mistake that we didn't pick up on. We also ask that you turn off your cell phone and that everyone be as quiet as possible in the restriction movements during the competition. I tell this very quick story of a couple of years ago I was at a GOB competition and I told everyone to turn off their cell phone, everyone did, and then one rang, and it was mine. I was a little bit embarrassed to say the least. The acoustics in this place are fantastic. So again, we encourage you to move at a very minimal amount and to keep your conversations down. The judges for today's competition are Mr. Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup, Executive Director of the Vermont Humanities Council, Mr. Scott Giles, President and CEO of the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, and Ms. Maggie Cassidy, Deputy Managing Editor for Vermont Digger. Our recorder for the day is Linda Raisen from the Vermont Humanities Council. Today's pronouncer is Mr. Jonah Moose, and again, before you start, I would ask you to turn off your cell phones and keep the conversations to a minimum. Now I would like to turn this competition over to Mr. Moose and let him begin. Welcome, spellers, with a similar word. Your word is turtle and it is a reptile of an order of reptiles that are distinguished by a trunk more or less enclosed in a shell of bony dermal plates that is usually covered externally with horn shields and by jaws that are toothless. Your word is turtle. Turtle, T-U-R-T-L-E, turtle. You're doing great. Your word is skydiving. Skydiving, S-K-Y-D-I-V-I-N-G, skydiving. Your word is banana. B-A-N-A-N-A, banana. Your word is timber. Timber, T-I-M-B-E-R, timber. Your word is brick. Brick, B-R-I-C-K, brick. This word has a homonym. Your word is moose. It is a noun and it means a large ruminant mammal with humped shoulders, long legs and broadly palmated antlers that inhabits forested areas of Canada, the northern United States, Europe and Asia. The word is moose. Moose, M-O-O-S-E, moose. This word has a near homonym. The word is wafer. It is a noun and it means a thin crisp cake or cracker. The word is wafer. Wafer, W-A-F-E-R, wafer. Your word is cloudy. Cloudy, C-L-O-U-D-Y, cloudy. Your word is torch. Torch. Definition. Is a burning stick of resinous wood or twist of rope or chain used to give light and usually carried in the hand. Torch. Torch, T-O-R-C-H, torch. Your word is empty. Empty, E-M-T-Y. Empty. You're at a holder. I think you have. Which number are you? Number 11 should be next. This word could be confused with a similar word. The word is bother. It's a verb and it means to force unwelcome attention or company on, to pester, to disturb. The word is bother. B-O-T-H-E-R, bother. This word could be confused with a similar word. The word is manta. It is a noun and it means a large ray that averages 22 feet and width with a weight reaching 3,000 pounds, having the bodily, dorsal ventrally flattened often to an extreme degree and it has a pair of movable cephalic lobes using guiding small fishes into the nearby toothless mouth. Will you repeat the word? Yes. The word is manta. Manta. Manta. The part of speech. It's a noun. I'll read it as a sentence. Okay. Nadim saw a young male manta while scuba diving in Hawaii. Manta. This word could be confused with a similar word. The word is prone. It's an adjective and it means having a tendency, propensity or inclination, disposed or predisposed. The word is prone. Prone. P-R-O-N-E, prone. Your word is motto. Motto. Can I have the definition? It's a noun and it's a short suggestive expression of a guiding principle. Motto. M-O-T-T-O, motto. Your word is pear. Excuse me. This word has a hominem. The word is pear. It's a noun and it means the fleshy oblong fruit of a tree that is generally larger at one end and has grit cells throughout the flesh. The word is pear. Pear. P-E-A-R. Pear. Your word is trendy. Trendy. T-R-E-N-D-Y. Trendy. This concludes round one. Thank you to Sophia. This word could be confused with a similar word. The word is system. It's a noun and it means a group of related natural objects or forces. Can I please have the word in a sentence? Trey plans to keep an eye on the approaching weather system as he organizes his trip. System. S-Y-S-T-E-M system. Your word is astute. Astute. A-S-T-U-T-E. Astute. Your word is kilt. Um could I hear the word again? Kilt. Could I have the definition? It is a pleated wraparound skirt usually of tartan reaching from the waist to the knees worn by men and boys in Scotland and especially by Scottish regiments in the British armies. Kilt. K-I-L-T. Kilt. Your word is skirmish. Could I please have the word in the sentence? Both countries hoped that the border skirmish would not trigger a war. Could I have the word again? Skirmish. Skirmish. S-K-I-R-M-I-S-H. Skirmish. Your word is fluid. Fluid. F-L-U-I-D. Fluid. This word has a homonym. The word is marshal. It's an adjective and it means belonging or relating to an army or to military life. The word is marshal. Marshal. M-A-R-S-H-A-L-L. Your word is privet. P-R-I-V-E-T. Your word is furnace. Furnace. F-U-R-N-A-C-E. Furnace. Your word is infiltrate. Infiltrate. I-N-F-I-L-T-R-A-T-E infiltrate. This word has a homonym. Your word is casino. It's a noun that means a building or room for the act of playing a game and consciously risking money or other stakes on its outcome. The word is casino. Casino. C-A-S-I-N-O casino. Your word is maximum. It is a noun. It is the greatest quantity or value attainable in a given case. Maximum. M-A-X-I-M-U-M. Maximum. This word has a homonym. The word is gram. And it's an adjective and its meaning is made wholly or largely of whole wheat flour. Gram. There's an alternate spell, alternate pronunciation of gram. Gram. G-R-A-M. Gram. Your word is climate. I have the definition. The prevailing set of conditions as of temperature, humidity, or freshness of atmosphere in any place. Climate. Climate. C-L-I-M-A-T-E climate. Your word is factoid. Can you use an ascendance, please? Although Jason was a trivia buff, the factoid he needed to win the game eluded him. Can you define that please? Can you define that please? The definition is a briefly stated and usually trivial assertion statement or piece of information containing or purporting to contain something having objective reality. Factoid. F-A-C-T-O-I-D. Factoid. Your word is marvelous. Marvellous. M-A-R-V-E-L-O-U-S. Marvellous. This concludes round two. Thank you to Tanjean and Leia. This word could be confused with a similar word. The word is nurture. It's a verb and it means to further the development of, to promote the growth of, to foster. The word is nurture. Can you please say the definition, please? To further the development of, to promote the growth of, to foster. Can you say it in a sentence? Suki knew it was unhealthy to nurture a grudge, but she couldn't seem to help it. N-U-R-C-T-U-R-E, nurture. This word has a hominem. The word is pigeon. It's a noun and its definition is a bird having a stout body with rather short legs, a bill horned at the tip, but with a soft sear at the base and smooth and compact plumage. The word is pigeon. P-I-G-E-O-N pigeon. Your word is satellite. Could I have the definition, please? A celestial body orbiting another of larger size. Could you use it in a sentence? Earth has only one natural satellite, the moon. Could you repeat the word again? Satellite. S-A-T-E-L-L-I-G-E satellite. Your word is intricate. Could you say it in a sentence, please? Kieran listened intently as the clock maker described the intricate internal mechanism of the clock. Can you repeat the word again? Intricate. Intricate. I-N-T-R-I-C-K-E-T intricate. Your word is permafrost. Permafrost. P-E-R-M-A-F-R-O-S-T permafrost. Your word is distinctive. Distinctive. D-I-S-T-I-N-C-T-I-V-E. Your word is cooperate. Cooperate. C-O-O-P-E-R-A-T-E cooperate. This word could be confused with a similar word. The word is measly. It's an adjective and its definition is contemptibly small. Your word is measly. Measly. M-E-A-S-L-Y Measly. Your word is version. Version. V-E-R-S-I-O-N version. This word could be confused with a similar word. The word is element. It's a noun and its definition is one of the simple substances air, water, fire, and earth of which according to early natural philosophers the physical universe was composed. The word is element. Element. E-L-E-M-E-N-T. Element. This word has a near hominem. The word is scrapple. It's a noun and it means mush containing pieces of leftover meat made by boiling cornmeal in the liquid in which bones and meat have been boiled, seasoned with condiments and herbs, poured into a mold to cool and served sliced and fried. The word is scrapple. Scrapple. S-C-R-A-P-P-L-E scrapple. Your word is nominee. Nominee. Could you define that place? It's a person named or proposed for an office, duty, or position, especially a candidate selected to represent a party in an election. Nominee. N-O-M-I-N-E-E. Nominee. That is correct. Your word is whereas. Whereas. W-H-E-R-E-A-S. Whereas. That is correct. This concludes round three. Thank you to Cade and Zalania. I have a message here, spellers. If you're going to keep your mask on, you do not need to put the mic cover on, but if you take your mask off to spell, then you need to put the mic cover on. Okay. Thank you. Your word is bubonic. Tell me the definition. The definition is of or attended with an inflammatory swelling of a lymph gland that is due to the absorption of infective material. It's an adjective and I'm going to use it in a sentence. If diagnosed early, bubonic plague can be successfully treated with antibiotics. Okay. B-U-B-O-N-I-C. Your word is factorial. Could I have the definition, please? It's an adjective that means involving or based on replication with a variable introduced in each replicate. Factorial. F-A-C-T-O-R-I-A-L. Factorial. Your word is brethren. Brethren. Could I have the definition, please? It is a plural noun. It means ones related or linked to others by some common tie or interest as of shared rank, profession, membership in a society, suffering or labor. Brethren. Brethren. B-R-E-T-H-E-R-E-N. Brethren. This word could be confused with a similar word. The word is terminus. It's a noun and its definition is either end of a transportation line, travel route, pipeline, tunnel or canal. The word is terminus. Can you repeat it? Terminus. Can you repeat it again? Terminus. R-M-I-N-E-S-S. Your word is tubular. Could you please repeat that? Tubular. Tubular. T-U-B-U-L-A-R. Tubular. Your word is annotate. Annotate. Definition. It is a verb and it means to make or furnish especially critical or explanatory notes usually on a literary work or subject. Annotate. Annotate. A-N-N-O-T-A-T-E. Annotate. Your word is krypton. Definition, please. It is a colorless inert gaseous element that occurs in air and in natural gases and is used in electric lamps as in small quartz lamps for extremely bright illumination. Krypton. Can you use it in a sentence please? A light bulb filled with krypton will last longer and shine more brightly than a regular tungsten bulb of the same wattage. Is there an alternative, alternative pronunciation for this word? Yes. Krypton. Krypton. C-R-Y-P-T-O-N. Krypton. Your word is yardang. Can I have the definition please? It is a noun and its definition is a sharp crested ridge carved by wind erosion from soft but coherent deposits as clay sand. Any alternative pronunciations? No. Okay. Yardang. Y-A-R-D-A-N-G. Your word is pollutant. Pollutant. Can I have the definition? Any substance, medium or agent that makes something physically impure or unclean? Pollutant. Pollutant. P-O-L-L-U-T-A-N-T. Pollutant. Your word is rictus. Can you define that please? It is a gaping mouth or grimace. Can you use it in a sentence please? Rubens face was frozen in a rictus of horror during the movie's last scene. Can you repeat the word? Rictus. R-I-C-T-U-S. Rictus. Your word is pedantry. Can you repeat the word please? Pedantry. What's the definition? An ostentatious, narrowly academic or unimaginative presentation or application of knowledge or learning especially by a teacher or scholar. Pedantry. Pedantry. P-E-D-A-N-T-R-Y. Pedantry. This concludes round four. Thank you to Camden, Colin and Quinn. This word has a homonym. The word is maze. It's a noun and its definition is the ripened ears of corn from a tall American cereal grass. The word is maze. M-Z-E maze. This word has a near homonym. The word is pathos. It's a noun and it means an element in experience or an artistic representation evoking pity or compassion. Can you repeat the word please? Pathos. Could I have it in a sentence? The actress was highly praised for the pathos she evoked in her death scene. Could I have the origin? The word is from Greek. Could I hear the definition once more? An element in experience or an artistic representation evoking pity or compassion. Pathos. P-E-Y-T-H-A-S. Pathos. Your word is toilsome. Toilsome. Marked by or full of fatiguing work or effort. Arduous and laborious. Are there any alternate pronunciations? There are not. Could you please repeat the word? Toilsome. Toilsome. T-O-I-S-O-M. Toilsome. Your word is ventricle. Ventricle. V-E-N-T-R-I-C-L-E. Ventricle. Your word is inducement. Are there any alternate pronunciations? Yes. Inducement. Inducement. The two pronunciations are inducement and inducement. I don't really hear a difference. What's the definition? The definition is a motive or consideration that leads one to action. Can I hear the pronunciations again? Inducement or inducement? Inducement. I-N-D-U-C-E-M-E-N-T. Your word is topidity. Topidity. Can you repeat the word? Topidity. Can I have a definition? Luke warmness. Can you use it in a sentence? The topidity of the audience's response embarrassed the orchestra conductor. Are there any alternate pronunciations? The alternate pronunciation is topidity. Topidity. T-E-P-E-D-I-T-Y. Topidity. This word has a near homonym. The word is meridian. It's a noun and the definition is a great circle of the celestial sphere passing through its poles and the zenith of a given place. The word is meridian. Can you use that word in a sentence? The apparent solar day is measured by the interval of time between two successive passages of the sun across the observer's celestial meridian. Meridian. M-A-R meridian. Your word is arbitrary. Arbitrary. B-I-T-A-R-Y. Arbitrary. That is correct. This concludes round five. Thank you to Elena, Dash, Amelia, and Mehta. Your word is quasar. Can you tell me the definition? A region at the center of a galaxy that produces an extremely large amount of radiation. Quasar. Q-U-A-S-A. Quasar. This word could be confused with a similar word. The word is hubris. It's a noun and its definition is overweening pride or self-confidence, arrogance. The word is hubris. Hubris. H-U-B-R-I-S hubris. Your word is bandicoot. Bandicoot. Bandicoot. Can I have the definition please? It's a noun that means any of a certain small active insectivorous and herbivorous marsupial mammals found in Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea. Okay bandicoot. B-A-N-D-I-C-O-O-T. Your word is surrealist. Surrealist. S-U-R-R-E-A-L-I-S-T. Surrealist. That is correct. Your word is newbuck. Can you tell me the definition? It's a noun and its definition is a soft, suede leather. Newbuck. N-E-W-B-U-C-K. Newbuck. Your word is filial. Filial definition. Of or relating to a son or daughter especially, suitable to a child in relation to his or her parents. Filial. Can you use it in a sentence? During adolescence some children feel uncomfortable with any demonstration of filial affection in public. Filial. P-H-I-L-L-I-A-L. Filial. This word has a near hominem. The word is ethanol. It's a noun and its definition is a colorless, volatile, flammable liquid formed by fermentation. Are there any alternate pronunciations? The alternate pronunciation is ethanol. Ethanol. Okay. Ethanol. E-T-H-A-N-O-L. Ethanol. That is correct. Thank you. Your word is homicide. Homicide. H-O. This concludes round seven. Thank you to Caleb and Archer. Both spell it correct, we proceed on. If one spells it incorrectly and the other one spells it correct and the student who spells it correct gets a second word. If they get the second word correct then they are the winner. If they both spell it correct then you can do what you want. You clear with that? You ready? Nervous? You've done great. Good luck. And then so you get it right then but you know what one of the wrong ones is, right? Whoever, if you get it wrong and she got it right then she would have the chance for another word. If she gets that other word correctly then she wins. If she misses it then you both come back. You can both sit up in the first row if you want. This word has a homonym. The word is tempura. It's a noun and its definition is fritters of seafood and vegetables fried in deep fat. Tempura. Any alternate pronunciations? Tempura and tempura. Language of origins? The word is from Japanese. Tempura. Tempura. Anything else? Use it in sentence like this. The waiter brought a small dish of vegetable tempura as an appetizer. Okay on tempura. T-e-m-p-u-r-a? That is correct. Your word is pursuit. Pursuit. P-u-r-s-u-i-t. Pursuit. This word could be confused with a similar word. Your word is tremulous. It's an adjective and its definition is quivering or shaking. Tremulous. Could you use an sentence please? Dakota's tremulous voice betrayed how nervous she was. Could you? Alternate pronunciations, yeah. There are no alternate pronunciations. Tremulous. Is it like tremulous? Okay. T-r-e-m-u-l-o-u-s. Your word is hydroponic. Hydroponic. What's the definition? Of or relating to the growing of plants in nutrient solutions with or without sand, gravel, or other inert medium to provide mechanical support. Hydroponic. Y-d-r-o-p-o-n-i-c. Your word is unmoored. Unmoored. Can I have the definition please? Loose from or as if from chains, lines, or other devices by which an object as a boat is secured in place. Unmoored. Alternate pronunciations. Unmoored. Unmoored. U-n-o-o-r-e-d. Unmoored. The word is flabbergast. Flabbergast. F-l-a-b-b-e-r-g-a-s-t. Flabbergast. This word has a near hominem. The word is secession. It is a noun and its definition is formal withdrawal from an organization as a religious communion or political party or federation. Secession. Any alternate pronunciations? No. Okay. Secession. S-e-c-e-s-s-i-o-n. Secession. That is correct. Thank you. Your word is fascinator. Could you repeat the word? Fascinator. Fascinator. F-a-s-c-i-n-a-t-o-r. Fascinator. That is correct. Your word is resume. Resume definition please. A brief account of one's education and professional experience. Okay. Alternate pronunciations I guess. Are there any? There are. There's one. Resume. Okay. Resume. Or resume. R-e-s-u-m-e resume. The word is terracotta. Terracotta. T-e-r-r-a-c-o-t-t-a terracotta. That is correct. Your word is spontaneity. I'm just thinking of it. Okay. Can I have the definition please? The quality or state of being unconstrained or impulsive. Spontaneity. Spontaneity. An alternate pronunciation is spontaneity. Okay. That helps. Spontaneity or spontaneities. S-p-o-n-t-a-n-e-i-t-y. Your word is fervorous. Could you say it again please? Fervorous. E-r-v-e-r-o-u-s. Fervorous. What's the, am I allowed to ask what the actual spelling is? F-e-r-v-o-r-o-u-s. Your word is logarithmic. And what happens if I get this word right? No, she's supposed to spell it twice. Excuse me? Well, I think she should have spelled that word that you expelled. Yeah. If you could just one right, she would mean it. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Thanks, Bob. Logarithmic. Can I have the definition please? Of involving or expressed in terms of the exponent that indicates the power to which a number must be raised to produce a given number. Any alternate pronunciations? The ultimate pronunciation is logarithmic. Okay. Logarithmic, right? L-o-g-a-r-i-t-h-m-i-c. That's correct. Well done. So we went 14 rounds. So our winner is Elise, Camel's Hump Middle School. And our runner up is Claire from Crosset Brook Middle School. Who were our two before that? Who were two others? And third place? Yes. Would have been Archer Beth. And wasn't there one other? Fourth place? No, wasn't there they both went out in the same round? I didn't hear them. Yes, they both went out in the same round. Caleb Spence. That was really impressive. Well done, both of you. Everybody. Okay. Well, congratulations to everyone and to all of these fellows. We went so well tonight. Okay. First of all, congratulations to all the students for being in today's competition. It was a great competition. Again, give them a round of applause. At this point, we would like to present the individual medals to all participants who are here. As I call your name, please come forward to accept your individual awards. From the Albany Community School, Medea Uri. From Bethel Elementary School, Sophia Fours. Sophia here? Okay. Right there. From the Main Street School, Camden Buckley. From the Mountain River School, Amelia Rossiter. From the North Hero Elementary School, Zeliana Morse. From the Orwell Village School, Elenia Allard. From the Shelburne Community School, Quinn Tyler. From the South Royalton School, Daria Baloo. From the Riverside School, Collin Randall. From Thetford Academy, Leah Crossett. From Waterford Elementary School, Tenjenny Dimmick. From the West Rutland School, Cade Borosa. Now tied for third place, from Brighton Elementary School, Archer Beth. And also from Richmond Richford, excuse me, Junior Senior High School, Caleb Spence. Now, for both of you, what I want you to know is you'll also be getting a plaque. We only have one plaque because we didn't expect to have two third place. But I'll be sending it to both of your schools, okay? Congratulations. Thank you. Second place from Crossett Brook Middle School, Claire Palmer. And this year's champion from Camelshump Middle School, Elise Conoyer. That concludes the competition today. Again, give a round of applause to all the students. Elise, don't go very far because you and your parents or whoever's here with you needs to talk with Sadie, okay? Thank you all very much for being here today.