Our Correspondent
KOHIMA, SEPTEMBER 25
Kimyeni Grace, a class 12 student of Christian Higher Secondary School Dimapur beat 64 spellers in the 4th Nagaland Spelling Bee Championship to emerge as the champion speller this year. She sailed through the final rounds by spelling the words “waggery”, “bindlestiff” and “deglutition” correctly to win the competition this evening at the Capital Convention Centre, Kohima.
Four times spelling bee contestant, Radetolü Ringa, a student of Kohima Science College came second while Lamhen Kezevilie of Chandmari Hgher Secondary School Kohima and Wekeso-ü Mero of Don Bosco Higher Secondary School Kohima clinched the third and fourth position respectively.
The two-day literary sting competition saw a tight contest among the spellers who made it through the elimination rounds. However, vexing words such as “ghibli”, “neuresthenia”, “hachures” etc made it difficult for most of them to commence to the later stages.
This year’s edition of the state championship had a total of 64 participants from 33 schools of Kohima, Phek, Mokokchung, Wokha, Zunheboto and Dimapur districts. The annual competition is organized by Fountain Club (Kohima) in collaboration with the State Council of Educational Research & Training (SCERT) Nagaland.
Principal of Japfü Christian College Kigwema, Dr. Visakhonü Hibo, who graced the finals of the competition as the special guest, lauded the efforts of the Fountain Club for investing their time, funds and energy to promote literary competition such as this for young lives. Pointing out that it takes a lot of patience and sacrifice to successfully conduct such events year after year, she said it is only befitting to call the competition a milestone that counts in the society.
The academician said she was very impressed to see young students impeccably and correctly spelling out difficult words and feels that the spelling bee event is a learning experience. She remarked that the 21st century is an age of technology and while the Nagas are not far behind others on the e-highway, she lamented that when it comes to language, the “beautiful English language” is being sliced into shortcuts such as SMS language etc. This is killing the spellings in the process, she stated.
Dr. Hibo also asserted that instead of sitting back in a virtual world and following some culture that are alien to the Nagas, more people should get involved in creating and participating in competitive activities like the spelling bee. “These are the things that should be happening…. These events will help us to compete with the rest of the world,” she asserted, adding, such competitive activities would greatly help in moulding characters, to participate and aslo imbibe a spirit of losing well and winning well.
SCERT senior lecturer, Daniel Thong who gave a brief reflection of the event, said the spelling bee has had a lot of challenges right from the first year of the competition, but the Fountain Club had risen to the challenge and did a praiseworthy job to bring it to its fourth year.
He also expressed enthusiasm over the software for spelling bee that the Club is developing and hoped that it would have a successful trialing.
The champion speller was awarded a cash prize of Rs.60,000 while the second, third and fourth position winners walked away with Rs.40,000, Rs.20,000 and Rs.15,000 respectively.
They were also given trophies and citations. The four losing quarter finalists- Khrieketouzo of Corragio School Kohima, Ramu Thapa of Kohima Science College, Dzuzhuro Arucho of Model HSS Kohima and Kuzoto Swüro of Modern Academy Kohima- were also awarded Rs.5000 each. Judges of the competition included Ayo Jajo Aier, Easterine Kire, Dr. Pangersenla and Daniel Thong.
Ramietech Solutions, the official IT partner of the Nagaland Spelling Bee Championship through its technology division has developed the Spelling Bee Software which was used for conducting the contest.
