Written by David Whitney - Bee Washington Bureau
This article originally appeared in The Bee on May 31, 2007 on page B1.
WASHINGTON -- Josephine Kao of Roseville, just a year older but 10 times more confident, advanced to the semifinals of the 2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Wednesday after correctly spelling a word tailor-made for the competition.
The word was "Torquemada," the name of a figure in the Spanish Inquisition that is sometimes used to mean oppressor, and the Sacramento area's top speller nailed it without hesitation.
There was no hint of the Josephine of 2006, when she hemmed and hawed and stalled before washing out on "welkin," a noun meaning heaven, inserting an "h" where none belonged.
"This year I studied more," the 12-year-old home-schooled sixth-grader said. "I looked through more lists, and made some of my own. Toward the end, I was studying three or four hours a day."
She became, in her own words, a "word-a-holic."
And she was not alone.
Friends she had made at the 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee kept in touch by e-mail and began studying together over the Internet. Josephine said some of the girls participated even though they had advanced beyond the eighth grade, the cutoff for the national competition.
The hard work, squeezed in between piano playing and synchronized ice skating, paid off Wednesday.
Last year, Josephine finished in the fourth round. Today, she advances to the fifth round. After the first day of competition, the 286 spellers good enough to make it to the national show had been whittled down to 59.
Midday, before the competition turned to stress, Josephine's father, physician Steven Kao, whispered, "She's a lot better prepared this year."
But he was quickly silenced with a glare from his daughter expressing horror over what embarrassing things a parent might be compelled to tell a reporter.
The first word of the day was ridiculously easy -- "ceiling."
That was followed by a multiple-choice exam in which spellers had to choose the correct spelling of 25 words. Josephine scored high enough to send her into the third round, where she advanced again after correctly spelling "empiricism."
Today is when the words get harder still, leading up to the finals tonight that will be broadcast live on ABC.
But Josephine seemed unfazed by what lay ahead.
Meanwhile, her 10-year-old brother, Wesley, squirmed, wishing for the day he might hit the big stage.
Wesley might have had a chance this year if his big sister hadn't edged him out in the competition at the Visions in Education Charter School. He came in second, losing the chance to advance to the regional competition to Josephine.
Josephine is one of six California spellers advancing to the semifinals. Among them are Maheen Rana, 13, of Redding, who is competing for a third year, and Tia Natasha-Elizabeth Thomas of Coarsegold, competing for a fourth time.
Josephine is sponsored by The Bee and River City Bank.
Contact N.I.E.
For more information on the educational services provided by The Sacramento Bee, write to: Educational Services Manager, The Sacramento Bee, P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento, CA 95852. You may also reach the Educational Services Department by phone at (916) 321-1785, by fax at (916) 326-5500, or by email at nie@sacbee.com.
Thank You
Major funding for the California Central Valley Spelling Bee is provided by River City Bank. Thank you for your support.
Return to Spelling Bee Home Page
N.I.E. Home | N.I.E. Subscription | Teacher Resources | Online Lessons | What Is N.I.E.?