Soft-spoken but brimming with confidence, Dev Shah asked precise questions about obscure Greek roots, rushed through his second-to-last word and rolled to the Scripps National Spelling Bee title Thursday night.
Dev, a 14-year-old from Largo, Florida, had his spelling career interrupted by the pandemic, then didn't make it out of his regional bee last year. He got through his highly competitive regional this year for his third and final try at the national title, and he ended up holding the trophy over his head as confetti fell.
His winning word was “psammophile,” a layup for a speller of his caliber.
“Psammo meaning sand, Greek?” he asked. “Phile, meaning love, Greek?”
He soaked up the moment by asking for the word to be used in a sentence, something he described a day earlier as a stalling tactic. Then he put his hands over his face as he was declared the winner.
Charlotte Walsh, a 14-year-old from Arlington, Virginia, was the runner-up.
You might recognize the Wollman Rink in Central Park from its appearances in famous movies like Serendipity and Home Alone 2. And it's also a spot where New Yorkers and visitors flock for some time out on the ice. Andrew Perry, director of operations of Wollman Rink NYC, spoke with Cheddar News about the rink's history, its operations and what to expect when visiting.
The contract agreement reached Wednesday must still be approved by the union's board and its members, but the leadership said actors will be allowed to return to work starting Thursday.
The CMA Awards are back Wednesday to honor the top artists in country music, with Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde and Morgan Wallen among the acts hitting the stage.
