A Spell Of Nerves

Rebecca A. Sealfon overcame a field of 245 spellers and bad case of nerves to win the 70th National Spelling Bee by correctly spelling the word “euonym.” The 13-year-old from Brooklyn, N.Y., knew she had won when she was given the word in 23rd round. She had such butterflies she had to sit offstage for part of Thursday’s contest. The winning word means a good name or appropriate name for a person, place, or thing. Saelfon gets $5,000 in cash, a laptop computer, encyclopedia and other gifts, not to mention fame and a trophy.