Liam Lustberg bested 40 other students from across Vermont to win the Vermont Spelling Bee on Wednesday, March 19, 2014. Lustberg, an 8th grader from Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School, will now compete against top spellers from every other state in the nation in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. in June.
The winning word was “pogrom,” a noun which means “an organized massacre and looting of helpless people usually with the connivance of officials.” Lustberg pronounced and spelled the winning word correctly in round 26.
Lucinda Storz, a 5th grader at Thaddeus Stevens School, came in second. Isabelle Petrucci, a 7th grader at Albert D. Lawton Middle School, came in third.
In addition to advancing to the national spelling bee, Liam Lustberg received a trophy and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., sponsored by FairPoint Communications, Barre Times Argus / Rutland Herald, Vermont Humanities Council, Vermont Principals Association (VPA), and Vermont Agency of Education.
Elementary and middle school students (through grade 8) under the age of 16 were eligible to participate in this competition. Students from across Vermont who participated in the Spelling Bee already competed in their regional bees this winter.
Bob Johnson of the VPA introduced the event, which was held in the McCarthy Arts Center at Saint Michael’s College. David Moates of the Barre Times Argus / Rutland Herald served as pronouncer for the event. Peter Gilbert, Vermont Humanities Council Executive Director; Beth Fastiggi, FairPoint Communications State President; and Steve Pappas, Barre Times Argus Editor; served as judges this year. Catherine Nelson of the Rutland Herald and Bob Johnson of the VPA presented the awards.
