KARACHI: In a world where calculators, having robbed us of mental arithmetic, and spell-checks, making us careless with our spellings, have cast a kind of spell on us of dependency on technology, what are we to do if any of our word processors or expensive gadgets malfunction? The spell has to be broken, no doubt, and the Spelling Bee is the way.

That was what the buzz was all about at the regional competition of the Dawn 11th Spelling Bee held in the Arts Council of Karachi auditorium here on Wednesday.

There were missed heartbeats, stammering, though never by the pronouncers mind you, and nervous whispers and murmurs as the rounds proceeded and with seconds counting down and bells going off.

The inclusion of students of Cadet College Ormara in Balochistan this year was a pleasant surprise. To welcome them, chairperson of the Dawn Media Group Amber Haroon Saigol also distributed special prizes among them. Cadet Danish Nodal, a class-X science student from Cadet College Ormara, said that he had also represented his institution and country at a lecture series in Sri Lanka earlier this year. “Now I’m enjoying my inclusion in the Spelling Bee, too,” he said and expressed the hope to give tough competition to other teams. His teacher Tooba Sahar was also hopeful of her students’ success in the regionals, which couldn’t happen. Still, they smiled and said that there was always a next time.

Thanking her team, the pronouncers, volunteers, sponsors especially the Oxford University Press and the US consulate, director of circulation at Dawn Niloufer Patel also remembered Dawn’s late head of marketing Masood Hamid, who helped with sponsorship and support from the private sector for Spelling Bee.

“Winning and losing is part of life,” she said to the participants, “but you are all winners as you are here representing your schools here,” she said.

The US consul general in Karachi, Brian Heath, who had also come to watch some of the rounds, wearing his ajrak like a superhero’s cape, observed that the stress and tension in the air during the competition could be cut by a knife. “Seeing such brilliant students like you, I am optimistic about Pakistan’s future. Improving your comprehension and English language while studying hard is an important part of normal childhood. It makes way for success in life,” he said.

Results: Category 9-11: regional champion: Zaynah Abbas (Karachi Grammar School — junior section), 1st runner up: Omar Saqib (KGS — junior section), 2nd runner up: Rahmah Malik (The Indus Academy — senior school).

Category 12-14: regional champion: Zeeshan Rasool (KGS — middle section), 1st runner up: Saneea Malik (KGS — middle section), 2nd runner up: M. Maaz Adnan (River Oaks Academy — senior section).

Category 15-17: regional champion: Nazish Talati (KGS — college section), 1st runner up: Nasar Ullah Khan (KGS — college section), 2nd runner up: Zehra Salman Ahmed (KGS — college section).

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play