Canton A.R.O.Y. Member Wins Spelling Bee, Going to National

Oakwood girl is top speller, but “I was scared”
by Fellicia Smith, Repository Staff Writer

PLAIN TWP - Manuela Haiduc had never heard of the word “subclavian,” let alone spelled it.

But all she needed was a few seconds of silence to work it out in her head to spell it correctly to win the 61st Repository Regional Grand Final Spelling Bee at Oakwood Middle School on Saturday.

“I never heard of it, but I knew it had something to do with the clavicle,” Manuela said.  “I tried to spell it, and it worked.”

The Oakwood Middle School eighth-grader outlasted 48 competitors to lay claim to the regional title and all-expense-paid trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee on May 27-31 in Washington, D.C.

“I’m never confident,” said Manuela, who finished in the top 10 at the regional spelling bee as a seventh-grader.  “I was scared.”

Manuela didn’t just run away with the bee - she had a fierce competitor in Marisa Lally, a Minerva Middle School eighth-grader.

When Aaron Myers of Claymont Junior High School misspelled “egregious” in the 10th round, Manuela and Marisa fiercely battled over the next six rounds for the regional spelling bee champion crown.

“I thought it was going to go on forever,” Manuela said afterward.

In the 16th round, Manuela was asked to spell “amenity.”  She did so with no problem. Marisa had to spell “valise” correctly to keep pace with Manuela.  After asking for the definition, origin and pronunciation of the word, Marisa attempted to spell it, but faltered.

“I didn’t know it at all,” Marisa said. “The Italian to French origin messed me up.”

It was then Manuela was given “subclavian” to spell to win the contest.

Six years ago, it would have been inconceivable for Manuela to even think about winning the region’s spelling crown.

Born in Romania, Manuela and her family didn’t move to the United States until June 2001.  “We didn’t speak any English,” her father, Florian Haiduc, said.

“We couldn’t help her much,” her mother, Dana Haiduc, said.  “You hear our speech. She did it.”

A love of books and words is what has helped Manuela master English and the spelling of words.

Still an avid reader, Manuela prepared for the spelling bee by looking up words she came across in print on the computer and filing information about them for later use.  She doesn’t plan to change her game plan in preparing for her trip to the national spelling bee.

“I’ll just practice harder,” said Manuela, who also won a dictionary, a $100 savings bond and a watch from John Gasser & Sons Jewelers.

* from the Canton Repository Newspaper - Sunday, March 18, 2007

Congratulations Manuela, and best of luck to you in Washington D.C.!