Hoque Brings Home Gold in School's First Spelling Bee

Hoque won a pair of AirPods for her mastery of phonetic arrangements. Photo: Midwood Student Council

By IA KETSBAIA and SABRINE UDDIN

S-A-N-G-U-I-N-E.

A deafening silence followed. The Midwood Library had never been so quiet. Subhah Hoque ‘25 waited patiently as the three judges, Mr. Max Pinsky, Ms. Mie Abouelkheir, and Ms. Rosa Buonanoce reviewed the spelling of the final winning word.

“That is correct,” Mr. Pinsky confirmed. 

In a show of good sportsmanship, the other four finalists (who had been stumped by their final words), as well as the other eleven participants, erupted in a cheer.

This was the culminating scene on February 12, as the library welcomed seventeen participants with bee-themed badges to compete in the school’s first spelling bee. 

The bee started with relatively easy words to keep the tension low and make the event more comfortable for the entrants. Each student was given a word and had the allotted 30 seconds to try and spell it. If the student made a mistake, they had the leftover time to try again. If the student did not succeed, they were eliminated.

These rules were admittedly “not very conventional,” said Justin Ng ‘25, one of the finalists. “In traditional spelling bees you have one shot and unlimited time.” 

After two introductory rounds of common words, the difficulty level surged. “I think for some of the students, that transition was very sudden,” said Mr. Pinsky. “When I read the first of the harder ones, the contestant seemed caught off guard but eventually was able to spell it correctly.” 

“The judges gave us really challenging words, and I liked the fast-paced environment because it became very serious,” Ng said. 

In these higher-stakes rounds, students eventually began to meet their match. 

“Some words that stumped students were obfuscate, quixotic, and gorp. I wouldn't be able to tell you what gorp even is,” Hoque said.

Finally, Hoque was given her winning word. “My heart was pounding when I stepped up to the podium,” she said. “I was sure I would get a word I had never heard of before. However, when the judge said it, a sense of calm came over me; this word was one of my favorites.” Sanguine means being optimistic or positive, especially in a difficult situation.

The contestants and judges favored making this new event, organized by the school’s COSA Mr. Lawrence Kolotkin, an ongoing tradition.

“Students should absolutely take advantage of these opportunities and make the most of their time here. Who knows, you might be the next Midwood Spelling Bee winner,” said Hoque. 

“I would absolutely encourage students to participate in events like this because what we see in the classroom is only part of what you are capable of doing,” said Mr. Pinsky.