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Bee volunteer: ‘It’s been a pleasure’
By Denise Dick
Austintown
It’s all about the kids.
That’s the reason John Rozzo, principal at St. Joseph/Immaculate Heart of Mary School keeps volunteering at the Vindicator spelling bee.
This year’s regional bee is set for 9 a.m. March 19 in the Chestnut Room in Kilcawley Center at Youngstown State University. It marks the event’s 78th year.
Rozzo has been a volunteer for 38 of those years, having started in 1973.
“I enjoy it,” Rozzo said. “I enjoy the camaraderie. I like to see the kids, and I’m actually there to make sure I help judges any way I can.”
He enjoys working with and helping the kids. He’ll take his usual spot this year at the checkers’ table, behind the judges.
Checkers verify word pronunciations in case there’s a question or discrepancy.
He remembers one year in particular, when the pronouncer delivered the pronunciation listed first in the dictionary for two words: fiercest and sukiyaki. But that pronunciation wasn’t the one with which contestants were familiar.
After a boy was knocked out on fiercest, Rozzo questioned the pronunciation with the judges, and they decided to let the boy return to the competition.
In another example, a contestant spelled supersede with a C instead of an S. Rozzo looked it up and verified there are two spellings, allowing the contestant to continue for another round.
He and the other checkers follow along on the spelling lists as the bee proceeds and assist if there’s an appeal or question. They get the word lists the day of the competition.
“All we need is a dictionary in front of us,” Rozzo said.
After the pronouncer announces a word, the student may ask if there’s another pronunciation, request the origin, definition of, or for the word to be used in a sentence.
Rozzo has seen the height of participation with about 160 competitors to lower numbers as schools combined and some closed.
“Last year, I think it showed a lot more interest,” he said.
Sixty-eight students are expected to compete this year — 33 boys and 35 girls.
“For me, it’s been a pleasure to do it, and I do it every year,” Rozzo said.