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Margaret Swofford

Maggie Swofford is an English major with a concentration in Creative Writing currently studying at Gordon College in Massachusetts.

Controversy over National Spelling Bee Championship Word

How do you spell…?

This past Thursday, linguists began disputing with the National Spelling Bee over the winning word, “knaidel,” which young winner Arvind Mahankali successfully spelled to clinch the championship.

While the researchers at the New York-based YIVO Institute for Jewish Research haven’t completely defiled the 13-year-old’s win, they have begun a debate with Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, the dictionary used as a guideline for the Spelling Bee.

Merriam-Webster, the publisher of the dictionary, insists that the spelling of “knaidel” is correct. It is the most commonly used form of the word, and it is also the original spelling of the word in Hebrew.

But the dictionary also says that the word is based off of the Yiddish word spelled, “knedyl,” which the linguists at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research believe is the true spelling.

While this controversy may seem bewildering, given that the competition is only between children, “ABC News” stated that the spelling bee is deserving of this criticism given its prominence in the lives of young students. $30,000 is up for grabs for over 11 million kids, not including the benefits of being broadcasted live.

A resolution has not been made, but all that the public can hope for is that the National Spelling Bee will build up from this dispute and use it to further benefit its hopeful participants.

Yosemite

19-year-old Yosemite hiker swept over waterfall

Search called off until river water lowers

This past Saturday in Yosemite a 19-year old hiker, Aleh Kalman, was swept over Nevada Falls. The 600-feet fall, with water running at 500 cubic feet per second, has authorities presuming that the teen is dead.

Rescuers began search soon after Kalman fell over the waterfall around 2:45 p.m. on Saturday until dark, but Sunday they had to postpone the search due to high water in the river.

The tragedy initially occurred after Kalman swam out to a rock in the middle of the Merced River and, on the swim back, was overtaken by the strong river flow. Witnesses confirm that after being swept down river 150 feet, he went over the Nevada Falls. The teenager had been on a hiking trip with his church group, Second Slavic Baptist Church in Sacramento County.

Following the accident, teams of rescue workers closed off Mist trail, the trail leading to Nevada Falls, and employed three dog teams to help find young Kalman. A California Highway helicopter also assisted in the search for Kalman.

Unfortunately, “we believe it’s impossible to survive a fall like that,” park spokeswoman Kari Cobb said.

Denis Koleukhov, a fellow church member of the Kalman’s family, grieves for the Sacramento teen.

“They looked forward. They didn’t think anything bad would happen,” Koleukhov told “KCRA.”

Until the water levels lower, and the rescue can begin again, the park rangers will keep an eye out for Kalman.

Powerball Winner from Zephyrhills not claimed $590M

Small Florida town waits in anticipation

Two weeks have passed since the $590 million Powerball jackpot ticket was released, and the town of Zephyrhills, Fla. is still waiting in anticipation for the winner to claim his or her prize.

The residents of the small town, with a population of 13,337, are getting anxious that the winner might not reveal themselves before the 60-day period to claim their lump-sum payment ends.

Many stipulate that the $590 million winner is just getting the financial advisory necessary to handle that large of a sum of money. Some residents agree that the winner may need a few days to get over the shock of being a multi-million lottery winner.

Others believe that the Powerball ticket was sold to an elderly person who has no idea that they won or to a person who mistakenly lost the ticket.

However, it is surprising to Dave Walters, a “Zephyrhills News” community newspaper reporter, that no one knows who the winner is, given that Zephyrhills is such a tight-knit community.

“Being in a small town, everybody knows everybody and in some cases, everybody’s business. It’s hard to keep a secret in this town, but this is one of the biggest mysteries we’ve had in a long, long time,” Walters said.

Unfortunately, if the ticket is not claimed within a 180-day period, “the funds to pay the unclaimed jackpot will be returned to the lottery members in their proportion of sales for the jackpot rollover series,” says the Florida Lottery website. $59 million would go to the state of Florida and the rest would be distributed to the other states that sell Powerball. If that were to happen, the winner would forever remain a mystery to the small town of Zephyrhills.

Despite that depressing thought, Mayor Danny Burgess, who is newly elected, looks on the situation in a positive light and encourages the winner to step out of the shadows.

“Just because one person won the lottery, we all feel like we won, that’s the kind of community this is,” Burgess said to “Huff Post Business.” “I absolutely hope for the lottery winner that this is a positive, life-changing event. Only in America can you go to bed with a lottery ticket and wake up a mega-millionaire. I hope that they understand, appreciate and recognize the significance of this.”

In the midst of all of the rumors circulating around Zephyrhills, the small Florida town will undoubtedly wait in nail-biting anticipation until the $590 million Powerball ticket winner steps forward.

Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan-Tatum new parents to baby girl

The “Step Up” couple welcomes a girl to the family Thursday

This past Thursday in London Channing Tatum and wife Jenna Dewan-Tatum welcomed a baby girl to the family, according to “US Weekly.”

The young couple had decided that they were going to have the baby in London, while Tatum was filming his new movie “Jupiter Ascending.”

It certainly was an exciting day for the 33-year-old (Tatum) and 32-year-old (Dewan-Tatum) to have their first child after announcing in December Jenna’s pregnancy.

While the “Step Up” couple is busy filming new movies, Tatum admits that it will be very busy for both of them in the upcoming months. Tatum’s movie moves to Chicago in July, and around that time, Dewan-Tatum will begin work in Vancouver on her new Lifetime series, “Witches of East End,” for the fall.

“There will be no downtime whatsoever after [having the baby],” the “Magic Mike” star said to “New York Daily News.”

But while they will be working hard, Tatum revealed the secret to their over seven year relationship to “Cosmo.”

“You have to want it. Jenna’s and my thing is checking in with each other all the time, like ‘On a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you love me right now?’ And you gotta be honest, and you’ve got to want an honest answer,” he disclosed.

With that honest attitude, the new parents, who met on the set of “Step Up” in 2006 and married in 2009, will be able to get through the next few months. Another source told “US” that Tatum will “be the most adorable hands-on daddy ever and do whatever is necessary to make sure Jenna can balance it all.”