National Spelling Bee has a winner from NYC
buzzz worthy. . . By Mona Austin BRISTOW, VA - "Knaidel." The word for Yiddish dumpling, is a word many people have never heard, but one that has earned Arvind Mahankali, a 13-year-old from Bayside Hills, New York, some time in the national spotlight. He won the the 86th Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night. Mahankali competed against 280 contenders for nerd swag as the top speller in the English language, $30,000 in cash and prizes and a huge golden urn shaped trophy. You could say the Scripps Be is the "American Idol" (AI) of words. Like this year's AI winner Candace Glover, this was the eighth-graders third attempt and he took home the title. No stranger to the agony of defeat, Mahankali, finished third over the last two years. This year he came back with a vengeance and was one of three spellers to advance to the semifinals with a perfect score. Add caption Arvind is the fifth Ind...