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Monday, February 24, 2014
FACE TIME • LOCAL, A2
WRESTLING • SPORTS, B1
Somonauk man was an extra on ‘Chicago Fire’
Sycamore’s Akins’ quest for perfection cut short Kyle Akins
BATTLE OF WORDS
DeKalb a cappella group places 2nd By ANDREA AZZO aazzo@shawmedia.com
Photos by Gary L. Gates for Shaw Media
Somonauk student Keith Mokry (left) waits patiently as Sycamore Middle School contestant Matthew Rogers finishes Round 71 of Saturday’s Dekalb County Spelling Bee.
DeKalb County Spelling Bee ends without a winner By STEPHEN HABERKORN editorial@daily-chroncile.com Following three-and-a-half exhausting hours of competition, which included 74 nerve-wracking rounds, two breaks and two appeals, there still was no winner determined in the DeKalb County Spelling Bee that took place Saturday in the theater of Kishwaukee Community College in Malta. “Obviously, when we were running out of words on our list, it was really an epic battle,” said Amanda Christensen, the coordinator of the spelling bee. The first speller eliminated was sent off on the word, “sayonara.” Almost half of the competitors, who all qualified through their district spelling bees, went out in the first round, with Alex Barton, 12, from Genoa Middle School later being reinstated when an appeal determining that the pronouncer, Jeff Smith, had not given the correct pronunciation of the word “sashimi.” Barton was eliminated in the next round, however. By the end of the fourth round, only three contestants remained – Matthew Rogers, 13, of Sycamore; Keith Mokry, 14, of Somonauk; and Cecilia Snider – all of whom had placed in the final three of the DeKalb County Spelling Bee in previous years. The runner-up the past two years, Snider, 14, from Hiawatha Jr. High School, bowed out in round eight on the word “banzai,” placing third. At that point, it looked like the competition would be over soon. Over the next 66 rounds, last year’s champion, Rogers, spelled “trepak,”
Mokry waits for his next word. “issei” and “weimaraner,” among other words, in a fast and confident yet soft-spoken manner. Mokry, in a low, throaty tone, deliberately spelled words such as “hemerocallis,” “zeitgeber” and “tchotchke.” After round 50, the judges requested a short break and the majority of the audience headed for the exits. By the end, only the officials, the families of Mokry and Rogers and a few other spectators remained in the auditorium. The contest was almost decided in round 71, the first round after the officials
took another short break to discuss how to conclude the marathon battle, as they were running out of both words and time. When Rogers misspelled the word, “punctilio,” it looked like Mokry would have a chance to end it with the “anticipated championship word.” However, following a quick appeal by Rogers’ parents, the judges decided that the pronouncer did not give the correct pronunciation of the word and Rogers was reinstated and allowed to continue on to the next round. After three more rounds, concluding with the words “orthodox” for Mokry and “cedilla” for Rogers in round 74, the competition was halted, and both spellers were given a standing ovation by the remaining spectators. At that point, Christensen announced that a championship spell-off will take place in the next two weeks, at a time and place to be determined, in order to crown the eventual winner of the all-expenses-paid trip to National Harbor, Md., in May to represent DeKalb County in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. “Really what I was most concerned with was the stamina of the children,” Christensen said. “They were fantastic, but there’s only so much you can do in one stretch of time like that.” Keith Mokry’s mother expressed that it is a shame both boys can’t go to the national spelling bee, as they would both “represent the region in a great way.” Matthew Rogers, who said he wanted to keep going even though he was tired, was surprised by how the competition unfolded.
See SPELLING BEE, page A4
DeKALB – Although their chances of a national title ended Saturday, DeKalb High School’s a cappella group is still singing its praises. The mixed a cappella group, called Enharmonic Fusion, finished in second place Saturday against seven other Midwestern high school a cappella groups, denying them a spot at the national a cappella competition in New York City. Fusion from Kettering, Ohio, won by 10 points. The final score was 396 to 386, one of the closest results Choral Director Travis Erickson has seen in his eight years of being involved in the competition. “It’s a learning experience,” Erickson said. “They’re really proud of their experience, as well as a little disappointed about how close it was.” And it was close. DeKalb and the Ohio group received the same exact number of points in their vocal and visual performances, but a subjective ranking in which judges subjectively decide who won first, second and third places had DeKalb High School fall short. The result involved a mix of emotions for senior a cappella group member William Ferguson, who said he got teary-eyed after he learned they lost. “I’m proud of what we did. We love doing what we do,” Ferguson said. “We’re disappointed by what happened, but after a while, we realized we love making music. It’s not about the destination. It’s the journey.” That journey is not over yet for the group. Erickson said Enharmonic Fusion will perform when DeKalb High School hosts the college quarterfinals at 7 p.m. March 8 in the auditorium. The group also has discussed recording the same songs they sang Saturday – “She’s So Mean” by Matchbox 20, “How” by Regina Spektor and “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic – to be featured in a Best of High Schools track list by Varsity Vocals, the same organization which hosted the competition. Ferguson said music will remain an important part of his life. He plans to study for one year at Hillsong Leadership College in Australia writing music. “I really want to keep music in my life. It’s special to me,” he said.
See A CAPPELLA, page A4
What’s next DeKalb High School’s Enharmonic Fusion a cappella group will perform when DeKalb High School hosts the college quarterfinals at 7 p.m. March 8 in the school auditorium.
Costly, political, successful: Sochi Olympics end By JOHN LEICESTER The Associated Press SOCHI, Russia – Flushed with pride after its athletes’ spectacular showing at the costliest Olympics ever, Russia celebrated Sunday night with a visually stunning finale that handed off a smooth but politically charged Winter Games to their next host, Pyeongchang in South Korea. Russian President Vladimir Putin, these Olympics’ political architect and booster-in-chief, watched and
smiled as Sochi gave itself a giant pat on the back for a Winter Games that IOC President Thomas Bach declared an “extraordinary success.” The crowd that partied in Fisht Olympic Stadium, in high spirits after the high-security games passed safely without feared terror attacks, hooted with delight when Bach said Russia delivered on promises of “excellent” venues, “outstanding” accommodation for the 2,856 athletes and “impeccable organization.” The spectators let out an audibly sad moan
when Bach declared the 17day Winter Games closed. “We leave as friends of the Russian people,” Bach said. The nation’s $51 billion investment – topping even Beijing’s estimated $40 billion layout for the 2008 Summer Games – transformed a decaying resort town on the Black Sea into a household name. All-new facilities, unthinkable in the Soviet era of drab shoddiness, showcased how far Russia has come in the two decades since it turned its back on communism. But the Olympic show
didn’t win over critics of Russia’s backsliding on democracy and human rights under Putin and its institutionalized intolerance of gays. Despite the bumps along the way, Bach was unrelentingly upbeat about his first games as IOC president and the nation that hosted it. One of Sochi’s big successes was security. Feared attacks by Islamic militants who threatAP photo ened to target the games Performers recreate the ring that did not open during the opening cerdidn’t materialize.
See OLYMPICS, page A4
emony Sunday during the closing ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Inside today’s Daily Chronicle Lottery Local news Obituaries
A2 A2-4 A4
National and world news Opinions Sports
Weather A4, A8 A9 B1-4
Advice Comics Classified
B5 B6 B7-8
High:
18
Low:
9