CHARLOTTE — In the end it all came down to one word: cathartic.
Being able to spell that word, which stems from Greek and means a strong release of emotion, helped fifth-grader Benjamin Carney from Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro win the annual Diocesan Spelling Bee held Jan. 23 in the Fine Arts Center at Charlotte Catholic High School.
Open to students in fourth through eighth grades, the annual competition is an unofficial kick-off to Catholic Schools Week, which begins Jan. 26. It’s also a chance for the kids to show off their impressive spelling skills. Students from 13 diocesan schools made it to the bee after winning at the school level.
Through more than 20 rounds, they successfully spelled words that stumped many adults in the crowd.
The words started out relatively simple: brother, critters, indeed, smock and military. As each round progressed, the words got trickier. Students who misspelled a word were eliminated. Some of the words that tripped spellers up: prosecutor, sentient and vociferous.
Some of the more obscure words the spellers tackled: puncheon, psychometry and imperator. Others that were spelled correctly included aesthetic, importune, hydraulics and noncommittal.
In the end there were only two: Ben and fourth-grader James Fisher from St. Ann School in Charlotte. The two boys went back and forth spelling words until finally in the 21st round James misspelled the word “consolation” and Ben got “cathartic” right.
The two competitors shook hands, and Ben was presented with a certificate by Dr. Greg Monroe, superintendent of Catholic schools.
Asked what it was like to prepare for a spelling bee, Ben said “it was a lot of note-taking and study.” His parents helped by quizzing him regularly.
“Getting ready for this was kind of fascinating, learning the order of letters and how to spell the words – it’s like a game,” he said. He compared learning spelling words to another favorite pastime of his – playing trivia, with his favorite topic being geography. When he’s not in school or practicing spelling, Ben also likes to play basketball and video games.
The spelling bee had his parents, Ryan and Jessica Carney of Greensboro, on the edge of their seats.
“I was probably more nervous than he was,” Ryan Carney said.
Ben’s mom said her son’s win was a result of several weeks of preparation, beginning with studying lists of words for the bee at Our Lady of Grace. After he won that, he only had a little over a week to learn the 41-page list of possible words for the diocesan competition.
His victory on Thursday isn’t the end of Ben’s spelling journey. His win earned him the chance to participate in an upcoming spelling bee sponsored by the Carolina Panthers. Two online competitions will be held – one in North Carolina, the other in South Carolina – and the victors of each will meet in a head-to-head championship in Charlotte. The winner of that bee will earn a trip to the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., in late May.
The spelling bee was a chance for the competitors to be in the spotlight, according to aAssistant Superintendent Allana-Rae Ramkissoon.
“This gives students with a special talent for spelling and memory a chance to shine, and it also shows off the academic excellence we have in our schools,” she said.
Other participants in the diocesan bee were Azlan Bell from Sacred Heart School, Mason Bokor of St. Gabriel School, Amelia Dorville from Our Lady of Mercy School, Stephanie Ford of St. Mark School, Frank Gareis of St. Michael School, Aiden Hower from St. Pius X School, Shiloh Kangauka of Our Lady of the Assumption School, Hailey Maciaszek of Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Trung Nguyen from Holy Trinity Middle School, Pete Stewart from St. Patrick School and Alexandra Weiderman from St. Matthew School.
— Christina Lee Knauss
NussbaumGREENSBORO — The charitable legacy of the late Vic Nussbaum Jr., former Greensboro mayor and long-time member of St. Pius X Parish, continues to impact students at two Greensboro Catholic schools.
Thanks to an endowment of $1.5 million for tuition assistance for St. Pius X and Our Lady of Grace schools, 60 students have been given the opportunity to receive a Catholic education for the 2024-2025 school year. Each school received $30,990, which they allocated as needed.
Antonette Barilla Aguilera, principal of St. Pius X School, said the grant provided tuition assistance for 25 students this academic year.
“This opportunity to assist students through the generosity of Mr. Nussbaum helps us by reducing financial barriers and creating opportunities for academic and spiritual growth,” Aguilera said. “At St. Pius X, as is the case with our other diocesan schools, teachers practice and teach students to love our faith, fostering spiritual growth alongside academic excellence.”
Thirty-five students at Our Lady of Grace School received assistance, according to Principal Catherine Rusch.
“At Our Lady of Grace, the gift of endowment funds for financial assistance means so much to our students and families,” Rusch said. “It allows us to welcome children into our community where they can grow as saints and scholars – regardless of financial circumstances.”
The late Nussbaum – a self-proclaimed “Catholic Yankee in Dixie” who became one of Greensboro’s biggest boosters and its mayor for three terms, from 1987 to 1993 – was focused on expanding libraries, providing low-income housing and improving the quality of public education.
He was a devout Catholic, attending Mass every day at 6 a.m., and was a friend to the downtrodden, said Jim Melvin, who was mayor when Nussbaum was first elected to the Greensboro City Council in 1973.
He attended Our Lady of Grace Church and sent his children to Our Lady of Grace School, and after a cross-town move later attended St. Pius X. He believed Catholic schools not only provide a great education but are crucial to carrying on the faith.
Donors like Nussbaum across the diocese have given one-time gifts of cash or stock, pledged to capital campaigns or projects, or left gifts in their estate plans. Such gifts have benefitted parishes, Catholic schools, the diocese, the diocese’s foundation and St. Joseph College Seminary.
“We receive gifts of every amount – and all of them make a difference,” said Jim Kelley, diocesan development director. “There have been some individuals with significant resources who have had so much confidence in the Church’s leadership and commitment to their faith that they have given a million dollars or more. I invite more people to be a part of our mission in this kind of significant way to help build up the Church across western North Carolina. Gifts given to establish endowments in particular help change people’s lives because they keep on growing and providing returns year after year.”
— Courtney McLoughlin
Fund an endowment
Interested in setting up – or adding to – an endowment to benefit your parish or Catholic school? You can establish an endowment in the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation by leaving a bequest in a will, a beneficiary designation from a retirement plan, a trust or annuity, or a gift of real estate, life insurance, cash or securities.
For details, contact Gina Rhodes at 704-370-3364 or gmrhodes@rcdoc.o