Student Correctly Spells Nitrite to Win DuPage County Spelling Bee

Submitted Photo caption: First Place Winner Christopher Chang (middle) of Butler Junior High School is congratulated by his parents along with representatives from the DuPage Regional Office of Education, including Olga Rammer (left), director of administrative services, and Assistant Regional Superintendent Dr. Joseph Gust (right).

An eighth grade student at Butler Junior High School in Butler School District 53 won the DuPage County Spelling Bee Wednesday Night against 27 area students.

Christopher Chang, of Oak Brook, won the title with seventh-grader Kurt Leano of Leman Middle School in West Chicago Elementary School District 33 securing first runner-up. Second runner-up was claimed by seventh-grader Saahil Sorakayala of Lakeview Junior High School in Center Cass School District 66 in Downers Grove.

“This year’s spelling bee competition was extremely competitive,” Regional Superintendent Dr. Darlene Ruscitti said in a written release. “It was very clear to me that the students put in a lot of hard work and studying to prepare for the spelling bee.

“All of the contestants are to be congratulated for getting to this level of competition.”

Chang won by correctly spelling Nitrite as the championship word. However, to win, a student must spell two words correctly. His other winning word was dereliction.

The DuPage Spelling Bee was hosted by the DuPage Regional Office of Education. Twenty-eight students in third through eighth grades, representing 69 public and private schools, competed against one another for the top prize. The students advanced to the county’s spelling bee after winning competitions at their schools.

Chang received an all-expense-paid trip to Washington D.C. to compete in the 2015 Scripps National Spelling Bee on May 24-29.