Learn how to learn

Prasanta Patel and Sudashima Nalik hope their son, Shashwat Patel, does well at the Bee. But that's not the most important thing for speller 156, a New York eighth grader who's back for the second year. "It's a wonderful experience," Sudashima said. "In the name of spelling, we are all together." Shashwat said he likes the fact that the Bee experience is different this year, with new pieces like a Spellebrity video competition and an opening ceremony. "It makes it pretty fun and interesting each year as things are added," he said. Sudashima said the skills spellers learn should help them forever. "They learn how to learn," she said. "You don't have to be a champion only."