Arvind Mahankali wins 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee

Arvind Mahankali took home the grand prize in the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee after correctly spelling “knaidel,” a word for a small mass of leavened dough (matzo, anyone?) in the 15th round. The 13-year-old had been foiled in the past by German origin words, finishing in 3rd place for the last two years. Arvind won $30,000 in cash, a $2500 savings bond from Merriam-Webster and $2,000 worth of reference works from Encyclopedia Britannica. He is the first boy since 2008 to win. Kudos to a true mensch.