<p>I've been to the NSB, and the truly exceptional spellers have learned the Latin and Greek roots and don't generally have to care about the pronunciation of a word because they can pick apart the definition.</p>
<p>i see .</p>
<p>There is a lot of controversy about Evan O'Dorney, especially after the interviews. I agree they weren't the best look into the competition, but that is not entirely Evan's fault. The hosts should have spent some time getting to know him before, and not making it more difficult for him. I felt some of the interviews were conveying a negative attitude towards homeschooling and academic competitions in general, instead of promoting them and leading much of the public to be in awe and to respect these talented hard-working students. Though, I do think that Evan's parents should've gone over some national TV etiquette with him. But overall, Evan is an exceptional student with many amazing achievements and we should see and appreciate what his dedication has brought him.</p>
<p>Exceptional student doesn't = exceptional human being, and if you ask me, it's the latter that counts. Being able to spell "hubris" correctly is many miles away from actually contributing something to other people's lives.</p>
<p>I guess it is also very hard to tell whether he genuinely has Aspergers syndrome or not. If he did and was diagnosed, I wonder why his parents not necessarily let him on the air but didn't simply inform people about his condition to avoid having him come off as a douche to the entire country.</p>
<p>"Is this kid a future CCer?"</p>
<p>I don't think we have to worry about this kid coming onto this site, since his parents most certainly won't allow such an exceptional student to participate in unscrupulous and intelligence-sucking conversations on minimally moderated websites like this one.</p>
<p>That was the most painful interview I've ever watched. I don't know if anyone else watches The Soup on E! Channel, but they paused it at one point where the interviewer has the most pained and annoyed expression on her face. It's hilarious. lol</p>
<p>What was the point of that? Did that really air?</p>
<p>-The Airing Coot66</p>
<p>he is never going to get a girlfriend.</p>
<p>who cares? even if he ends up exactly like he is now, being a brilliant social outcast (e.g. perelman, pynchon) is better than being lame old us.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSojmWBwwnk%5B/url%5D">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSojmWBwwnk</a>
Wow..I feel sorry for Kimmel for once.</p>
<p>I heard many times, both from first and second hand experience, that brilliant kids burn out pretty quickly.</p>
<p>
[quote]
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSojmWBwwnk%5B/url%5D">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSojmWBwwnk</a>
Wow..I feel sorry for Kimmel for once.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Hmm... based on that video, he seems like a pretty nice kid. I've noticed that he thinks for quite a long time, and that is probably a reason why conversations with him are a bit awkward.</p>
<p>Who are you guys ****ting? Evan O Dorney is way above any one of us, he's far too great to be a CC'er (he's a friend of mine, and I've known him since before he made IMO or won the spelling bee, and frankly, I know not one person who is smarter than him, and I'm well acquainted with at least a dozen Olympiad medalists)...And yes, he is a complete social outcast...</p>
<p>It's nice how you're defending a "friend", necroing a whole thread, but quite obviously being "intelligent" and acing math and being #1 in academics isn't everything, and with those kinds of social skills, and such a painful interview, anyone on here can comment however he/she wants to. </p>
<p>He isn't "above" any one of us. According to whom? You? If you truly consider a person's worth like that based on winning a math contest and spelling bee, eh, I guess I don't know what to say. I didn't see you this way.</p>