There’s a lot of buzz surrounding Math Spelling Bee

EAST ORANGE, NJ — It started in the front rows of the 400-seat auditorium.
Students began chanting “Where’s Mr. Bolivar? …Where’s Mr. Bolivar?”
Within a moment’s breath, the rest of the auditorium joined in, chanting, ”Where’s Mr. Bolivar?” Where’s Mr. Bolivar?”

The chant grew louder and louder, voices rising in unison and eyes glued to the back of the hall awaiting his arrival.

When he finally entered the room, the crowd screamed with delight and Luckens Bolivar, the school disciplinarian, made his way to the front of the room smiling and waving to the onlookers knowing his fate.

And that’s when math spelling bee winner Aidan Laguerre approached him. In Laguerre’s hand was a paper plate piled high with whipped cream. Laguerre moved forward and “pied” him.
The audience broke out in laughter and cheers.

The pieing was the culmination of the Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts Middle School Math Spelling Bee Competition, which drew student participants from grades 6-8.
Each math teacher held a mini spelling bee in their classroom. The name of the winner in each class was then given to the event organizers Kirstin Dickens and Lisa Cesario. In total, 12 students participated.

The 12 participants were Hermalie Hermann, Ramatou Abdallah, Kingston Dudley, Rosealina Lynch, M’Kayla Williams, Aidan Laguerre, Londyn Rogers, Samaad Forbes, Kolbi Turner, Taylor Wilson, Layla Johnson,and Janaa Tolbert. Dickens and Cesario also acted as judges.

Round after round they spelled words specific to math, including words like quotient, variable, and congruent. Judges would respond “correct” after each participant answered correctly.
Hyping the audience further, Assistant Principal Ameenah Poole interacted with the audience members giving them an opportunity to spell a word and win a prize.

“I need a sixth grader in the audience to spell the next word,” she said, or “Now I need a seventh grader.”

This continued throughout the event, exciting students as they tried to win prizes.
With two finalists remaining, Aidan Laguerre and Kingston Dudley, the excitement was palpable. Dudley took to the podium and began to spell the judge’s word.

“I’m sorry, that is incorrect,” said the judge. Audible sounds of “Awwwww” could be heard in support. Next, Laguerre took to the podium.

“The word is THEOREM”.
“T. H. E. O. R. E. M,” replied Laguerre.
“That is correct!” said the judge declaring him the victor. Laguerre ran across the stage, hands lifted above his head pump fisting the air as the crowd cheered him on raucously.
Poole quieted the room, flagging her arms downward as she spoke into the mic. She said, “Aidan, you have approval to ‘PIE’ me or Mr. Bolivar. What is your decision?”

Laguerre looked over to the audience who was egging him on to choose Mr. Bolivar.
“Mr. Boilvar,” he said enthusiastically.
Laguerre shared his thoughts about his victory.
“It feels good actually,” Laguerre said. “I knew I had to win for my class. I did have doubts that I would win, but I knew I had to trust in my classmates. My classmates made posters for me and held them up from the audience to cheer me to victory.”

Students in the audience shared their thoughts afterwards.
Natalie Hairston, 11, said the event was fun.
“Mr. Bolivar got pied in the face and my best friend (Rose) was in the Spelling Bee. She didn’t win but she got candy and we both ate it.”

Fulvio Sanchez, 11, said; “The energy was good.”
Mutaquim Moses, 11, said, “It was really amazing. I never went to a Math Bee. My favorite part was when Mr. Bolivar got PIED.”
Destiny Bodden,12 said: “It was cool to see my friends having fun with the spelling bee.”