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Live results weren’t posted as usual, and at one point, former champion Kavya Shivashankar, tasked with saying a heartfelt goodbye to spellers who heard the bell, was handed the biography of the wrong speller and began reading it before the crowd informed her of the mix-up.

Some people I really look up to include Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Abby Govindan, Kuhoo Verma, Sri Ramesh, Kavya Borra — and so many other young artists.

Kavya Shivashankar, the 2009 champion, an obstetrician/gynecologist and a recent addition to the panel, chimed in with an objection.

Dr. Kavya Shivashankar, the 2009 champ who serves on the panel that selects words for the bee, praised her appointment.

By the time he planned his fourth proposal to Kavya Lakshmi Reddy Naini, Eric Richard Elofson was well aware of the power of persistence.