Stylish sunglasses stripping stereotype

June 8, 2010

Whether it's true or not, there's an unflattering stereo-type that goes along with being in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The Steve Urkel style complete, with oversized eyeglasses does not paint a very pretty picture.

However this year, several contestants were attempting to break the mold.

Californian Zachary Ocab sports a baseball hat and dangling sunglasses, helping set him apart from his less fashion forward competition. Ocab's father Newtown Ocab told The Washington Post that his son certainly stood out.

"When they first walked in nobody knew anybody. They were like magnets surrounded by particles," he told the news source.

Ocab was out of the tournament by the end of the third round, unable to completely dismantle the stereotype. Even though Ocab, joined by fellow speller Jared Urbina tried to be different, they do not pigeon hole their competition.

"And by the way, it'd be unfair for us to call them dorks or anything like that, because we're here also," Urbina told the news source.

Cleveland resident Anamika Veramani ended up the winner, besting the field on stromuhr.

According to the St. Petersburg Times, one out of every six children between the ages of 3 and 16 wears eyeglasses.