Save the D-A-T-E!

It's spring, and that can only mean one thing: It's [Spelling] Bee Season!

Middle and elementary schools all over the country are buzzing with spelling champ wannabees, hoping to make their way to the big Scripps National Spelling Bee May 29 and 30. According to the official Web site:

The Louisville Courier-Journal started the event with nine contestants in 1925. In 1941 Scripps assumed sponsorship of the program. There was no Scripps National Spelling Bee during the World War II years of 1943, 1944, and 1945. Co-champions were declared in 1950, 1957, and 1962. Of the 83 champions, 43 have been girls and 40 have been boys.

You can view the complete list of previous champs and their winning words online. The Scripps program has a great Web site with links to several great resources, whether you're competing in The Bee or just need a handy online reference guide for your daily correspondence. (I'd better hit spell check on that last one...)

Under Pressure

The photos from the Scripps National Spelling Bee do a wonderful job of capturing the emotion associated with this event. As I mentioned in Tuesday's blog, the official Web site has a great collection of trivia and resources about the famous contest. But it's the photos that really captured my attention. Here are a couple of my favorites, courtesy of the Scripps site:

1. This poor little guy. He received the dreaded "ding" of the bell, indicating an incorrect spelling. Not sure if he's near tears or just wincing. Or both. (Cute shot, though.)
   

2. Oh, the agony of a missed word...













And my favorite shot of all that I have seen so far is this one:


3. Forget the pressure of letting yourself down, let alone your school, your family, your city, your state... Consider the plight of the poor student facing THE MEDIA in all of this. The media moat in front of the stage would rival a senate hearing. There's even a priest on hand for this event!

Participation in this event gives students an education in more than just spelling. It gives them a taste of life in the 21st century modern world.

By the way, the winning word, if you don't already know by now, was serrefine. Don't know what it means? Do what my mom always told me to do: look it up!

Is Spelling a Sport?

Like football, track or golf, it requires hours of study, dedication and training. It even has officials! But is spelling a sport?

The people at ESPNTV.com think so, and will be covering the 2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee , which begins this Wednesday in Washington, D.C. It's a fun parlor game to debate whether the 286 student spellers qualify as "athletes" or fierce competitors ready to unleash some serious lexicographical jujitsu on one another. As ESPN columnist Mike Golic observed in the network's magazine this week:

"We don't celebrate academic achievement nearly enough in our popular culture. The spelling bee can be an example: Hey. Here's another way to get on TV- use your brain."

Indeed.

If you have a chance, take a quick peek at the Scripps site, which, like any sport, includes lots of fascinating statistics (40 of this year's spellers are only children). They've also created a photo gallery, round results and, of course, study resources. You can also view a list of all of the students participating in this week's event, including four students from Washington state.