A little humor in honor of the annual Scripps National Spelling Bee...
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Showing posts with label Scripps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scripps. Show all posts
Monday, June 6, 2011
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Can You Spell S-c-r-i-p-p-s?
May 28, 2009
Several years ago, Doug and I got hooked on the Annual National Spelling Bee. This year's edition takes place today--both pre-lims and the finals are being aired. I'm sure many of you are thinking that sounds about as fascinating as watching paint dry. I assure you, however, that is some absolutely RIVETING programming. The drama! The nerves! The hours (years!) of studying! The triumph! The crushing defeat! The amazing sheer knowledge these kids bring!
The kids vary in age from nine to fourteen. They are elementary kids and junior high kids. Many of them are homeschooled. These are not what we would think of as your typical pre-teens. What they are, however, is a group of funny, quirky, interesting kids whose particular penchant for words and origins, and definitions, and, yes, spelling, is celebrated and honored in a world which so often forgets to pay homage to these skills, drowned out as they are by the cheering of football crowds, and the screams of hockey fanatics, and the joyous chanting voices raised in baseball solidarity.
It's the ultimate underdog story in a lot of ways. I can't wait to catch old favorites (many of the kids return again as many years as they can until they age out) and to meet the new up-and-coming talent. And I'll be cheering for them (and admiring them) every step of the way.
Several years ago, Doug and I got hooked on the Annual National Spelling Bee. This year's edition takes place today--both pre-lims and the finals are being aired. I'm sure many of you are thinking that sounds about as fascinating as watching paint dry. I assure you, however, that is some absolutely RIVETING programming. The drama! The nerves! The hours (years!) of studying! The triumph! The crushing defeat! The amazing sheer knowledge these kids bring!
The kids vary in age from nine to fourteen. They are elementary kids and junior high kids. Many of them are homeschooled. These are not what we would think of as your typical pre-teens. What they are, however, is a group of funny, quirky, interesting kids whose particular penchant for words and origins, and definitions, and, yes, spelling, is celebrated and honored in a world which so often forgets to pay homage to these skills, drowned out as they are by the cheering of football crowds, and the screams of hockey fanatics, and the joyous chanting voices raised in baseball solidarity.
It's the ultimate underdog story in a lot of ways. I can't wait to catch old favorites (many of the kids return again as many years as they can until they age out) and to meet the new up-and-coming talent. And I'll be cheering for them (and admiring them) every step of the way.
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