For the second consecutive year, the Univ. of Memphis will be hosting the Shelby County Spelling Bee in the Michael D. Rose Theater on Feb. 1 at 9 a.m. The best spellers from schools throughout the county will be competing. M.C. and Univ. of Memphis journalism professor Otis Sanford said about 100 students from different schools will be competing for a chance to go to the National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C.
“We start out with about 100 kids, and eventually work our way down to three or four,” Sanford said. “The competition is wonderful. It almost gets as exciting as a sporting event.”
The Shelby County Spelling Bee has been around for decades, originally started and sponsored by the Memphis Press Seminar and, through the years, found a way to make it to the university. Sanford said, at one point, the Commercial Appeal sponsored it but gave it up, putting the Spelling Bee in a meek position.
“The Spelling Bee used to be sponsored by the newspapers. The Memphis Press Seminar started it,” Sanford said. “When they stopped and went out of business, the Commercial Appeal picked it up due to it being owned by Scripps (who hosts the National Spelling Bee). That went on until Scripps sold the Appeal to Gannett, and they wanted no part of sponsoring the Bee.”
At one point, the spelling bee was held in Nashville before the university decided to sponsor and host the event. Students on campus found out about the spelling bee and its roots, with most of them happy the university is hosting the competition. Freshman Derek Cole, aged 18, said it is good for the city to have the spelling bee here on campus.
“I think it’s good for the community to have the county spelling bee back in Memphis,” Cole said. “To have it all the way in Nashville made no sense, especially if no Nashville schools were participating in it.”
Sophomore Mikayla Carter used to compete in spelling bees and said they are good for students beacuse it helps build confidence, as well as help them learn complex vocabulary.
“As someone that used to take part in spelling bees almost every year, until about senior year of high school, I think they are good for students for a multitude of reasons,” Carter said. “They help build a kid’s vocabulary, as well as build their confidence up to be on stage.”
Carter believes college students could benefit from having spelling bees, even if it’s only on a campus level, rather than hosting it on the national stage.
“We could use it to re-sharpen our minds as well as expand on our own vocabulary and learning,” Carter said.
Over 90 schools have registered for the Shelby County Spelling Bee, and each school’s champion will take an online test administered by Scripps before they are able to compete at the Spelling Bee.
