The Commercial Appeal Regional Championship Spelling Bee

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I just got back from The Regional Championship Spelling Bee for Memphis & Shelby County. In spite of all my prowess as a spelling champ from my school, i didn't even last the second round. The first word was "campaign," which i spelled to perfection. The second word, "nuisance," was were i failed. I spelled it so: N-U-I-S-I-A-N-C-E. When the pronouncer said i got it wrong, i actually said D-it out loud, but luckily the judges rang the elimination bell at the exact moment i said it.
I'm kinda depressed at the loss of my one chance to go to D.C., where the National Champs are being held (obviously). At least i was wasn't alone: some 129+ people did not see the third round, meaning that out of the 169 contestants present, less than 40 made it through the third round, and most by the Luck of the Draw. I guess the only way to get to D.C. now is to become a politician, which i cannot do. Sayonara, everyone. (At least i know how to spell that! )

Archmage

Man, I wish there was a spelling bee around my area. I'm so good at spelling ridiculously long words it's almost scary. I come in handy to my family, since they can't spell to save their lives.

Last year in 6th grade, I won the school spelling bee with the word "judiciary". But when I got to the regional competition I got 2nd place.
That spelling bee lasted a long time. I had to spell a grand total of about 17 words before I lost, most of them were just between me and this one girl. I think some of them were "outstanding", "foxy", "skimpy", "unscrupulous", "acquiescent", "carnivorous", "electioneer", "onomatopeia" (that one was hard, but I got it) "axolotl" (and yes that is spelled right) and there were others. I lost with the word "bathymmetry", which the girl got right, and she won by spelling "pituitary". I was very mad. Spelling is my best subject! I still got a trophy though, but it's made of plastic and it's a bee with a "B" on its shirt and it's holding a book. It's the only trophy I've ever gotten, but I've gotten loads of medals and ribbons.

Well, that's all I have to say.

I wish I could enter a spelling bee... Is there an age limit (I'm 16)? I am an excellent speller and have been ever since I could write.

Well, the age limit seems to depend on what area you are in. My area only accepts students in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades. You have to win in the top three in your class spelling bee, get #1 in the school, and then comes the regional competition, then the state competition, and then nationals. I've never made it past regionals, but it's too late now, because I'm in 7th grade. We don't even STUDY spelling in 7th grade. It makes me mad, because I've never gotten a word wrong on a spelling test. But who knows? They may have one for your age in your area.

What really cracks me up is when someone in my school introduces me to someone else, they always say something like, "Oh, this is Christopher Grills. He's the smartest kid in school." and the visitor gives me a skeptical look and says, "Oh yeah? Spell "supercalifragilisticexpiallydocious!"" and I spell it correctly and fluently. And they say "Wait a minute. How do we know if that's true?" and I take out a piece of sheet music for that song and it has the title on the top so they can see it. Then they say, "Oh. Well, who cares about being smart anyway? All I want to do when I grow up is become a pro-athlete/hair stylist."

Clearly they are insecure, and they are lying. It makes me feel so sorry for them I laugh.

The age limit for Shelby County regionals is 16, and the grade limit is 8th grade. So that was my last chance.

I was in the school spelling bee in 6th grade; finished 10th out 20. Not too bad.

I was in the national spelling bee back in '97. If you remember the guy from Georgia who missed the word 'doyen'... c'est moi.

And that was the origin of the '38' in my screen name as well: the number on my placard in the bee was 38, and it just sort of stuck.