Millions will be glued to the television May 30 despite being the first day of summer. What is so exciting? Children from all over the nation and Canada will battle off to be crowned the "Best Speller" during primetime on ABC.
This article has everything that you need to know to be the ultimate Spelling Bee watcher and impress your friends when the time begins. Besides it is easier to know about the show and its contestants than how to spell s-u-c-c-i-v-o-r-o-u-s. Which for those who do not know, the word is an actual word on their study guide.
The background
A record 288 spellers already competed in hopes of being one of the 45 that will be seen during Primetime in the two-hour final. Since ESPN began broadcasting the spelling bee, it has hit the big time inspiring movies, musicals, books and even corny satire. ESPN has made this competition a national phenomenon. Most kids compete just for the opportunity to make it to ESPN. Now they have the opportunity to make it to primetime as well. Winners not only receive awards, but also a sort of fame including being invited to talk shows to showcase talents.
Last year's winner Evan O'Dorney, 12, was seen on the David Letterman Show, getting autographs from Oakland A's players and posing with President Bush.
Favorites for the win
Tia Thomas and Matthew Evans, a pair of home-schooled 13-year-olds who renewed a friendly but competitive rivalry that began in 2004, are set as two favors to win. The only five-time repeaters at this year's bee, they've been quizzing each other via computer for months and spent this week trying to stump each other with words from their thick study books. Matthew and Tia were both finalists last year.
The two other returning finalists from last year advanced to the semifinals: Kavya Shivashankar, 12, of Olathe, Kansas, and Anqi Dong, 13, of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
The Entertainment Principle
Not only is the show entertaining as you see these child geniuses prepare as well as see the parents who raised such exceptional kids, but the kids themselves can be entertaining. Take the initial competition to get to this point:
"Can you use it in a song?" queried 12-year-old Marie Mach of Dumfries, Va., when presented with the word "espousal."
"You really don't want me to," replied pronouncer Jacques Bailly with a chuckle. "I can't sing."
Add to that, just an intriguing night of entertainment and dramatics as kids tackle words most never used in everyday language. They will grimace, grab their heads, make funny faces, and smile the biggest smiles when they are right! Hey, one contestant fell asleep waiting for his turn in the semifinals.
Spelling Bee Firsts
A child from Canada has never won, but was runner-up last year. Two countries were represented for the first time this year. Maria Isabel Kubabom, a 13-year-old from Ghana, misspelled "seder." Jiwon Seo, 11, from South Korea, used her finger to write "innumerable" on the back of her placard before spelling it correctly.
Sriram Hathwar became the youngest competitor in bee history when he folded his arms and spelled "elicitation." Sriram, from Painted Post, N.Y., turned 8 last month and appeared about half the size of the speller seated next to him. However, neither Maria Isabel nor Jiwon nor Sriram advanced past the preliminaries, all having failed to score well enough on the written test.
Pop some pocorn and join around the t.v. to support these youngsters. Nothing is more fun than picking a person to root for and cheering him or her on. It is the ultimate reality show this season that shouldn't be missed. GO TIA! I predict this is the year of the girl!
