Spelling Bee Champions
December 11, 2017
Do you like spelling? Do you like competitions? Have you ever competed in a spelling bee competition? Well, unfortunately, I do not know your answers to those questions. However, I do know that winning and participating in spelling bees is a commendable accomplishment. On December 1st, Arizona College Prep – Erie hosted its annual spelling bee tournament. All of the contestants did remarkably well! Daniel Wu and Dean Brasen were the only two finalists left by the end of the twelfth round. The match lasted eight more rounds and ended once Daniel Wu spelt the last word, martingale, correctly. Here are some words from Dean and Daniel in regard to the competition:
Daniel Wu – First Place
Q: How did you feel after you won the spelling bee competition? Did you feel impacted in any way?
A: I felt pretty happy, but I would not say it made much of an impact on me.
Q: What do you think was the hardest word to spell?
A: In the competition, there were a lot of words that we got incorrect. So, there were a good handful of difficult words.
Q: Did you participate in a spelling bee competition before?
A: Yeah, I got third place in that competition.
Q: How did you study for the spelling bee competition?
A: I memorized the words by having my parents read out the words so that I could spell them.
Q: Will you participate next year?
A: Yes, I will likely participate.
Q: Would you recommend other students to participate in a spelling bee?
A: If they really want to participate in the spelling bee, then they should go for it.
Dean Brasen – Runner Up
Q: How did this year’s spelling bee competition impact you?
A: The competition pushed me to work hard and that I should aim higher in the future. I am determined to learn more words.
Q: What do you think was the hardest word to spell?
A: The hardest word for me to spell was probably Nebulosity.
Q: Did you participate in a spelling bee competition before?
A: Yes, I have! I participated in the school spelling bee once in first grade. Every other year after that, I would try to make it to the competition, but I never did.
Q: How did you study for the spelling bee competition?
A: I studied every night. Sometimes, I would have people repeat the words back to me so that I could try spelling them. I would also practice every day before school or during school when I could.
Q: Why did you decide to enter a spelling bee competition? Was it for fun or academic purposes?
A: A mix of both, really. I wanted to try to learn more words, but I also wanted to go beyond basic schoolwork. The competitions made it more fun to study complex words.
Q: Do you think you will participate in the 2018-2019 spelling bee?
A: Yeah, I’ll definitely try to get there.
Q: Would you recommend other students to participate in a spelling bee?
A: Study a lot! The words will be challenging, so just know that it will be a lot of work. But don’t think of the competition as a thing where if you lose, it will be the end of the world. Just remember that if you try to go far and do your best, it will be enough.
Both of these young men did a marvelous job! They certainly demonstrated how much drive they have for challenging themselves and improving upon their abilities. Daniel Wu will move onto compete in the district spelling bee that will be held in January. Study hard Daniel and good luck!