Stress makes spelling bee event no picnic

Picnicking.

That was the word that knocked me out of the spelling bee when I was in seventh grade. Funny how we remember things like that so many years later.

I wasn't a bad speller back in my school days. Now, I rely on spell check, AP Stylebook and my desktop dictionary when in doubt. For a spelling bee, there are no such crutches or tools (select one that you feel is most appropriate).

With a victory in my homeroom spelling bee, I was joined by a few dozen others in a classroom at Kennedy Middle School for the schoolwide bee. Of course, I was nervous. The first word came my way, and I spelled it correctly. As the others got their words, I began to feel more confident as they were words I could easily spell.

Then came picnicking.

When the teacher called out that word and looked at me, I remember trying to think if there was some grammar rule that required one to add a "k"at the end of a word ending with the hard "c" before adding -ing. Able to come up with no such rule, I carefully spelled p-i-c-n-i-c-i-n-g. With an "incorrect" from the caller, I was summarily dismissed from the bee and sent back to whatever class I was scheduled to attend at that time.

With that baggage, I now find myself as a regular judge for the Aiken County Spelling Bee, and I am truly in awe of the youngsters who go up on stage at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts and display their spelling abilities. Last Monday, 10 of the county's best spellers were on stage to compete for the title of Aiken County spelling champ 2010.

After more than 100 words, a champion was crowned in David Stoner from St. Mary Help of Christians School. When the final "e" in "reassurance"came out of his lips, David had won the honor of being named champion.

Though there was just one champion, there were 10 winners in the event. All of those who made it to the Spelling Bee had to go through their school bees and area bees to be qualified.

The top two spellers from each area bee were eligible for last Monday's event.

Congratulations go out to the following contestants for doing themselves proud and for being excellent representatives for their families and their schools.

* Area 1 - David Stoner, the champion, and Libby James from Mead Hall Episcopal School.

* Area 2 - Andrew Stogner from Belvedere Elementary School and Matthew Nash from Paul Knox Middle School.

* Area 3 - Kaitlynn Haney (last year's champ and this year's first runner-up) from LBC Middle School and Raymond Powell from Midland Valley Preparatory Charter School.

* Area 4 - Tialeisha Corley of A.L. Corbett Middle School and Bachondria Raiford of RSM Elementary/Middle School.

* Area 5 - Heather Hart from Jackson Middle School and Amber Rinder of Redcliffe Elementary School.

Sponsoring this event were URS-Savannah River Remediation, the Aiken County School District and the Aiken Standard.

Through their help, the status of this annual event has been significantly elevated as the academic abilities of some of our best and brightest youngsters are highlighted.

Some of these fine young students will no doubt be back in the Aiken County Spelling Bee next year. I have just one small piece of advice for them. P-i-c-n-i-c-k-i-n-g. Practice it.

Jeff Wallace is editor of the Aiken Standard.