The Scripps National Spelling Bee is here, and the buzz is huge! This year’s spellers range in age from 8 to 15, with the youngest competitor, Vanya Shivashankar, an 8 year old a third grader from Kansas and sister of 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion Kavya Shivashankar. If I were a betting woman, I’d put my money on this kid!
If you’ve never watched a spelling bee, you’re missing out. I’m not even kidding. The tension is palpable, the kids are genius, and the words they’re asked to spell are some of the weirdest you’ve ever seen. Don’t believe me? Check out the winning words that made spellers into national champions:
2009: Laodicean2008: guerdon
2007: serrefine
2006: ursprache
2005: appoggiatura
2004: autochthonous
2003: pococurante
2002: prospicience
2001: succedaneum
2000: démarche
1999: logorrhea
1998: chiaroscurist
1997: euonym
1996: vivisepulture
1995: xanthosis
1994: antediluvian
1993: kamikaze
1992: lyceum
The spelling bee takes place on the Independence Concourse of the Grand Hyatt in downtown Washington, DC, but unfortunately, the event is not open to the general public. Probably because crazy spelling people like me would be yelling out the wrong answers and distracting the competitors.
Will it be the biggest, most challenging spelling bee ever? Find out when Erin Andrews (Dancing With the Stars) and Chris Harrison (host of The Bachelorette and The Bachelor) host the live coverage of the final rounds. You know I’ll be watching; I never did live down my second-place finish in my 6th grade spelling bee, so I need to experience the drama through one of the 327 ridiculously smart kids.
You can watch Scripps National Spelling Bee 2010 here:
- The Semifinals air live on ESPN from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, June 4.
- The Championship Finals air live on ABC from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, June 4.
