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Continue reading →: Insider’s Guide to the 2015 Scripps National Spelling Bee – Semifinals
The Semifinals were suspenseful and full of excitement! I got to sit in the front row with other spellers so I had a great view! Last night, all 49 semifinalists had to take another written spelling and vocabulary test (this was Round 4 of the competition). Rounds 5 and 6…
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Continue reading →: Insider’s Guide to the 2015 Scripps National Spelling Bee – Rounds 2 and 3
This morning, Round 2 of the 2015 Scripps National Spelling Bee commenced. Contestants had to spell words under incredibly bright lights, cameras from every angle, and, of course, tons of pressure. Not very many spellers missed their onstage word in this round. However, a few contestants did misspell their words and were eliminated…
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Continue reading →: Insider’s Guide to the 2015 Scripps National Spelling Bee – Round 1
This morning we gathered for an assembly. We were introduced to Scripps staff as well as Bee officials including the pronouncer, Dr. Jacques Bailly, and the head judge, Mrs. Mary Brooks. Kate Miller, who was a finalist last year, reviewed the rules of the spelling bee and gave us some suggestions…
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Continue reading →: Insider’s Guide to the 2015 Scripps National Spelling Bee – Memorial Day Barbecue
It was a beautiful day to be outside and enjoy the Memorial Day Barbecue with the other spellers and their families. There were plenty of activities to keep us occupied for several hours today. People entered dance contests, played volleyball, or engaged in arts and crafts activities. Face painters and caricature artists were…
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Continue reading →: Insider’s Guide to the 2015 Scripps National Spelling Bee – The Journey Begins
Early this morning, I left Louisville to begin my journey to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The main event today was a speller orientation at which we learned about the schedule of events and activities planned for the week. This was also my first opportunity to meet the other spellers…
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Continue reading →: Insider’s Guide to the 2015 Scripps National Spelling Bee – Send-off Party!This week was very exciting for me because I was interviewed by Melissa Swan of WHAS11-TV for the evening news. My school also surprised me with a send-off party, which included chocolate ice cream and an original song written and performed by the elementary school students. I felt really honored…
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Continue reading →: Insider’s Guide to the 2015 Scripps National Spelling Bee – Meet the Spellers
If you would like to read more about the spellers competing this year go to https://secure.spellingbee.com/public/spellers/speller_roster
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Continue reading →: Insider’s Guide to the 2015 Scripps National Spelling Bee
In March, I won the WHAS Regional Spelling Bee in Louisville, KY which allowed me to qualify for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. This will be my second time competing in the National Spelling Bee and I am thrilled to be going back. The first time I was there was in 2013 and I have been…
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Continue reading →: Harry Potter Spells – LevicorpusLast week, I took a break from Harry Potter to talk about the Kentucky Derby but let’s return to exploring Harry Potter spells. Harry first discovers the spell “levicorpus” in Snape’s old potions book in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Levicorpus comes from the Latin roots levi– meaning smooth or light…
Hello,
I’m Tara!
My name is Tara and I am a recent graduate of Duke University, with dual degrees in cultural anthropology and political science, and a minor in linguistics. Twelve years ago, I started this blog to share my love of words with others and teach people about the intricacies of etymology and words across our beloved English language!
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