The state’s best spellers from second to eighth grade are making their way to the Friendly City tonight for some friendly competition Saturday morning.
For the second year in a row, Columbus is hosting the Mississippi State Spelling Bee, and 40 spellers from all across the state will compete beginning at 10 a.m. in the Nissan Auditorium at the Mississippi University for Women.
The state champion and runner-up will both qualify for the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., because of money raised by the community.
“Our community has really done a wonderful job becoming part of the bee and supporting it,” said Lois Kappler, state bee coordinator.
“We’re approximately at $20,000 that has been fundraised, and that will cover the expenses of getting the spellers to Washington, D.C. Also it costs us about $10,000 to put the bee together because $6,500 of that is the filming expense to broadcast it across the state in April.”
Spellers arrive in town tonight and will hear from last year’s state winner, Jessica Widodo from Starkville, about her experience at the national bee and how she prepared.
Typically spellers are in third through eighth grades, but this year Kappler said there is a second-grader from Jackson County who won his district, beating even eighth-graders.
On the morning of the bee, spellers will rotate stations to prepare for their time on stage. Stations will vary from learning from Miss Mississippi Emmie Perkins about stage presence and handling nerves to talking about rules and practicing their first introductions with counselors.
During the bee as spellers are eliminated, two volunteer counselors will be on hand to talk to them.
The Dispatch is the bee’s sponsor for the second straight year. The event is open to the public.
WCBI will film the bee, but due to Scripps rules, it cannot be broadcast until after April 1, after all states have held their respective bees.
Kappler asks that audience members arrive by 9:30 and be seated. She expects the bee to last about two and a half hours.
How to go
■ WHAT: Mississippi State Spelling Bee
■ WHEN: March 4 at 10 a.m., audience asked to arrive by 9:30 a.m.
■ WHERE: Nissan Auditorium in Parkinson Hall, 390 Serenade Drive, Columbus
■ HOW: Free admission to public
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 44 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
