Five years after the statewide spelling bee nearly disappeared, the competition continues to thrive.
On March 28, the state’s top 25 spellers will return to Columbus to compete in the annual C Spire Mississippi Spelling Bee, held on the Mississippi University for Women campus.
Just five years ago, however, the statewide spelling bee was in danger of collapse after its primary sponsor pulled out ahead of the competition, leaving Mississippi without a statewide bee for the first time since 1925.
In an effort to save the bee, The Commercial Dispatch stepped in with the Columbus-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce and MUW to sponsor the 2022 competition. Then in 2023, community members doubled-down on the effort, helping to stabilize and expand the bee.
Since then, Columbus has continued hosting the bee, and the team supporting it behind the scenes has grown throughout the state.
“The Bee Team now consists of a five-member Board of Directors (and) three Regional Directors representing North, Central and South Mississippi,” Lois Kappler, executive director of the bee, wrote in an email to The Dispatch. “Our volunteers have basically remained strong, and most have remained dedicated to this competition for the last five years.”
This year, 320 schools across 47 Mississippi counties participated in local spelling bees, from which the top three spellers advanced to the online semi-finals, held in mid-February. Out of those, 25 moved forward to the state bee.
The top two spellers in the statewide competition will travel to Washington, D.C., to attend Bee Week at the Scripps National Bee in May, where they will compete in a spelling round, a vocabulary round and a written test.
Once the state spellers arrive in Columbus on March 27, Kappler said the 25 students and their families will be greeted with an ice cream social hosted by Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science. Students will also have a chance to explore the MUW campus before meeting with other competitors Friday night to prepare for the bee.
The competition, which will be filmed by the Mississippi State University Television Center and broadcast by Mississippi Public Broadcasting, kicks off at 9:30 a.m. the next day in Poindexter Hall.
Throughout the weekend, spellers will also have the chance to interact with six former champion spellers.
“They will have time with the finalists, (who will) share memories and discuss how the Bee experience influenced their lives,” Kappler wrote in an email to The Dispatch. “Our newest addition involves two local retired teachers, Dena Bradford and Carroll Gavin, who are now new authors of children’s books. They will provide copies of their books to young guests attending the Bee to support their older siblings.”
Local restaurants have also agreed to provide lunch for spellers and their families following the competition.
“The other thing about the Bee and its success is that our local merchants have been incredible,” Kappler said. “The items that they provide, the coupons, the welcome receptions. It’s just been a really great Columbus partnership, involving the W and MSMS (too).”
Kappler’s last hurrah
After this year’s competition, Kappler plans to retire from her position as executive director, to spend more time with her grandchildren and take “some really awesome trips” with her husband.
Looking back on the last five years in the role, Kappler speaks most fondly of working with the spellers, many of whom she sends birthday cards to and calls each New Year’s. The entire project, she said, has been a “wonderful adventure.”
“I have absolutely enjoyed the Bee beyond anybody’s expectations,” she said. “But the hardest part about leaving is the Bee team that has formed. It’s an amazing group of people who just make it a priority each year. Their heart is in it.”
One member of that team will step into the executive director role following this year’s competition. Lindsey Beck, who serves as treasurer for the Bee’s board since its revival, has been involved with the program since before its revival, first volunteering as a “beekeeper.”
“Our long-term goals have always been to create an exceptional experience for every speller that gets to the state level, and create affordable pathways to the Scripps National Spelling Bee for first- and second-place spellers,” Beck wrote in a text to The Dispatch.
As she prepares to take on the new role, Beck said she hopes to continue building on the foundation Kappler helped establish.
“Lois has been an exceptional leader,” she said. “Her personality and grace under pressure have made the Bee an easy event to believe in and invest in. I’m looking forward to building on that foundation – continuing her spirit of excellence while finding new ways to grow the Bee and expand its impact across the state.
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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 40 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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 40 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
