When our educational system favors preserving "self-esteem" over anything else, is it a surprise that even highly-educated adults are afraid to face spelling bees alone?
"I have nothing to gain. And everything to lose," Brett Barker said with a moan Tuesday afternoon. The assistant professor of history at the University of Wisconsin Marathon County was contemplating his participation in the Marathon County Literacy Council's Adult Spelling Bee.
The spelling bee will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on March 5 at Wausau East High School. The proceeds from the fund-raiser will be used by the Literacy Council to train more tutors and buy more resource materials to help people across the county learn to read and write...
So Barker knows he's putting his intellectual reputation on the line for a good cause. He also knows that the event is going to be fun. But still, it wouldn't look good for a history professor to go down in the first round with a word such as "colonial." Solsrud said spelling bee organizers understand the risks to the participants, so they softened the traditional competition by allowing teams of three people to compete together and consult with one another.
"Fun is the operative word," Solsrud said...
OK, I'm kidding when I rag on these guys, because I understand that with adults, even if spelling skills are exemplary, memory may not be. Also, the purpose of this is not to win a prize, but raise funds. But am I the only one who thinks this will look awfully weird to those kids who complete in bees without any "consulting" help?
Posted by kswygert at February 11, 2005 05:16 PM