As I wake up, my stomach quivers with fear and anxiety. My body reminds me of what my mind desperately tries to forget. As I dress, I keep in mind what I wear will be seen by everybody at the event. I devour a bowl of Cocoa Puffs in hope that my stomach becomes alleviated. Today, the Forrest County Spelling Bee commences at Presbyterian Christian School, and I am a competitor.
My mother and grandmother summon me to the white Dodge Caravan, and I reflect on all the studying I have done while I am in the van. As we drive to the school, I stare out the window to see the brilliant azure of the sky and the bright green of all of the grass, as well as graceful birds and finicky squirrels. As we approach the building, my nerves build up again and …show more content…
The authority in the front directs me to a short wooden table that has an array of numbers on it. The lady at the table selects a number out of the myriad and carefully hands it to me, instructing me to pin it on the arctic white T-shirt I am wearing. As I view the number, my heart sinks as I find it is the “unlucky” number thirteen, which I feel is a sure sign of my upcoming defeat. Then, she motions for me to go into a large, ghastly auditorium filled with spellers and their parents.
Soon, the official pronouncer summons all spellers to the semicircle stage to begin a practice round. Each speller preceding me fluidly spells out each word, but when the announcer calls me to the silver microphone, I feel so nervous that I cannot hear him pronounce the word “truck.” I then ask him to define the word so that I can remember what he said, and I was met by a warranted outburst of laughter from the crowd. The announcer simply acts like I am joking, so he gives me the definition “SUV or gas guzzler.” His kindness helps me to regain my confidence, and I spell the practice word without …show more content…
I feel like a shrimp compared to him and I begin to doubt my ability to win because I think members of his ethnicity are superior in intelligence. He and I spell every word correctly each round, and I think he will surely come out victorious. However, after countless rounds, he incorrectly spells the word “timorously.” The pronouncer then gives me the opportunity to spell the word, and I swiftly say all of the letters in the correct order. He then pronounces the word “tableau,” and I spell it correctly. I do not know what will happen next, but then the pronouncer congratulates me and tells me that I have won. A flush of excitement fills my entire body. The head judge then hands me a bright blue ribbon that says “first place” to serve as a permanent reminder of this small victory. After I exit the platform, a woman on the Hattiesburg Public School district asks me what I want, and I immediately answer “Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged” because it is the official dictionary of Scripps National Spelling Bee. After all the applause and congratulations cease, the announcer informs me that I will advance to the Mississippi State Spelling Bee, the last competition before the National Spelling Bee. He motions me to a table on the left side of the stage with a single sheet of printer paper for me to write
My mother and grandmother summon me to the white Dodge Caravan, and I reflect on all the studying I have done while I am in the van. As we drive to the school, I stare out the window to see the brilliant azure of the sky and the bright green of all of the grass, as well as graceful birds and finicky squirrels. As we approach the building, my nerves build up again and …show more content…
The authority in the front directs me to a short wooden table that has an array of numbers on it. The lady at the table selects a number out of the myriad and carefully hands it to me, instructing me to pin it on the arctic white T-shirt I am wearing. As I view the number, my heart sinks as I find it is the “unlucky” number thirteen, which I feel is a sure sign of my upcoming defeat. Then, she motions for me to go into a large, ghastly auditorium filled with spellers and their parents.
Soon, the official pronouncer summons all spellers to the semicircle stage to begin a practice round. Each speller preceding me fluidly spells out each word, but when the announcer calls me to the silver microphone, I feel so nervous that I cannot hear him pronounce the word “truck.” I then ask him to define the word so that I can remember what he said, and I was met by a warranted outburst of laughter from the crowd. The announcer simply acts like I am joking, so he gives me the definition “SUV or gas guzzler.” His kindness helps me to regain my confidence, and I spell the practice word without …show more content…
I feel like a shrimp compared to him and I begin to doubt my ability to win because I think members of his ethnicity are superior in intelligence. He and I spell every word correctly each round, and I think he will surely come out victorious. However, after countless rounds, he incorrectly spells the word “timorously.” The pronouncer then gives me the opportunity to spell the word, and I swiftly say all of the letters in the correct order. He then pronounces the word “tableau,” and I spell it correctly. I do not know what will happen next, but then the pronouncer congratulates me and tells me that I have won. A flush of excitement fills my entire body. The head judge then hands me a bright blue ribbon that says “first place” to serve as a permanent reminder of this small victory. After I exit the platform, a woman on the Hattiesburg Public School district asks me what I want, and I immediately answer “Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged” because it is the official dictionary of Scripps National Spelling Bee. After all the applause and congratulations cease, the announcer informs me that I will advance to the Mississippi State Spelling Bee, the last competition before the National Spelling Bee. He motions me to a table on the left side of the stage with a single sheet of printer paper for me to write