On Wednesday, April 10th, the National English Honor Society chapter here at school, held its first ever spelling bee. As a new addition to the school’s annual spirit week, spirit points were a major factor in its creation.
NEHS moderator, Mrs. Maria del Carmen Vazquez came up with the idea of holding a spelling bee and organized it. She coordinated with other English teachers in order to test students during their English classes to figure out who the best spellers in each grade were. These spellers had the opportunity to compete in the spelling bee, with the support of their teachers and fellow students.
“I am so grateful for all the other teachers in the English department who helped me get people involved, because without them I would’ve struggled so much in organizing everything,” Mrs. Vazquez said. “I am also grateful for the NEHS board that were judges and put so much of their time and effort into planning the spelling bee.”
The spelling bee kicked off with the word, “Misconception.” The words each student had to spell got progressively more difficult as each round concluded and more and more contestants got out. Even after getting out, students stayed in the gym to cheer on their fellow classmates and eagerly wait to see who the winner would be.
“I got out of the bee pretty early, but it was so fun to cheer on the remaining contestants and learn new words I didn’t know existed in the process,” senior Victoria Turros said. “From the moment the spelling bee ended I was telling my friends how much I hope that Lourdes continues this fun spirit event.”
After multiple rounds, one word seemed to stump almost all of the remaining contestants, except one: junior Emily Alfano. This word was “Malfeasance” and is what led to her victory.
“I really enjoyed participating in the spelling bee and I feel that it taught me a lot,” junior Emily Alfano said. “I hope to compete next year, if this tradition continues, and maybe even win and get some spirit points for my class.”
Overall, this new event was a big hit and will hopefully be a long-lasting tradition here at school.
