NANTUCKET SPELLING BEE IS N-O-W
BY MARLI GUZZETTA
My boss asked me to be on The Nantucket Independent's team for the Spelling Bee. I said 'yes,' because I didn't want to wuss out, but I knew, at that point, that people would see how reliant I am on my spell check function. I am a spelling hack. You didn't see it just now, but I misspelled the word "function."

So, to see what I'd be up against, I did some deductive research on spelling bees in America and Nantucket. Wasn't too hard. Spelling bees have been kind of hot lately.

Two years ago, the documentary "Spellbound" followed eight of the favorites for the Scripps National Spelling Bee on their road to the microphone, center stage.

Last year, "Akeelah and the Bee" - starring Lawrence Fishburne as a professor who teaches a young inner-city girl self-worth through the spelling bee - made it onto quite a few year-end Best of lists.

This year, "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" is something of a cult favorite Broadway musical using adult actors to parody the spelling bee. During the musical, a speller is given a word defined as "an old Nantucket whaling term." No lie.

2005's Spelling Bee, from left: to the victors (of this round) go the laurels; "Febricula": a slight and short fever, as the members of the Hospital team would know; The Nantucket Independent team did not get too far, but at least we had matching hats and T-shirts. We'll be competing at this year's bee on Saturday. Be fourwarned.

Nantucket Spelling Bee spellers are given words pre-packaged by a mainland company whose purpose is to pre-package words for spelling bees. To dissuade unfair practices, that company's name will not be listed here.

"The words aren't as sealed as Oscar winner envelopes, but they come sealed and are segmented from easy to difficult," explained judge Richard Congdon, who said he gives the teams a "lay up" first word, "to get them warmed up, to let them get a feel for the format and to let them practice writing on the dry erase board."

The format has changed from the initial years of the bee. Instead of each team receiving different words, all teams of three now get the same word to spell out on their dry erase boards per round. Teams leave the competition upon getting a word wrong.

It seems like generally accepted island information that the Spelling Bee - for Nantucket adults (it should be specified for people who don't know) - has gotten pretty heated in its five years of raising money for the Friends of Nantucket Public Schools.

Richard Congdon has been emceeing the bee for the past three years and admitted freely that there is "always controversy" regarding the sound system at the bee, which is held at the Nantucket High School Auditorium.

"The tension mounts, and there is griping and moaning if one of the groups on either end of the stage can't hear," Congdon said. "It gets pretty heated when it's alleged that the word has been mispronounced or that part of the pronunciation is being mumbled. We have ditched the sound system in the past and just gone to screaming the words at them."

Yelling for spelling. How voraciously intellectual.

More than one person mentioned that the Golf Club has consistently been uncompetitive; the words "perennial basement dweller" came up in discussion with an unnamed source. Apparently, team captain Tom Bresette has had a run-in with the word "podsnappery."

I hope we get to sit next to them.

No team has ever won the bee more than once, so far. Denby Real Estate won the first year, followed by the Chamber of Commerce, a doctor's office and then Nantucket teachers.

Approximately 400 to 500 people generally show up. This year, the bee has far fewer eligible and registered teams.

But that means, this year, you might be able to improve your chances with fewer teams. So, if you're interested, there's still time! Call 228-7285, ext. 1168, and ask to speak to the "bee keeper."

The whole night generally lasts for two hours; Nantucket High School Culinary Arts students will be making a dinner that's available for purchase before and during the bee.

Apparently, tradition dictates that it's BYOHC - bring your own (wink, wink) "hot chocolate" - to be enjoyed before, but not during, the show. If you're pre-partying in the parking lot, please - no eggs or keys on my car. You don't need to psyche

me out to sabatage my spelling. I

When: Saturday, Feb. 3, 6 p.m. (Nantucket High

School Culinary Arts program serving dinner

from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.)

Where: Nantucket High School (Auditorium),

10 Surfside Road Cost: $15 (adults); $5 (kids 12 and under) For more information, or to register a team,

call 228-7285, ext. 1168.