Advanced Writing Workshop Portfolio

Final Draft of: Throwing the Spelling Bee to Fit In

 

            When I was in seventh grade, I was a cheerleader at Glen Ullin Public School. I don’t usually tell people this because it was a painfully awkward point in my life. Back then, I sported glasses, braces, and limited social skills. All of the choices I made were carefully calculated in order to fit in with the rest of my class. So, when the other girls tried out for cheerleading, I did too.

 

            Because my school was so small, trying out for the cheerleading squad meant that you were automatically given a set of pom-poms. Even though I wasn’t a big fan of cheerleading, it felt as though I was one step closer to fitting in when I wore the orange, blue, and white uniform with a huge paw print on the front. I attended practice, cheered at games, and was even on top of the pyramid due to the fact that I was tiny and didn’t weigh very much at the time. There’s still photographic evidence of this in old yearbooks at my parents’ house, but I made sure to hide them all a long time ago.

 

            I remember the distinct smell of the bus we took with the basketball players when traveling to away games: a mix of body odor, Axe body spray, and too much perfume. Each year, the last basketball game of the season fell on the same day as the regional spelling bee. I had the opportunity to participate, but I turned it down because I was afraid of what my friends would think.

 

            Mrs. Voegele, who was my English teacher every year until I graduated, decided which students would represent our school at the regional bee. Her choice was based off of an in-class spelling bee, which reminded me of how we used to play dodgeball during recess in elementary school. All of my classmates lined up against the white, cinderblock wall while Mrs. Voegele threw words at us. If you got hit with a word you couldn’t spell, you were out.

 

            It may seem arrogant, but I’m still confident that I was the best speller out of all of the students in our class. This presented a dilemma. If I won the in-class spelling bee, Mrs. Voegele would nominate me for the regional spelling bee, but f I participated, I would miss cheering at the last game of the season. Then what would my friends say?

 

            Of course, I made it to the final round. The competition was between me and a girl named Karen Schaaf, who would eventually be our valedictorian. Mrs. Voegele said, “Aaannd the next word is aggressive”

 

            Then it hit me. I could purposely spell the last word wrong. With the addition or omission of one letter, I could successfully dodge the regional spelling bee! So, that’s what I did. “A-g-r-e-s-s-i-v-e, aggressive,” I had purposely dropped one of the g’s.  Mrs. Voegele seemed surprised that she had gotten me out, maybe even a little disappointed. I returned to my desk in defeat, but feeling slightly relieved.

 

            At the regional spelling bee, Karen didn’t even make it past the first round. To this day, I think I could’ve made it at least a little farther, but I guess I’ll never know. Long story short, I threw the spelling bee in order to fit in.

            As a future English teacher, it would’ve been pretty cool to say that I competed in a regional spelling bee. Instead, I just have this weird story. I want to share it with my students, though, because I want them to be able to reach their full potential without worrying about what other people think. So, to my future students, don’t be afraid to try new things and explore your interests; in other words, don’t try to fit in just because you are afraid to stand out!