Spelling Bee: Letter to the Editor

My letter to the editor:

When I opened the Free Lance Star on Thursday, May 30, I was elated to see a young girl from Virginia on the cover participating in a national spelling bee. However, my delight turned to dismay when the first 3 paragraphs focused on this intelligent girl's “lucky dress” and whether it would "make the cut" for the preliminary rounds at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. To add to my shock, the first 5 paragraphs included comments about this smart girl’s “turquoise dress” and “sparkly silver heels.”

My first thought was, I wonder how many readers (to include men of course) are now focused on this sixth grader's "above the knee" dress - yikes! My second thought was, I wonder if any journalist would focus on what a young "boy" was wearing at a spelling bee.

Readers actually have to turn to the back of the section to learn about the details of Jessica’s spelling accomplishment at the spelling bee.

  

If I were writing this article, I would focus on the fact that this is Jessica’s “first” time at the national spelling bee, which demonstrates her intelligence, dedication, and tenacity, and she is a “homeschooler,” which was mentioned only once.

Why not focus on the potential future for this young spelling-bee winner? According to a 2012 article in Slate, “the last six [National Spelling Bee winners] to graduate from high school have attended college at Harvard, Cornell, MIT, Yale, Tufts, and Duke” (Palmer, 2012). Impressive!

When will the world stop accentuating the physical appearance of young girls (and women) and only emphasize their extraordinary cognitive abilities?

Lauren Kane-Sample

Homeschooling mother of 3 girls and 1 boy

Composition Instructor for 4 Universities

Reference citation:

Palmer, B. (2012). Doctors. D-O-C-T-O-R-S. Doctors. What do spelling-bee winners do when they grow up? Retrieved from ww.slate.com/articles/life/explainer/2012/06/scripps_national_spelling_bee_what_happens_to_the_winners_later_in_life_.html