{"id":371,"date":"2010-12-01T17:41:51","date_gmt":"2010-12-01T17:41:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/social.plymouth.k12.in.us\/perspective\/?p=371"},"modified":"2014-04-07T07:16:46","modified_gmt":"2014-04-07T12:16:46","slug":"spell-bowl-team-is-well-on-their-way-to-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/social.plymouth.k12.in.us\/perspective\/?p=371","title":{"rendered":"Spell Bowl Team is well on their Way to State"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Pauline Dagaas<\/em><\/p>\n

Although memorizing the spellings of thousands of words stands as a challenging assignment, the Plymouth High School Spell Bowl team is more determined than ever to succeed. Qualifiers for the 2010 Indiana State Spell Bowl tournament, this group has already shown success in\u00a0 their improvement over the years and have also gained several personal benefits along the way.<\/p>\n


\nHaving already won their first competition at Northwood High School, the PHS Spell Bowl Team continued on to the Regional Tournament on October 18. This event alone would determine whether they would advance or if their season was at a close. When asked about her personal opinion of this year\u2019s team, Sophomore Kelsey Schnieders replied, \u201cI think we\u2019ll make it to state.\u201d After nine long rounds of spelling at regionals, the Spell Bowl team anxiously awaited the state-wide postings to find out if they truly did succeed. With a score of 71, Kelsey Schnieders\u2019 prediction was correct. Not only did they qualify for state, and were ranked 3rd statewide, this team also broke a school record, being the first group ever from Plymouth\u00a0 High School to proceed to
\nstate in Academic Spell Bowl.
\nIn spite of their many achievements, this group of students worked hard to earn all they accomplished. Practicing every Wednesday afternoon, these spellers have been studying meticulously. And with a list of over 3000 words to memorize, the task is easier said than done. \u201c[The most challenging part] is studying. It\u2019s really time consuming and there are so many words,\u201d says sophomore Tori Godwin. Although this extracurricular does pose a challenge, many are more than happy to oblige. \u201cI joined last year and it was really fun, so I wanted to join again,\u201d she adds.
\nWith words such as \u2018pince-nez\u2019 and \u2018tritrotoluene\u2019, these students have, without a doubt, expanded their vocabulary. Junior Zack Mahan remarks, \u201cI now know more words that I can use everyday.\u201d Younger brother Nate Mahan also comments, \u201cIt\u2019s improved mymarks, \u201cI now know more words that I can use everyday.\u201d Younger brother Nate Mahan also comments, \u201cIt\u2019s improved my vocabulary so I sound like an expert.\u201d
\nHowever, the benefits stretch far more than broadening ones terminology. \u201c[My favorite part] is getting to meet new people!\u201d Rachael Garcia is new to the Spell Bowl team this year, but is proud of her decision to join. \u201cI used to think people would think I\u2019m lame if I joined, but now I don\u2019t care,\u201d she states. Senior Garcia enjoys the opportunity to better know her peers, a definite pro which factored into her decision to become a part of the team. In addition, this activity also stands as a great academic extracurricular to add to college resumes.
\nLeading the way to state is English teacher and current coach of the team, Mrs. Amy Schmeltz. Once a Spell Bowl member herself in both middle school and high school at John Glenn, she understands the competition. \u201cMy high school team achieved state championships all four years. They are the team we will have to beat in order to win state,\u201d she says. Despite the tough opponents, Mrs. Schmeltz uses her past experience to enlighten and guide the Spell Bowl students of PHS. While she does help members practice for their upcoming competitions, she also hopes they gain much more than a vast vocabulary. \u201cI hope they learn that hard work really does pay off\u201d, she states.
\nThis year\u2019s team has already won NLC and will be the first in school history to travel to state. The tournament will be held at Purdue University on November 13. Though they are competing against various schools throughout the state, the Plymouth High School Spell Bowl team is dedicated, shows promise, and may just win the state trophy they very much deserve.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Pauline Dagaas Although memorizing the spellings of thousands of words stands as a challenging assignment, the Plymouth High School Spell Bowl team is more determined than ever to succeed. Qualifiers for the 2010 Indiana State Spell Bowl tournament, this … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":178,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[10],"class_list":["post-371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-school-news","tag-november2010"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/social.plymouth.k12.in.us\/perspective\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/social.plymouth.k12.in.us\/perspective\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/social.plymouth.k12.in.us\/perspective\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/social.plymouth.k12.in.us\/perspective\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/178"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/social.plymouth.k12.in.us\/perspective\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=371"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/social.plymouth.k12.in.us\/perspective\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":514,"href":"https:\/\/social.plymouth.k12.in.us\/perspective\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371\/revisions\/514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/social.plymouth.k12.in.us\/perspective\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/social.plymouth.k12.in.us\/perspective\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/social.plymouth.k12.in.us\/perspective\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}