Students from throughout Indiana to square off at state Spell Bowl finals
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Sixty schools from throughout Indiana will compete at Purdue University for the 22nd annual Indiana Academic Spell Bowl state finals, sponsored by the Indiana Association of School Principals.
The senior high school competition begins at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 in Loeb Playhouse. The middle school contest will follow at 3 p.m. A full list of competing schools is available online.
Kyle Harrop, program director of the association's Department of Student Programs, said 418 teams made up of more than 5,300 students competed in regional spell bowls to advance to the state finals.
"Students have spent long hours preparing for this competition by learning to spell words such as 'senescence' and 'usurious,'" Harrop said. "Eight of the nine state champions from the 2005 competition are returning this year, so we anticipate a lively atmosphere."
Teams of eight to 10 students will send one representative on stage for each word. The students must write the word in 15 seconds, after which scores are updated on a screen. Winners will be named in four classes, which are determined by school enrollment numbers.
Victor L. Lechtenberg, Purdue's vice provost for engagement, said serving as the spell bowl's lead corporate sponsor is a worthy investment for the university.
"Reaching out to schools throughout Indiana and supporting them with Purdue resources is a cornerstone of Purdue's engagement mission," Lechtenberg said. "Sponsoring the spell bowl finals and other academic competitions, such as the academic decathlon and Indiana Academic Superbowl, is just one of the many ways we do that."
Other corporate sponsors include the Clowes Fund, Dekko Foundation, John W. Anderson Foundation, Old National Bank and Cal Tutor.
Writer: Marydell Forbes, (765) 496-7704, mforbes@purdue.edu
Sources: Victor L. Lechtenberg, (765) 494-9095, vll@purdue.edu
Kyle Harrop, (317) 891-9900, ext. 220, kharrop@iasp.org
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
Related Web site:
Purdue Office of Engagement
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