The Urbana Free Library held its annual adult spelling bee in the Lewis Auditorium on Saturday. The prize for the winner was a trophy and an Urbana-themed gift basket.
Spinning off of the popular elementary school competition, organizers designed this event for adult-only participation. With words ranging from “nauseous” to “conchiform,” about 25 contestants sat together, awaiting their turn to test their vernacular knowledge at the microphone.
The event’s enthusiasts filled every seat in Lewis Auditorium. Spellers dominated one side of the room while spectators flooded the other.
“I always hope that we’ll have a good turnout for watching,” said Rachel Vellenga, youth services librarian at the Urbana Free Library. “I hope that we have a full roster for our spellers, and I hope that everyone had a good time.”
The competition took off in 2018 after a Washington librarian recommended it to the Urbana Free Library.
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“We gave it a try, and we’ve been happily surprised since the very beginning at what a fun, good-natured competition it is,” said Carol Inskeep, adult services librarian at the Urbana Free Library.
Many people in the room echoed the same sentiment about the contest’s nature. The competitors, sitting in their own special section, spent the duration of the spelling bee quietly cheering each other on.
When a competitor misspelled a word and was consequently disqualified, they moved to a different section designated for “fallen soldiers.” Every time a new soldier joined the ranks, their fellow spellers congratulated them for their efforts in the competition.
“I think this brings people together,” said Uma Iyer, junior in LAS and winner of this year’s spelling bee. “I got to meet people; I got to talk to people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise. It’s fun to meet the community, especially as a University student.”
The Lewis Auditorium was filled with a sense of community. The determined spellers, their loved ones and library workers came together for this event.
“People want ways to come together as a community,” Inskeep said. “People of all ages and all backgrounds want to be able to gather together to have fun — especially events that are free that appeal to a variety of interests.”
The Urbana Free Library provides this space in the community, with its proximity to both the University and residential Champaign-Urbana. It offers a slew of free events every month, catered to both of the communities they hold a place in.
“I think that libraries, in the past, people thought of us as just books,” Inskeep said. “I think, increasingly, we are also places where people can be together in a safe and friendly way, and this is one extension of that.”
Check the Urbana Free Library’s website for a calendar of upcoming events.
