Spelling-bee protesters 'thru with through'

Seattle Times ^ | June 3, 2004

[sarcasm]

WASHINGTON — Protesters delivered a message yesterday to the national spelling bee: Enuf is enuf!

Members of the American Literacy Society picketed the 77th annual spelling bee, which is sponsored every year by Cincinnati-based Scripps Howard.

The protesters' complaints: English spelling is illogical, and the national spelling bee only reinforces the crazy spellings that they say contribute to dyslexia, high illiteracy and harder lives for immigrants.

"We advocate the modernization of English spelling," said Pete Boardman, 58, of Groton, N.Y. The Cornell University bus driver admitted to being a terrible speller.

Protester Elizabeth Kuizenga, 56, is such a good speller that she teaches English as a second language in San Francisco. She said she got involved in the protest after seeing how much time was wasted teaching spelling in her class.

Bee spokesman Mark Kroeger said good spelling comes from knowing the story behind a word — what language it comes from, what it means.

"For these kids who understand the root words, who understand the etymology, it's totally logical," he said.

The protesters contend that the illogical spelling of English words makes dyslexia more difficult to overcome and helps explain studies that suggest one in five Americans are functionally illiterate.

"If these people were able to read and write with a simplified spelling system, they would be able to fill out a job application, stay employed and stay out of prison," said Sanford Silverman, 86. The retired accountant was handing out copies of his book, "Spelling for the 21st Century: The Case for Spelling Reform."

Carrying signs reading "I'm thru with through," "Spelling shuud be lojical," and "Spell different difrent," the protesters drew chuckles from bee contestants.

"I can't believe people are picketing against something this ridiculous," said contestant Steven Maheshwary, 14, of Houston.

By day's end yesterday, 46 of the original 265 spellers remained for today's championship. The participants are competing for a top package of $17,000 in cash and other prizes.

Some of the stumpers yesterday were "phyllotaxy," "triboluminescence," "ziphioid" and "dacquoise."

[Proud Legions]

hea, somme of us speel finee, we just need ot laearn howe to typye

[The Electrician]

Hmmm... What I can't figure out is whether we will have to also change "threw" to "thru", or whether we can change it to "throo" instead (in order to continue to distinguish 'through' from 'threw').

[jigsaw]

I demand metric spelling!!

Great idea! We'll reduce the alphabet to just ten letters. Half the problem solved right there!

I recommend we get rid of vowels first.....

[Fudd]

We will change "threw" to "throwed".

[dc27]

Well, it wuz printed in the Seattle nuzpaper.

[IronJack]

Eye thingk speleng shud bee modurneyezed tu. Itz askeng tu much for pepul tu lurn tu spel kurektle.

[G L Tirebiter]

"Get a life" bump.

[Dante3]

LOL

The protestes are another example of people with too much time.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

"We advocate the modernization of English spelling," said Pete Boardman...Cornell University bus driver

Ithaca is the City of Evil.

[Hatteras]

Why do the protester's even bother. The computer is eliminating even their mispellings. LOL, ROFLMAO, URADWEEB, etc...

Seriesly....

[Publius6961]

Protester Elizabeth Kuizenga, 56, is such a good speller that she teaches English as a second language in San Francisco. She said she got involved in the protest after seeing how much time was wasted teaching spelling in her class.

Imagine how much time could be saved if we dumped the silly 2+2=4 thing too! How about 23/32 divided by 3/4? Who needs that?
More time for buying baseball hats to wear backwards.

Let's stop tolerating that silly competence stuff and have more time for rap. Yeah. That's the ticket.

personally, I think that mastering the peculiarities of English is a reliable test of overall intelligence.

[B4Ranch]

Part of this problem is attributable to a lowering of the national IQ Myself, I wish we were thru with throo and tho.

[B4Ranch]

UNFARE TO IMMIGRANT'S?

Then you must change it, says the UN Charter.

[Publius6961]

With spell-check and increasing use of keyboards and computers, this issue is moot.

Another MENSA graduate heard from. Misuse of homonyms is as hilarious as misspelled words any day. In fact it's worse, from my perspective.

[Carcharodon]

American spelling is ingrained with errors as it is anyway.

[aruanan]

The protesters' complaints: English spelling is illogical, and the national spelling bee only reinforces the crazy spellings that they say contribute to dyslexia, high illiteracy and harder lives for immigrants.

Phriggun morons.

[Publius6961]

There are still too many words that sound alike but have very distinctly different meanings; wood and would are prime examples. Which word wood you use?

Here at FR it's a close race for first place between "its" and "it's", or "principal" and "principle"

[blu]

When do you suppose the Dems will demand an investigation? Another committee, appropriately timed, dontcha know, to tie up the Repubs? And, of course, President Bush will have to testify, because, as I'm sure you're all aware, it is his fault Johnny can't spell. And, Haliburton (VP Cheney's old company (gotta say the 2 together)) will be blamed for something.....I know, demanding their employees must be able to spell before they get hired. That right there is discrimination!

Ahh, I can see it now.

(BTB, the spellchecker here works great! Assuming there's not a monkey at the keyboard!)

[Publius6961]

Bloody colonials ; )

Hey!

I resemble that remark, Reggie.

[Aquinasfan]

There is a strong correlation between dyslexia and "whole language," the method of learning to read by memorizing entire words as pictographs (like Chinese word-pictures), as opposed to phonics, the method of learning to read by "sounding out" words letter by letter.