Maggie Gunther has a spelling bee application on her iPhone that “actually yells at you if you mess up.” Maggie doesn’t love getting patronized by a program in her free time, but she’s using it to study for the 18th annual Great Grown-up Spelling Bee.

On Sept. 17, FAU returns to the bee at the Harriet Himmel Theater in CityPlace with a brand new team to defeat their friendly rivals, PBCC.
“Last year, Palm Beach Community College took first place and FAU took second, so we’ll have to reverse that,” says Gunther, a community relations officer.

FAU’s spelling team also faces another challenge.
“[The] team members, including me, are new this year,” says Penelope Fritzer, a professor in the College of Education. The team of newbies consists of Jessica Delva, Penelope Fritzer and Maggie Gunther. To prepare for the event, Fritzer shared that the team’s drawing from their “lifetimes of reading and writing,” and reviewing “tricky words, just in case.”

The team doesn’t have a name yet, because group titles aren’t required for the event. Most competitors enter under the name of their university or company, though last year’s bee had some interesting teams, such as The Queen Bees.

The Great Grown-up Spelling Bee isn’t just a chance to show off spelling skills — it’s also a serious charity event. The registration fees help the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County enhance its community service programs. The coalition develops adult literacy, reads to children through their KidzLit program, and even helps adults obtain their GEDs. By participating, each team donates $1,000 toward the coalition’s programs, a registration fee that’s often supplemented by a sponsor. With all this in mind, participation in the bee breeds satisfaction.
“No matter the outcome, we all win,” says Gunther.

The charity competition isn’t limited to universities; some of the participants in last year’s bee were FPL and Discount Debt Solutions, though another school, Lynn University, also competed. This year’s teams aren’t yet known, but Delva, Fritzer and Gunter are counting on PBCC’s participation so they can defeat their rivals.

Despite the shared victory of the charity, it’s still a competition. “There’s always tension and excitement for any competition,” says Fritzer. The spelling team’s feeling an abundance of the pre-game jitters.
“Do we take turns? Do we consult?” asks Fritzer.
“I picture the [competition] atmosphere to be very anxious, with groups rehearsing words, origins and spelling. Deep inside, everyone will be excited, but in the same manner bloodthirsty to win,” says Delva, a sophomore pre-nursing major.
The spellers intend to obtain that win with teamwork and preparation. “We’ll all be trying to do our best as individuals and as a team,” says Gunther.

Though they don’t have regular team meetings or group study sessions, the team’s definitely preparing. They’re each sharpening their individual skills to enhance the group’s collective talent.

Gunther depends on her iPhone app and the help of those around her.
“Each day, my co-worker Nyasha gives me the word of the day,” she shares. Even though the team is using creative approaches to their preparation, it still counts as studying.
“All you can do is try to read as much as possible and pay attention to words in everyday life,” says Gunther.

This year’s spelling team was put together by Jeffrey Buller, an executive member of the Literary Coalition. Buller sent out a mass e-mail among the school and determined the team members on a first-come, first-serve basis. In addition, there was an online application asking potential spellers to pick the misspelled word from a list of three, and enticing prospects with the promise of “bee-licious food.”

A team of three may seem small by sports standards, but in the eyes of the Great Grown-up Spelling Bee, it’s a magic number. All teams participating in the event have three members seated at a table with eight seats — the extra five chairs are dedicated to family members and friends.

Although the team has supporters, “It’s not like football,” Fritzer says. Even though they don’t have thousands of screaming fans, the team’s pumped up for the bee.

On Sept. 17, FAU’s three wordsmiths will enter the theater, with their entourage of five in tow, to spell their way to a trophy, because a victory at the bee brings massive literary bragging rights.

The Team:

Maggie Gunther

Bachelor’s degree in journalism; community relations officer for the  Broward campus

Favorite word: I like “serendipity.” It sounds great, and in a very basic definition it means to be pleasantly surprised. Who wouldn’t like that?

Previous competitions: I competed in my school’s and my county’s spelling bees and placed [second and fifth county] as a child.

Earliest spelling memory: I wrote my first newsletter at the age of 5, on the very important topic of Mickey Mouse. Also, as a child my parents had me memorize the most commonly misspelled words in the dictionary.

Webster or Oxford dictionary: Webster all the way!

Penelope Fritzer

Graduate degrees in English; works in FAU’s College of Education

Favorite word: Someone once said that the loveliest words in the English language are “summer afternoon” because of the images they evoke.

Most difficult word: “Acetaminophen.” It knocked me out of the Big People’s Spelling Bee in Broward one year!

Previous competitions: Three times in the Big People’s Spelling Bee in Broward, also a benefit.

Earliest spelling memory: I’ve always loved to read, as long as I can remember.

Webster or Oxford dictionary: Webster’s probably better for us to practice with, as it’s the original American spellings, though Oxford has American versions as well.

Jessica Delva

Pre-nursing sophomore studying on the Boca campus

Favorite word: “Essence.” It possesses a striking tone.

Most difficult word: Nothing specifically, but definitely words that phonetically don’t sound how they’re spelled, like “Czechoslovakia.”

Previous competitions: I’ve never participated in a spelling bee but have seen them in movies and TV shows.

Earliest spelling memory: Studying to excel on spelling tests and use my education to my advantage.

Webster or Oxford dictionary: Webster all the way!

Did you know?
She’s the youngest member of this year’s team.