The Spelling Bee Champs and The Code

The National Spelling Bee is a competition, but not a sport. New Yorker Sriram Hathwar, 14, and Texan Ansun Sujoe, 13, just tied for the title by spelling words we can’t pronounce, and have no clue as to their meaning. We wondered, how does this relate to the Code? There is nothing more central to any sport or competition than the self-discipline and the willingness to commit to long hours of sacrifice and hard work necessary for success. What is more remarkable are the countless, lonely hours these young men have to have given to looking at a dictionary and learning to spell – while most of their friends are playing sports or watching TV. While we prefer sports to dictionary study, we must admire and salute the effort made, and remember the Code says, “I will give my best effort…” If 13 and 14 year olds can do this, can’t we?