Students put on their thinking caps and stepped up to the microphone at Social Bites on Thursday night for a spelling bee hosted by Bama Dining.
Nine contestants participated in the food themed spelling bee for the chance to win a first place medal and a $10 Social Bites arcade play card.
Camaya Moore, a junior majoring in kinesiology, participated in the event to fulfill a childhood dream.
“I always wanted to be in a spelling bee because my favorite movie used to be ‘Akeelah and the Bee,’ so this is a childhood moment for me,” Moore said.
Miracle Givan, a sophomore majoring in social work, said the spelling bee was a “brain refresher” and “a good way to get out of the dorm.” Her participation in the event also stemmed from a childhood experience.
“I won spelling bee champ in fifth and sixth grade, and I just wanted to prove to myself that I’ve still got it,” Givan said.
The list of food themed words started out simple, as contestants spelled out everyday items like “onion,” “garlic” and “bagel” with ease. Eventually, the competition heated up, and words like “sarsaparilla,” “maraschino” and “foie gras” began to stump people.
As contestants started to misspell words, participation ribbons were handed out, which students could use to get a free milkshake from Social Bites.
Two final spellers emerged and after back and forth correct spellings between the final two, Kade Marcon, a junior majoring in computer science, won the bee. The final word that won him the top spot was “andouille,” a type of smoked pork sausage common in Cajun cuisine.
