Nerve-wracking tension, crossed fingers, nail-biting suspense, barely repressed 'ooh'ing and 'ahh'ing, cheering squads, and - spelling? Dictionaries open for quick spot-checks. Trial runs with words like 'disaccharides' and 'oesophagus. Last minute words of encouragement and advice from parents, teachers and friends. These were just a few of the scenes from the start of the first of the competitions held at the CIMA auditorium to select the contestants from Colombo to go on to the next round of the CIMA Spellmaster Season 2.
 At the Spellmaster, students vie for the top spot by proving their ability to keep cool while trying to picture the spellings in their head, as they aren't allowed to write the words down. The pressure of trying to remember which letters they've already said can add to the challenge - but more of that later. The competition is run in rounds, with each participant getting two words to spell in the first round. As unsuccessful spellers are eliminated, the contest heats up, with the students from around the island competing in the preliminary rounds for a limited number of places in the next round.
The lights dimmed, the National Anthem was sung, and it was time for the games to begin. A few words of excellent advice from Bradley Emerson, the Regional Director of CIMA set the tone for the competition. It is important to remember, he told us, that even if you fail at something you mustn't allow yourself to be cast as a failure - true success comes from learning. If you don't win, being able to shake the winner's hand and wish him or her well speaks volumes about a person's character. This, he said, is his hope for this generation of students; that they take this with them into their everyday lives, making our country a better place for it. The officials then read out the rules, and after some last-minute instructions and reminders, the contestants filed onto the stage.
 One can only imagine how the first student felt, when coming up to stand in front of everyone, the others sitting behind, tense with excitement. There was relief on all faces when the word was spelt correctly, and cheers went up from the audience. After that first hurdle was crossed, everyone sat a little easier in their chairs; and when the subsequent words were pronounced, you could see smiles on some of the students' faces as they tested them out in their head and found they could spell them. Members of the audience too, tried it out and wrote words down as they were said.
Adding to the fun, one of last year's finalists - R. Subaharan Reginald from St. Benedict's - took part this year, giving the new players some experience to go up against. A groan went up from the crowd as one of the competitors, rushing through a word, missed out a letter and looked dismayed. Unfortunately, letters once spoken (or in this case, not spoken), can't be taken back. In a surprising turn of events, the defending champions (last year's CIMA Spellmaster was Ronali Perera of Holy Family Convent Bamabalapitya) were all eliminated in this round, giving a new school a chance to take the title.
 At the end of this eventful competition, the schools left standing were Bishop's College, Crescent Girls' School, St. Benedict's College, Thurstan College , Nalanda College, Kingston College International, St. Joseph's College , Ananda College, Royal College, St. Peter's College, Visakha Vidyalaya, Ramanadhan Hindu Ladies' College and Our Lady of Victories Convent Moratuwa. Bishop's College had all four students from their team go on to the next round, while most of the other schools had more than one get through.
This means that the rounds to follow are sure to be filled with more excitement and tougher competition as the best spellers fight for fewer places, and ultimately, the title of CIMA Spellmaster Season 2 of Sri Lanka. |
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