Habitat for Humanity held its first annual spelling bee fundraiser to conclude Act! Speak! Build! Week. The Winston room buzzed with excitement April 7, with 16 people participating and many more in the audience to cheer them on. 

Habitat for Humanity President Alexis Jablonski ’23 was one of the moderators for the night of spelling, along with Madeline Ford ’23. Jablonski said, “It was so rewarding to receive such overwhelming support from other student organizations and individuals.” She continued, “We are grateful for the campus’ passion for spelling and affordable housing.” 

The goal of the fundraiser was to raise money for Habitat for Humanity Georgetown, South Carolina, a chapter that works closely with low-income communities of color. The theme of Act! Speak! Build! Week was centered around racial disparities in housing. By the end of the spelling bee, Habi successfully raised $402 to donate to the Georgetown chapter.  

The Habitat for Humanity reached out to various clubs, organizations, theme houses, and Greek life to “offer up a tribute” to represent their group. There was a $5 entry fee, and contestants could purchase lifelines to stay in the game. These lifelines included passing a word, skipping the round, phoning-a-friend, and having the moderators define the proposed word. 

Each contestant had 30 seconds to spell a word during the spelling bee, after the moderator announced it. The moderators posed words to the contestants related to Habitat for Humanity, building, and housing disparity. The participants displayed impressive spelling skills, nailing many of the challenging words— even if they had to purchase a lifeline or two. As the rounds progressed, words became increasingly difficult, and the competition grew fiercer. Eventually, the moderators turned to Scripps National Spelling Bee List for more words.  

After several intense rounds, the group of 16 was narrowed down to just five participants. To make things more interesting, the moderators introduced a new rule: the chance to revive a contestant. If an organization’s representative spelled a word wrong, the group could buy the contestant back in. L.I.G.H.T. House Representative Matthew White ’24 took home the coveted spelling bee trophy after spelling the word epidemiology correctly. White narrowly defeated KDS Representative Eliza Jacobson ’23, who got out with the word patisserie. ot of time and effort to ensuring the success of the first annual Habi spelling bee and we hope that the bee will become a beloved campus-wide tradition for years to come.”