SCRABBLE-Saving the World One Letter at a Time

By Jennifer Knight

 

Alright iSchoolers, it’s time to get your Scrabble game on!  Monday, April 21st, iServe is sponsoring its FIRST EVER Scrabble for Literacy Tournament at the esteemed College Inn Pub.  That’s right, you have an opportunity to make history just by showing up.  For a mere $10, you, or your friends, or your professors, and even yes, your talented cat who can not only flush the toilet but also play the socks off the most intrepid 2-letter word user (ok, maybe leave the cat at home), can not only engage in the fine and undervalued art of the perfect bingo (aka Scrabble-out), but also indulge in fine beverages, bask in the glow of lovely company, and save the world one letter at a time.  Seriously, what better things do you have to do with your time (after all, Heroes is still on hiatus)? 

About the saving the world one letter at a time business…so, the best part (besides getting a two-letter word list) of this scrabbtacular event is that all the proceeds from the event will benefit Page Ahead. If you haven’t heard of Page Ahead, it’s basically one of the coolest non-profit organizations in Seattle. Page Ahead organizes motivational reading events, provides new books to children, and encourage parents to read with their children. By putting books into the hands of kids, the organization hopes to increase children’s literacy. For those of us who hope to work in libraries (or anywhere for that matter), this is a little like purchasing really cheap job security insurance. Did we mention that you also get a two letter word list?
 
The tournament will be broken down into two levels of play, recreational, and competitive. Games will have a 40 minute cap on them (we don’t have timers, so we’ll be working on the honor system) and depending on the number of people, will rotate people through. Competitive games will involve single opponents…recreational style games will be loose. The event is intended to be a casual, fun event for people who love Scrabble.  If you’re interested in more competitive Scrabble, you may want to check out the Seattle Scrabble Club, which meets every Tuesday evening at the University Friends Meeting House several blocks west of campus.  Visit their website for more information.

Trabant Coffee & Chai, the University of Washington Bookstore, the College Inn Pub, the iSchool, and the Big Time Brewery & Alehouse have generously donated gift certificates and prizes for the event. Prizes will be awarded for the best library- and information-related words and for the winner of the competitive elimination tournaments.

The event was orchestrated by planning divas Jean Lee, Kelly Smith, and Jennifer Knight, who got the idea from Oregon Literacy, a non-profit that holds a large-scale, semi-annual Scrabble tournament fundraiser. If the iServe event is successful, event organizers hope the event will become an annual tradition.

Just to reiterate, game time is 5:00 pm on Monday, April 21st.  For those of you scrambling to get your portfolios done, this is after the dreaded due date. Pre-registration is required, and remains open until April 14th. Note that registration doesn’t include food or beverages, but merely the opportunity to play. To sign up, all you need to do is go to our WebQ survey and make a $10 donation to Page Ahead Literacy. Remember to bring a copy of your donation receipt to the event. 

See you on the Scrabble field!