Meet your neighbor: Ben Willingham
Published 8:00 am Tuesday, March 4, 2014
- Ben Wilingham
People often describe Ben Willingham as “intellectual, a little too intellectual sometimes,” according to the Pell City student.
Whether it’s possible to have too much of it or not, Willingham’s intellect enabled him to claim first place this month in the St. Clair County Spelling Bee. It was his fifth appearance in the competition and his first win, having finished second or third in his four earlier attempts.
“I wasn’t very stressed, not like I was at the others,” he said. “After five times, I guess I was used to it.”
The son of Mike and Stacy Willingham and an eighth grader at Duran North, he identified the word that won the bee, the word that almost eliminated him, and his strategy for winning.
The winning word: “Lethargy. I was familiar with it, so I was really happy at that point when I knew the word.”
The word that gave him the most trouble: “Gregarious. I thought it was game over on that one, but I managed to spell it right.”
How did he prepare for the bee? “Honest to God, I did not study one lick for this one. Every year before, I’ve studied my brains out. I didn’t even sign up for the school spelling bee this year. I just walked in, without having seen the word list, and won. I took it as a good luck charm, and I guess I was right.”
At Duran North: Willingham is a member of the Beta Club and Student Government Association and serves as captain of the Scholar’s Bowl team.
His favorite subject: “Science. I’m studying physics and chemistry right now.”
His career goal: “I’d like to be an anesthesiologist. I’m pretty set on it, and I’d like to go to either UAB or Missouri. I’ve always liked science, and the work is hard, but I’ve been told that it pays off better than other medical professions.”
What he looks forward to about starting high school: “Getting on the track I need to prepare me for medical school. I’m not saying the tracks for younger students aren’t helpful. It’s just too general. High school has more specialized classes.”
If he could change one thing about the world, what would it be? “That is a tough question. I would like to see the economy boost itself back up. Our government could help that by being more conservative and giving away less money.”
The biggest problem facing teenagers today: “A lack of work ethic. People these days don’t work as hard as they used to. Teenagers thinking they can get things for free or cheat their way through life doesn’t help the situation.”
When he’s not at school: Willingham plays drums for the local band The Frequently. The trio also includes his brother Jones on guitar and keyboards and Hayden Tumlin on bass. Jones and Tumlin are students at Pell City High School.
About The Frequently: “We’re not just a garage band. We play in Birmingham. My brother plays drums, guitar and keyboard, and Hayden plays keyboard, so we switch it up sometimes. Our sound is alternative and indie rock, but not hard like AC/DC.” He names Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, and Vampire Weekend as the group’s inspirations.
His beginnings as a musician: “Our lifestyle has always centered around music at our house. I got my first drum kit when I was four and my first guitar when I was five. I banged around on the drums and got serious about it when I was seven. Ask anybody at school, and they’ll tell you I’m constantly tapping rhythm on things without even knowing it.”
