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Macdonald makes it to bee semifinals

AT THE BEE — Eighth-grader Andrew Macdonald shared a moment with his parents, Paul and Suzanne Macdonald, at the National Spelling Bee. -- Contributed

OXEN HILL, Md. — He has accomplished what only one other person has been able to do in Jefferson County. He has accomplished what many before him could not. And, through his humor and genuine kindness, he has captured the hearts of those who have come to know him.

Steubenville resident Andrew Macdonald has stood on the Scripps National Spelling Bee stage before. The eighth-grader from Bishop John King Mussio Junior High School earned a first-place finish during the Jefferson-Harrison County Regional Spelling Bee Presented by the Herald-Star in March. After beating out his competitors for the second year in a row, he and his parents, Paul and Suzanne Macdonald, returned to Washington for Bee Week.

The event, featuring 229 spellers from throughout the United States and various countries around the world, was held at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Md.

Competition began with preliminary rounds Tuesday morning. In Round 1, Macdonald correctly spelled the word “bhikshuni.” During Round 2, he correctly identified the term, “misnomer” as an incorrect designation or term. This accomplishment left the 14-year-old eligible to continue on to Round 3 Tuesday evening.

“My favorite part this year was competing on stage, because I was able to make it much farther than last year and truly show off my skills,” Macdonald stated.

And again, he showed off those skills by successfully spelling the word “convoluted.” This earned him a place in the semifinals Wednesday morning — a position he did not find himself in last year.

“The competition was structured differently this year, because only the first two rounds were together, and the third round was separate, but I liked this format better,” he explained. “Last year, the first three rounds were all together and because I misspelled in the third round, I still felt like I lost instead of getting to move on. Making it farther in the competition was encouraging, and I was glad I made it into the quarterfinals.”

For only the second time in the nearly 40-year history of the local bee, a competitor progressed to the semifinal competition. Isabella Fletcher, then a student at Harding Middle School, reached those rounds in the 2021 event.

However, as the saying goes, “All good things must come to an end.” And they did.

Wednesday morning, Macdonald correctly spelled “rhinitis” to become one of the 73 spellers to advance out of the fourth round before being asked the meaning of the word “paraphernalia” in the fifth round. He was given multiple choices but selected the wrong response. Paraphernalia means, “articles of equipment designed for a particular use or activity.”

The disappointment was evident by his expression after the judges notified him his selection was incorrect.

“Onstage, I was next to one of my friends from last year,” Macdonald said, adding, “so we both talked and made jokes during the competition — even though we weren’t really supposed to. I was definitely more annoyed after going out this year, though, because I hated going out on a word-meaning question and it was my last year of eligibility.”

He will continue to smile and remain positive throughout the remainder of the week.

Macdonald looked on in support of those still competing. Students he had come to know both this year and returning spellers from last year’s event.

“Aside from the competition, there were a lot of fun activities to do, including workshops on things like LEGOs and STEM kits,” Macdonald said. “I enjoyed watching the other parts of the competition live and I think it really is superior to a television screen. I will definitely miss competing in spelling bees, but I hope to return in the future to the National Spelling Bee as a helper. I don’t really know where the future will lead me and how my knowledge of spelling will prove helpful, but I am planning to put this on my resume and I may potentially help spellers in the future.”

“Whatever happens in the future, I’m glad that I was given this opportunity and I will never forget my experiences,” he concluded.

“The farther you get in the competition, the more heartbreaking it is to hear the bell,” his mother, Suzanne, stated. “But I’m glad Andrew was able to go twice as far as he did last year. I’m also glad he got to liven things up at the podium with his humor and drama skills.”

While the competition may be over, Macdonald will continue to do other activities he thoroughly enjoys, including baseball and acting.

“Those (humor and drama skills) he will definitely be using onstage this summer when he performs in, “Anne of Green Gables” in July and during Catholic Central High School’s show next March,” Suzanne said.

There are 11 spellers left in the bee, which will conclude tonight. Coverage on Ion will begin at 8 p.m. The competition also will stream at spellingbee.com.

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