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So much has changed in our world since 1925, when Frank Neuhauser correctly spelled "gladiolus," and 2022, when Harini Logan won in a spell off, to become, respectively, the first and the most recent winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
What hasn't changed, though, according to the E.W. Scripps Co., the national sponsor, is that the bee offers participants the chance to improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts and develop English skills that will help them the rest of their lives.
It's a tradition that will be renewed next week, when the top 231 spellers in the world gather at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., for this year's national bee. Among those competitors will be Andrew Macdonald.
A 14-year-old eighth-grader at Bishop John King Mussio Junior High School in Steubenville, Macdonald earned his second trip to the national bee on March 11, when he correctly spelled "reggae" to win the Jefferson-Harrison County Regional Spelling Bee Presented by the Herald-Star.
While the competition is important, Macdonald and his parents, Suzanne and Paul Macdonald, will have the chance to participate in the wide variety of activities that make up Bee Week. They'll be able to spend time with the other spellers and their families and visit sites around the Washington, D.C., area.
As always, there will be a lot at stake. The winner will receive $50,000, a commemorative medal and the Scripps Cup from the bee; $2,500 in cash and a reference library from Merriam-Webster; $400 in reference works from Encyclopaedia Britannica; a prize package worth about $2,500 from SugarBee Apple, which will support celebrations in the winner's hometown; and $2,000 in Scholastic Dollars, which will be donated to the school of the champion's choice in their honor.
Competition opens Tuesday with the preliminary rounds, and will continue on Wednesday, with the quarterfinals and semifinals.
Those rounds will be streamed on Ion Plus, Bounce XL and at spellingbee.com. The finals will air Thursday beginning at 8 p.m. on Ion and Bounce.
CourtTV's Julie Grant, a graduate of Catholic Central High School, will be a part of that coverage. The daughter of Carolyn and Dr. William Grant of Steubenville is no stranger to the competition -- she competed in the national bee in 1995 after winning the Jefferson-Harrison County Regional Spelling Bee.
Macdonald will be one of 134 males in this year's bee, and is among 49 spellers who have competed in the bee before. There will be 94 females, two non-binary spellers and one who preferred not to answer. Macdonald will be among 100 eighth-graders and 73 14-year-olds in the bee. Most of the spellers -- 166 -- come from public schools, while 37 come from private schools, 13 from charter schools, nine from parochial schools, five from home-schooling and one from a virtual school.
Vihaan Kapil, 9, of Arden Hills, Minn., is the youngest speller ,while Emily Demlow, 14, of Battle Creek, Mich., is the oldest.
Scripps also reports that of the 107 previous national champions, 54 have been boys and, statistically, the champion is likely to be either 13 or 14 -- students in those age groups have won 85 times. Texas has had the most winners (16) followed by Ohio (9) and Pennsylvania (8.) West Virginia is among the 20 states that have never had a champion.
The Jefferson County Educational Service Center and the Herald-Star have presented our region's spelling bee since 1985. Ron Sismondo, the director of curriculum and professional development at the service center, again coordinated the regional bee. Sponsors included Eastern Gateway Community College, Old Glory Embroidery, Special Tactics and Rescue Training, PNC Bank, the Mingo Junction Knights of Columbus, Ascent Resources and the Ohio Lottery Commission. Providing special assistance were Merriam-Webster Inc. and Encyclopaedia Brittanica, which have provided prizes for regional champions across the country.
Joining Macdonald in Washington will be a couple of area spellers who also will be returning to the national stage -- Shaylynn Dennis, a 14-year-old eighth-grader at Beaver Local Middle School, and Jacob Theaker, a 14-year-old eighth-grader at Martins Ferry Middle School.
According to Scripps, the bee, by inspiring the exploration of words, illuminates pathways to lifelong curiosity, celebrates academic achievement and enriches communities.
That's important to remember as Macdonald returns to the national bee, knowing he has the support of our entire community.