By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 26, 2024 – The 2024 Scripps National Spelling is generating a great deal of excitement in Washington, D.C. as a field of 245 spellers prepare to participate in Bee Week 2024 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, adjacent to D.C.
By now, all of the contestants have already checked into Gaylord Resort, including The Bahamas’ two contestants, Aarav Balani, a student at Lyford Cay International School, and Eckward Ferguson, a student at Central Eleuthera High School, along with officials from the Bahamas National Spelling Bee (BNSB) who accompanied them to D.C.
I have press credentials to cover the event, but because of a disability problem that has seriously affected my mobility, I am unable to cover the Bee in person, as I have done in past years, but thanks to the advancements in communications technology, I am able to cover it virtually.
For the spellers, Bee Week will include much more than three days of nationally-televised competition. Bee Week is a week-long experience for spellers and their families that includes special events, educational workshops, excursions into Washington, D.C., and more.
Participants from around the United States advanced through local and regional bees that took place throughout the country in April. There are spellers from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Texas has the largest representation with 20 national competitors. California and Ohio are next with 17 each, followed by Florida, Illinois and New York with 13 each.
In addition to The Bahamas, competitors from outside the 50 United States represent Canada, Germany, Ghana, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The spellers range in ages from 8 to 15. Only 57 spellers are returning from the 2023 field, while 65 spellers have previously competed. More than 73 percent – 180 spellers – are competing in their first Scripps National Spelling Bee.
The 2024 Scripps competition undoubtedly will be very competitive, given the fact that four finalists from 2023 are participating in the 2024 Scripps Bee — Sarah Fernandes, who tied for 10th; Aryan Khedkar, who tied for fifth; Tarini Nandakumar, who finished ninth; and Shradha Rachamreddy, who tied for third.
As the person who introduced the Scripps National Spelling Bee to The Bahamas’ educational system in 1998 when I was Editor of The Nassau Guardian, as usual I shall be “pulling hard as hell” for our two Bahamas participants to not only reach the finals, but for one of them to be the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion.
MEET THE SPELLERS: Bahamas National Spelling Bee Champion Aarav Balani is Speller No. 8 and Eckward Ferguson, who finished second in the 2024 BNSB , is.Speller No. 9. Below is a link to the MEET THE SPELLERS POST on Scripps National Spelling Bee website:
https://www.spellingbee.com/meet-the-spellers
