(EDITOR’S NOTE: Roy Seligman , a 12-year-old Lyford Cay International School student, is among the 30 spellers who advanced to the Semifinals on Sunday, June 27.)
CINCINNATI, Ohio — The Scripps National Spelling Bee welcomed back 75 spellers for the competition’s virtual Quarterfinals on Tuesday, June 15. All the action was on ESPN3, with competition kicking off at noon ET and concluding at 4:30 p.m.
Thirty spellers who advanced to the Semifinals on Sunday, June 27, where the field is expected to be narrowed to 10-12 spellers who will move on to compete for the title of national champion at the July 8 Finals. The final rounds of this year’s Bee will be hosted in-person at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida, and will be broadcast live in primetime on ESPN2.
Find the full list of spellers advancing to the Semifinals and Quarterfinals round results at spellingbee.com.
QUARTERFINALS RCAP:
Laptops at the ready
To ensure equal access to the virtual elements of the competition, the Bee is using a technology vendor to create a level playing field and competition space so that every speller has the same “virtual” experience. Spellers received laptops provided by the Scripps National Spelling Bee ahead of the Preliminaries. A proctor was onsite with each speller to uphold the integrity of the competition.
THE COMPETITION HEATED UP
Tuesday’s Quarterfinals consisted of three rounds (rounds four through six) of oral competition for each speller. In round four, spellers were asked to spell a word. If they spelled it correctly, they advanced to round five where they answered a multiple-choice word meaning question. If they answered the word meaning question correctly, they were asked to spell a third word in round six. The words in all three rounds were from Merriam-Webster Unabridged, the Bee’s official dictionary.
Seventeen spellers misspelled in round four, 16 spellers chose the incorrect multiple choice answer in the word meaning round (round five) and 12 spellers misspelled in round six – the final round of the Quarterfinals.
The 30 spellers who successfully advanced through all three rounds will compete in the Semifinals on June 27.
VIRTUAL “BEE WEEK” ACTIVITIS:
Connecting spellers throughout the national competition is a virtual platform, designed to allow its spellers to engage with each other and Bee officials, attend fun events hosted by the Scripps National Spelling Bee and celebrate their accomplishments. The Bee’s virtual event platform continues to connect spellers this week with a series of activities designed to engage and celebrate the 209 finalists during their 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee journey.
Merriam-Webster presentation (June 14)
A speller favorite every year, this presentation from Merriam-Webster Editor at Large Peter Sokolowski gave spellers a new perspective on the Bee’s official dictionary.
Bee’s Bookshelf: A conversation with Tae Keller (June 16)
Newbery Medal-winning author Tae Keller joined the Bee for an engaging conversation about the power of stories. This event, made possible by Penguin Random House, concluded with a live Q&A with questions from spellers. Spellers participating in the Scripps National Spelling Bee received a signed copy of Keller’s book, “When You Trap a Tiger.”
Penguin Random House author panel (June 24)
Spellers are invited to join a conversation with a panel of best-selling authors from Penguin Random House. The event will feature Jennifer L. Holm, Chad Sell, Kelly J. Baptist, Kwame Mbalia and Chrystal D. Giles. This event will conclude with a live Q&A with questions from spellers.
The Bee game virtual escape room (June 26)
Spellers are invited to go on a virtual adventure featuring the one and only Dr. Jacques Bailly, pronouncer of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. He’s doing some vocal warmups and getting ready to pronounce, but he’ll be there in time for the Finals… Or will he? Spellers must work together to solve word puzzles and help him find his way back to the Bee.
UP NEXT WEEK: The 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee competition schedule is as follows (end times are approximate):
Semifinals: Sunday, June 27, 7-11 p.m. on ESPN2 (Play Along version on ESPNU)
Finals: Thursday, July 8, 8-10 p.m. on ESPN2 (Play Along version on ESPNU).
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Here’s the official information on Roy Seligman included in Scripps National Spelling Bee introduction of the 30 spellers who advanced to the Semifinals on Sunday, June 27:
SPONSORED BY: The Ministry of Education, Nassau, The Bahamas
SCHOOL: Lyford Cay International School
PREVIOUS BEE EXPERIENCE: Roy previously competed in 2019 (tied for 51st place).
BIO: When he is older, Roy would like to pursue a career in finance, which would enable him to combine his love of maths with his fascination for historical and current world events. Roy is the elder of two children born to Arthur and Nuala Seligman. Roy enjoys coding and mathematics, and works with older students to extend his learning in both areas. While he is a strong academic student, Roy also performs very well on the soccer field and in the swimming pool. Roy lives to learn and learns to live!”
