Shrey Parikh won the Scripps National Spelling Bee Thursday night, beating Ishaan Gupta in a lightning-round tiebreaker. This year’s spellers …
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Shrey Parikh wins the Scripps National Spelling Bee, beating Ishaan Gupta in a lightning-round tiebreaker.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee has moved from suburban Maryland to downtown Washington, and not all spellers and their families appreciate the change. The Bee is being held at Constitution Hall, a nearly century-old concert venue just blocks from the White House and the Washington Monument. Spellers are dealing with logistical hurdles including crowded hallways, limited dining options and shuttle bus rides. The quickest route between the venue and the hotel where spellers are staying would be to walk across the Ellipse south of the White House. But that's been fenced off for a UFC event on President Donald Trump's 80th birthday.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee will crown a champion in Thursday night's finals. The bee began in 1925, with this year marking its 98th edition. After a long run at a convention center in suburban Maryland, the bee returned to the nation's capital this year at Constitution Hall near the White House. Mina Kimes of ESPN has joined the broadcast as its host. The bee airs on ION and other channels owned by the Cincinnati-based media company Scripps. The champion of the bee receives more than $50,000 in cash and prizes. Thirty of the past 36 champions have come from families of Indian heritage.
Many kids who've won the Scripps National Spelling Bee have taken a comprehensive approach to their preparation. They use private coaches, pay for word lists and study guides and compete in online bees. They seek a mastery of roots and language patterns that will help them figure out words they've never heard before. But sometimes a speller comes along who does it differently. Sarv Dharavane finished third last year, and he's a finalist again this year. He says he just reads the dictionary, makes his own word lists and remembers them. Several former champions and coaches say memorization is important, but no one can memorize every word.
Scott Remer is the country's only full-time, professional coach for kids competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The 32-year-old Remer has coached five national champions, including two of the last three. Remer claims 34 spellers as his students this year and has worked with no fewer than 29 during each of the past four bees. He charges up to $180 for an hourlong private lesson. And if spellers finish in the top 10 and earn a cash prize, he receives up to 10% of their winnings. Many spellers who worked with Remer praise his coaching, but some say he can be brusque and demanding.