The Scripps National Spelling Bee returned to Washington on Tuesday for the first time since 2011, moving from the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland, to Constitution Hall, the city’s largest dedicated concert venue. Built in 1929 by the Daughters of the American Revolution, the hall sits steps from the Washington Monument and the White House, but the change has divided the families of the 247 spellers who began competing in preliminary rounds.
“I feel like they should not have moved it. The old venue was better. Because it’s a bit of a hassle, getting on the bus and going there and then coming back,” said Yahya Mohammed, 14, a three-time speller from Hoffman Estates, Illinois. “The old venue was more spacious, and it feels kind of isolated in the hotel.”
At the Gaylord, spellers roamed freely between hotel rooms, the competition ballroom and a large food court. The new venue requires shuttle-bus rides from the J.W. Marriott, the official competition hotel, and crowded hallways inside Constitution Hall. Security was also tighter: guards and metal detectors stood at every entrance, and explosive-sniffing dogs patrolled the hallways after a man opened fire at a White House security checkpoint three blocks away on May 23, injuring a bystander before being fatally shot by Secret Service officers.
The quickest walking route from the hotel to the venue — across the Ellipse, the grassy expanse south of the White House — is now fenced off as crews construct an outdoor octagon for UFC Freedom 250, a mixed-martial-arts event scheduled for June 14, timed for President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. “Two very disparate forms of entertainment,” said Rajeev Malhotra of Boston, whose son Rajeev is a speller.
Other families welcomed the downtown venue. “I just love being here, right next to the National Mall. You can see the Smithsonian, you can see the Jefferson Memorial. It’s such a lively and unique city and I love being in the heart of it,” said Oliver Halkett, 14, a three-time speller from Los Angeles. “There’s so much history, there’s so much culture.” Speller Andie Seavey of Fairbanks, Alaska, and her mother, Kristin, attended the musical “The Great Gatsby” at the National Theater next door to the hotel.
The competition itself followed its familiar pattern. After 80 spellers were eliminated during onstage spelling and vocabulary rounds Tuesday, the remaining 167 competitors took a high-stakes written test that will determine the roughly 100 who advance to Wednesday morning’s quarterfinals. The champion will be crowned Thursday night.
Spellers said they were ready for the possibility that a mistake does not end the competition. Last year, champion Faizan Zaki misspelled a word in the final round, heard the bell rung by head judge Mary Brooks, and told her, “Just ring the bell.” His error let two other competitors back in — all three had misspelled during the round.
Kushi Gottimukkala of Morrisville, North Carolina, said she experienced a similar reprieve at her regional bee, sponsored by the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. Down to the final spot, she misspelled “anchialine” and thought she was out, only to watch the other two spellers also miss. “I was still thinking about the mistake, but I was also really grateful that I got a second chance,” she said.
Oliver Halkett said he keeps his focus by staying mentally present. “It’s a peculiar situation, but I think, above all, mental clarity is so important, especially in those latter rounds,” he said. “I close my eyes and do some deep breathing and I visualize the word, and it’s just me and the word. … Treat every word as if it’s your first and last word.”