During the past century, through the Great Depression, World War II and the COVID pandemic, the Scripps National Spelling Bee endured as an academic competition.
At the heart of it all are the young spellers who travel from near and far for a chance to become a champion.
In the driveway of his family home in Maryland, 13-year-old Arya Bhavansikar practices a sport less popular in the U.S. than in many other parts of the world: cricket.
"It was during COVID, we had nothing to do, with a lot of Indian people here," he said. "They wanted to bring their heritage, you know. So, they decided, 'Hey, let's set up a cricket club,' and that's how I really got into it."
He definitely got into it and eventually won an award for "Most Valuable Player." It's a journey not unlike the one that got him to this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee, after he decided on a whim to try his hand at his school's spelling bee.
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"I'm like, 'Yeah, sure, let's give it a shot.' I signed up and, lo and behold, I won," he said, recalling what it was like when he won. "It's like, when you're about to die, and you see your life before you. I'm like, yeah, this, it all led up to this moment."
Now, that moment is here for him and 242 other spellers, who will gather starting on May 25 for the 100th anniversary of the Bee at National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.
Ranging from ages 8 to 14, the spellers are coming in from all 50 states and from half a dozen other countries around the globe: from Ghana to Germany, Kuwait to Canada and other countries in between.
"It's a foundational experience for so many kids in this country and around the world," said Corrie Loeffler, the Bee's director. "It's just you in the dictionary. It's not a bunch of bells and whistles, it's not any huge technology that's involved, and I think that simplicity really gives it legs."
Loeffler isn't just the Bee's director; she's a past participant of the Bee, too. As the competition celebrates its centennial, she said it's important to also celebrate every speller who made it.
"It's also making sure that that class of spellers for this year leaves knowing they're part of this entire legacy like they never have before, you know, and really celebrating each of them as champions, too," Loeffler said.
Since the Bee is celebrating its 100th anniversary, several dozen past champions will also be coming back this year. Their return includes a friendly competition among them to see if they can still s-p-e-l-l.
Programming Note: You can watch the Scripps National Spelling Bee during a live, two-night event, with the semi-finals on May 28th and the finals on May 29th. It all starts at 8 p.m. Eastern, 7 p.m. Central streaming on Scripps News and over-the-air on our sister station, Ion Television.
