Mentally dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s is the stuff most National Spelling Bees are made of. This year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee, which started Wednesday with 286 bright youngsters taking their spots in the Grand Hyatt ballroom, won’t be any different. What’s unique each of the 80 years the Bee has been in existence is the chance to blend the archaic and the obscure with the jugular while the whole world watches in awe and animation. Here’s a slide show tribute to the contest and its contestants.
