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Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Texas seventh-grader wins National Spelling Bee after dramatic twist left audience gasping
A seventh-grade student has won the National Spelling Bee after a dramatic twist left the audience gasping. Faizan Zaki, from Allen, Texas, clinched the title after 21 rounds of spelling with the deciding word being 'éclaircissement' - a French-derived word meaning 'enlightenment.' The 13-year-old was showered in confetti before lifting the ceramic trophy aloft. 'I don't even know what I'm going to say. I'm just really happy,' he shared. But his victory came after a dramatic twist where all three finalists misspelled their words in the same round. The rare moment led to the entire group being reinstated in the competition and set the stage for an unforgettable comeback by Faizan. The season competitor, who was the runner-up last year, had stumbled in Round 18 on the word 'commelina.' He began with 'K-A-M...' but quickly halted when he realized his error. 'Oh, okay, let me think, let me think. All the information,' Faizan said, before conceding, 'Oh, shoot.' Remarkably, his fellow finalists - Sarvadnya Kadam from California and Sarv Dharavane from Georgia - also missed their words in the same round. The shocking triple miss prompted the judges to reinstate all three contestants, eliciting excited gasps and applause from the audience at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. After the close call, Faizan approached the next rounds with renewed focus before taking home the title. Reflecting on his win, he shared: 'I really hoped I would get first. But I didn't want to say I would. The spelling bee can really be all about luck.' Faizan, who was competing against more than 240 applicants, first appeared at the Scripps national championships when he was just seven years old. He has been a regular face since - often practicing up to eight hours a day, focusing on vocabulary and speed. Faizan, who was competing against more than 240 applicants, first appeared at the Scripps national championships when he was just seven years old 'From first grade to fourth grade, I thought I'll just do this for fun,' Faizan said. 'But then since I got second, a lot of people were expecting me to get first this year. 'And I was too engrossed in the whole process of studying to really think about if I actually win.' After his recent win, Faizan is now the 17th champion from Texas - which is more than any other state.
CBS News
4 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Scripps National Spelling Bee champion Faizan Zaki on his winning moment and resilient comeback
Faizan Zaki was the big winner at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which celebrated its 100th anniversary. At the first Scripps National Spelling Bee in 1925, there were only nine participants. This year, 243 kids from across the country competed for the championship title. Zaki, from Allen, Texas, correctly spelled "éclaircissement" for the win, a word he said he instantly recognized. "I know that from … my previous studying. It means enlightenment and … it comes from French. So I just knew all that in my head and, so I just got right to spelling," Zaki said. But before his victory, in the final minutes of the competition, Zaki, along with the two other finalists, missed their words, sending the contest into another round. "There was a word that I got earlier, 'Commelina' and without thinking, I started spelling and so then I realized, 'oh, I need to slow down.' I asked for the information and then I realized that what I had spelled was wrong." NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND - MAY 29: Faizan Zaki, 13, of Dallas, Texas holds the Scripps Cup after winning in the 21st round of the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center on May 29, 2025 in National Harbor, Maryland. Kayla Bartkowski / Getty Images Zaki described his spelling process, saying he likes to get a general idea of the word first. "Basically, I hear the word and I try to get the information about the word before I spell," he said. The 13-year-old was last year's runner-up and encouraged people to never give up on their dreams. "If you really are passionate about something and stick to it then you can get it done since that's what I did. Like last year, I got second and I was really disappointed and I was really sad that I didn't win. But the next year, I just kept on studying and studying and studying and now I'm here, I have the trophy," Zaki said.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Prince George's County police roll out summer crime initiative
UPPER MARLBORO, Md () – Prince George's County Police Chief Malik Aziz and Acting County Executive Tara Jackson announced a summer crime initiative for the county. The crime initiative will kick off from June 12 to Aug. 30. Prince George's police said crime is down 16%, so far this year. Aziz attributed this change to the department's hard work and the community assisting officers. He said that the summer will be a major time for the department. 'Every single unit that we have in this bureau should be contributing something to the summer crime initiative,' said Aziz. 'Those things are all different during the summer because it's ramped up.' Gun violence prevention expert discusses what can be done amidst violent stretch in DC Tara Jackson also added that these measures are for the betterment of the county. 'We don't just set curfews and put arbitrary rules in place so that our children will be miserable. We do it to keep them safe, and we have found that it works,' she added. Aziz also noted that National Harbor will continue to be essential. The chief said the goal is for the business atmosphere and residential area to not have anything negative at the Harbor. Police said they will use 'TAAG,' a system that divides the entire county into thousands of hexagon areas. The department uses the system to specifically locate crime more efficiently, sending officers to places of great need. The department has identified the top 'hexagons' and work community leaders to drive down crime. DC police chief says youth curfew was a success during Memorial Day weekend County Executive Jackson doubled down, saying that youth is still a priority for the county, and essential in stopping crime. She encourages all parents to make sure their children are safe when they go out. 'But please, do your very best to partner with us to keep them safe by talking to them about risks, asking them where they are going and what they are doing when they get there,' said Jackson. 'Kids want to be out in the streets. Frankly, lots of people want to be out. So we're not just increasing enforcement, but we're increasing engagement with the community as well.' Jackson and Aziz agreed that the community will be essential to keep the county safe this summer. 'Public safety doesn't start with a patrol car, and it doesn't end there either,' emphasized Jackson Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
How to Watch the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee
The finalists of the Scripps National Spelling Bee will be vying for the chance to win $50,000 on Thursday night. This year's contest celebrates 100 years since the first spelling bee was held on June 17, 1925. The annual competition has grown into a nationally televised event that draws competitors from around the nation and the globe. Contestants must be under the age of 16 and participate in regional competitions for the chance to qualify for the national championship. The finals will air live from 8 to 10 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday on Ion, a broadcast network owned by Scripps Networks. The bee's website has a list of streaming platforms that include the network and a tool to find your local channel after inputting your ZIP code. Viewers can also watch on the bee's website. The New York Times will begin live coverage at 6 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday. This year's spellers have come from all 50 states; the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands; and several other nations. They spent the last several days competing in preliminary spelling and vocabulary rounds at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., just outside Washington. Last year's top prize went to 12-year-old Bruhat Soma of St. Petersburg, Fla., after he correctly spelled the word abseil during the competition's second-ever spell-off. Bruhat, who had tied for 74th place at the 2023 bee and 163rd place in 2022, told The Times after his victory that winning the spelling bee was 'like a dream come true.' 'Instead of going down, I decided to be really motivated by that,' Bruhat said of his previous attempts, 'so don't be discouraged by failure.'
CBS News
27-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Nine Michigan students participating in National Spelling Bee competition
Nine Michigan students are among those competing at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which is taking place in National Harbor, Maryland. Preliminaries take place May 27. Semifinals are on May 28, with finals on May 29. During a spelling bee competition, each student approaches the microphone as their name is called. They are given a word verbally and must spell it back correctly to the judges in order to continue. The word that the winning contestant won with is usually part of the contest announcement. The Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary is used as the spelling reference. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first National Spelling Bee, which was organized by a group of newspapers. There are 243 spellers participating at the national competition this year. The students can be no older than age 15 or past the eighth grade by Aug. 15 of the competition year. The Michigan contestants who advanced through regional competitions to participate at the national stage are: Divya Choudhary, age 11, grade 6, Canton Charter Academy. Sponsored by WXYZ Channel 7, Detroit. Elliott Covelle, age 14, grade 8, Northern Hills Middle School. Sponsored by Kent Intermediate School District, Grand Rapids. Minna Danziger, age 12, grade 6, Leland Public School. Sponsored by Traverse City Record-Eagle, Traverse City. Ishika Dirisala, age 12, grade 6, Upton Middle School. Sponsored by The Herald-Palladium, St. Joseph. Ainsley Gastmeier, age 14, grade 8, Trinity Lutheran School. Sponsored by Macomb Intermediate School District, Clinton Township. Josiah Loehrke, age 11 grade 5, El Sol Dual Language School. Sponsored by Kalamazoo Experiential Learning Center, Kalamazoo. Sanvi Mandvekar, age 13, grade 8, Larson Middle School. Sponsored by Oakland Schools Education Foundation, Waterford. Zander Myers, age 11, grade 5, Murphy Elementary School. Sponsored by The County Press, Lapeer. Eliza Schwass, age 14, grade 8, Oliver J. Dejonge Middle School. Sponsored by West Shore Educational Service District, Ludington.
