Press prevails over pols with "gnathic" at Spelling Bee
“Gnathic” was the final word, but by the time eventual champion Alex Clearfield had shocked the crowd by spelling “waterzooi,” the writing was on the wall at Thursday evening’s annual Press vs. Politicians Spelling Bee at the National Press Club Ballroom.
The Press team’s Clearfield, deputy team Lead for state litigation with Bloomberg Law, claimed victory over the Politicians’ final speller Rep. Don Beyer, D-VA, who stumbled on “cancrivorous.” The Press spelled 31 words correctly to the Politicians’ 30 over five intense rounds of hard-fought spelling action.
“Can I just surrender after ‘waterzooi?'” Beyer joked to a ballroom packed with spellers, Club members, friends and family.
'Gnathic', for those unfamiliar, means 'relating to jaws'. 'Waterzooi' is a stew dish from the Flanders region of Belgium.
According to NPC Membership Program Manager Cecily Scott Martin, who organized the event, this year’s spelling bee attracted 289 registered attendees, making it the most successful since 2015.
The Bee also raised more than $20,000, the most ever, according to National Press Club Journalism Institute Development Manager Mitch Harle.
“All funds raised from sponsorships and ticket sales go toward the Institute's activities and support our mission to power journalism in the public interest,” Harle said. “The Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy."
In the past year, the Institute has grown to serve more than 9,000 journalists and communicators in every U.S. state and territory, and 46 countries.
The first Press vs. Politicians Spelling Bee took place in 1913. Martin said Clearfield’s performance ranks among some of the best the Club has seen in an event that has become a Washington tradition since it was re-introduced in 2013.
“We have had many incredible spellers over the years. Club member Amy Wang, our 2023 and 2022 champion, comes to mind. Rep. Beyer was also in the final round last year,” Martin said. Beyer won the competition in 2015.
“Before the event, Alex told me that he had only ever participated in one spelling bee as a child,” Martin said. “He won that one, and since he won last night's, he has now won every spelling bee he has ever competed in.”
“I’ll admit I was pretty confident. I’m a recreational speller, but I watch the [Scripps National Spelling] Bee every year,” Clearfield said. “It feels great now, but I got lucky. There were a lot of words I didn’t know. Fortunately, they went to other spellers.”
Clearfield’s winning performance impressed the best speller in the country, celebrity guest Bruha Somer, 12, who won the 96th Scripps National Spelling Bee on May 30.
“Of course, it wasn’t quite on the same level of competition [as the National Spelling Bee], but they did a good job of simulating the real Bee,” Somer said. “Plus, I got to be one of the judges and tell people if they were correct or incorrect. That was really fun.”
Harle thanked the following sponsors for their support for the 2024 Press vs. Politicians Spelling Bee:
Publir
The Dictionary Project
The Beer Institute
News/Media Alliance
WISH (Washington Intern Student Housing)
Leadership Connect
Robert Weiner Associates News and Public Affairs
Wounded Paw Project