Nathan Estep, Speller 507 and a Virginia eighth grader, has quite a family history: siblings Marissa, Samuel, George and Edwin have all participated in the Bee.
Nathan's word was "cacography," which means bad spelling.
"I hope I don't have any of that today," Nathan quipped.
So far, so good.
Beckett Lucas-Griffin, Speller 508, was concerned about Dr. Bailly's stamina.
The Wyoming eighth grader asked if he was OK. Dr. Bailly answered in the affirmative.
"You sure?" Beckett pushed. "You're sitting there for a pretty long time."
"I enjoy it," Dr. Bailly countered. "I get a front-row seat."
Beckett spelled "sphalerite" correctly. It's a widely distributed ore of zinc composed essentially of zinc sulfide but often containing iron, manganese or other elements.