A student competes in the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee, via Getty
The Scripps National Spelling Bee has been forced to cancel its annual event for the first time since 1945 due to the coronavirus.
“The Bee has determined there is no clear path to safely set a new date in 2020,” the program said in its announcement Tuesday. That will bring disappointment to all of the 150 spellers who had already qualified for the national finals, especially for the eighth-grade students who were hoping for one last chance to win the Bee. The program has decided they will not make an exception in the requirements for next year, which stipulate that Grade 8 is the last year students can compete in the Bee. The next Bee will take place from June 1-3, 2021.
The National Spelling Bee has been running since 1925. The last time it had to be canceled was during WWII between 1943-1945.
ESPN has aired the competition since 1994 and the Bee’s cancellation is another blow to the network’s programming slate. The 2002 documentary “Spellbound” followed eight hopefuls through the 1999 competition, and even earned an Oscar nomination.
Here is the official statement from executive director Paige Kimble:
“Our thoughts immediately go to our spellers and their families. The students have dedicated time and effort to their passion for learning. They should be proud of all they have accomplished by winning spelling bees at the classroom, school and regional level. Nevertheless, our first priority has to be the health and well-being of our spellers and their families and the hundreds of staff and spectators that come together for Bee Week.
Our hearts go out to the spellers who won’t get their final shot at winning because of the pandemic and the difficult decisions it is prompting us to make. They are now part of a widely expanding group of children and adults who are missing out on opportunities due to the coronavirus.”
10 Movies With Social Distancing to Watch While You're in Isolation, From 'Home Alone' to 'The Martian' (Photos)
Welcome to self isolation. As a lot of Americans find themselves stuck inside (for who knows how many days) attempting to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, you might find yourself going a little stir crazy. Running out of things to stream on Netflix? Trying to avoid eating all the quarantine snacks? Here's a list of 10 movies to keep you busy while tapping into that feeling of isolation.
20th Century Fox
"Home Alone" (1990) This John Hughes classic follows 8-year-old Kevin McCallister abandoned at home as his family forgets him on their way to a Christmas vacation. Macaulay Culkin broke into stardom as Kevin, warding off home invaders. "Home Alone" was nominated for two Oscars and grossed $477.1 million worldwide.
Watch the trailer here. Check here for streaming options.
20th Century Fox
"Cast Away" (2000) Tom Hanks plays a FedEx executive stranded on an island in the Pacific after a violent storm crashes his plane. He spends four years alone on an island with only a volleyball named Wilson as company. "Cast Away" garnered two Oscar nominations and grossed $429.6 million worldwide at the box office.
Watch the trailer here. Check here for streaming options.
"I Am Legend" (2007) This Will Smith thriller based on the 1954 Richard Matheson novel of the same name is set years after a virus kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters. Robert Neville (Smith), apparently the sole survivor in New York City, valiantly searches for a cure. "I Am Legend" grossed $585.4 million at the box office worldwide.
Watch the trailer here. Check here for streaming options.
"Into the Wild" (2007) Written and directed by Sean Penn, this film follows recent college graduate Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) as he gives up his possessions life savings to hitchhike and live in the Alaska wilderness. "Into the Wild" was based on Jon Krakauer's 1996 non-fiction book by the same name, which was an expansion of a 9,000-word article by Krakauer on McCandless titled "Death of an Innocent." The film was nominated for two Academy Awards and grossed $56.7 million at the box office.
Watch the trailer here. Check here for streaming options.
Paramount Vantage
"Disturbia" (2007) This modern take on Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window" follows high school student Kale Brecht, placed under house arrest for the summer. He keeps tabs on his neighbors to avoid getting bored, falls in love and suspects one of them to be a serial killer. "Disturbia" grossed $118.1 million worldwide at the box office.
Watch the trailer here. Check here for streaming options.
Paramount Pictures
"Moon" (2009) If you're starting to talk to yourself, check out Sam Rockwell in "Moon," one of many films about an astronaut alone in space on this list. The film offers a nice wrinkle as it follows a man who experiences a personal crisis as he nears the end of a three-year solitary stint mining helium-3 on the far side of the Moon. "Moon" grossed $9.8 million at the box office.
Watch the trailer here. Check here for streaming options.
Sony Pictures Classics
"127 Hours" (2010) James Franco stars in another film based on a true story. The film follows a mountain climber who finds himself trapped under a boulder for... 127 hours. He ultimately has to resort to desperate measures in order to survive. "127 Hours" was nominated for six Oscars, including best picture, and grossed $60.7 million worldwide.
Watch the trailer here. Check here for streaming options.
Fox Searchlight
"Gravity" (2013) This Alfonso Cuarón-directed space disaster film puts Sandra Bullock through the ringer as an astronaut struggling to get back to earth after space debris leaves her and her partner, played by George Clooney, stranded in space. "Gravity" won seven Oscars, including best director, and grossed $723.2 million at the global box office.
Watch the trailer here. Check here for streaming options.
"Wild" (2014) Based on Cheryl Strayed's memoir "Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail," the film stars Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl, determined to complete the one thousand one hundred mile solo hike as a way to recover from a personal tragedy. "Wild" was nominated for two Oscars, including best actress, and grossed $52.5 million at the box office.
Watch the trailer here. Check here for streaming options.
Photo by Anne Marie Fox Searchlight
"The Martian" (2015) After being stranded on Mars, with the rest of his crew assuming him dead, astronaut Mark Watney is forced to use his wits and knowledge as a botanist to survive alone on the planet for a year. "The Martian" was nominated for seven Oscars, including best picture, and grossed $630.2 million worldwide.
Watch the trailer here. Check here for streaming options.
20th Century Fox
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Confinement loves company
Welcome to self isolation. As a lot of Americans find themselves stuck inside (for who knows how many days) attempting to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, you might find yourself going a little stir crazy. Running out of things to stream on Netflix? Trying to avoid eating all the quarantine snacks? Here's a list of 10 movies to keep you busy while tapping into that feeling of isolation.
20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
