Hello everyone!

We want to thank all of you for your ongoing support; it has meant a lot to many people involved in the Bee. I’m writing this to let you know that as of right now, we are suspending most of the efforts going into this petition and campaign due to a variety of reasons. We recently wrote a letter to Scripps presenting them with this petition, and we are still hopeful for a positive outcome, but we are not going to actively seek out further signatures at this time, especially given Scripps' repeated statements that they will not make a change.

It's important to note, however, that at its core, the Bee is not just the event that Scripps holds. It's the passion for words and language that's alive in every one of us. It's the community of people of all ages and backgrounds who not only rejoice in celebrating that passion, but actively develop bonds with and care for one another. Scripps can cancel the national bee and end eligibility for eighth graders, but we still have our love for words and we have each other, our community. At the end of the day, that's all we need.

Thank you again for all of your support and help.