A ‘Jeopardy!’ Tournament of Terps

If you tuned in to “Jeopardy!” on Sept. 21, 2016, you might have seen a young woman clicking desperately on her buzzer, mostly failing to time them to the exact moment that host Alex Trebek finished reading the clue.

That young woman was me. Standing on that Los Angeles stage was the culmination of a lifelong love affair with trivia—racing to beat my older brother when our dad asked who was the artist on the oldies station or huddling with my pub trivia team to identify international flags and preening when I was the only one in the bar who knew that Gay Talese wrote the famous New Yorker article “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold.”

I’m not the only Terp who’s stood behind one of “Jeopardy!’s lighted podiums. Over the years, a crossword puzzle maker, professors, a drag queen performer and several students have competed on the daily show or in the Teen Tournament, the College Tournament, the Champions Wildcard Tournament and the big kahuna, the Tournament of Champions.

Tonight, a new Tournament of Champions starts a two-week run, inviting back big winners including Isaac Hirsch ’14, who won more than $215,000 during nine games last summer.

“Maryland Today” caught up with him and other Terp trivia masters to ask what it’s like to hold that buzzer, and how they got there.

For many contestants, being on “Jeopardy!” was one of their earliest dreams. Nostalgia for watching the show with family was a persistent theme.

“‘Jeopardy!’ was on right before dinner every night, and I knew my father had been on it many years before.”—Hirsch

“My family watched ‘Jeopardy!’ every night. My grandparents would even take their phone off the hook so that they couldn't be disturbed during the show. My parents, sister and I would play along. I always dreamed of being on that stage!” –Michelle Rosen ’12

Getting on “Jeopardy!” is a multipart process. First, would-be contestants take an online test of 50 questions. A number of applicants, selected randomly from those who score above what’s considered a passing grade, are invited to move on to the next step.

Before COVID-19, that meant auditioning in person at casting events held around the country, where hopefuls took another written test, followed by short, three-person mock games and a bit of banter with the casting directors. Since the pandemic, the process has moved online, where applicants go through a similar process on Zoom. Then the wait begins—as long as 18 months, while the show’s team keeps you in the pool of potential contestants.

“I had no clear sense of what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by the collegiality of my fellow aspirants. The room was devoid of egos, filled instead with passionate trivia enthusiasts like myself, all eager for the opportunity to meet Alex Trebek and demonstrate our mental acumen.”—Andrea Dragan ’10, M.P.H. ’20

“I remember being kind of out of my element because everyone there was studying flash cards or reading books, and I was just kind of winging it.”—Daniel Oxman ’23

“I've done a lot of theater and other kinds of public speaking, so I knew once I got to the game-play audition, I would have a good chance since they are looking for people who'd be comfortable on TV.”—Kevin Belle ’07

After auditions, contestants wait for “the call”—the phone call from producers letting them know they’ve been selected for a spot on the “Jeopardy!” stage. (A dead giveaway it’s “Jeopardy!” calling: an unknown number from Culver City, Calif.)

“I was in a wind tunnel lab in the basement at Harvard (doing my Ph.D.) by myself when a number with the California area code they told us to look out for popped up. I excitedly answered then danced around the room. (Luckily, I was alone!)”—Rosen

“I was actually in Jimenez Hall at the University of Maryland participating in a quiz bowl practice.”—Jeff Amoros ’09

Then the preparations begin. Some practice their buzzer timing with a clicky pen. Others study wagering strategy. Many make flash cards of common categories, like U.S. presidents, Shakespeare plays or world capitals. (My best moment onstage was thanks to flash cards on the periodic table. My opponents each failed to correctly guess the last two elements alphabetically, then I swooped in with “zinc” and “zirconium.”)

“I used a buzzer speed training program. This game is all about the buzzer.”—Scott Shewfelt M. Jour. ’07

“I rewatched as many ‘Jeopardy!’ episodes as I could and read the ‘Jeopardy!’ fan favorite book, “Secrets of the Buzzer” by Fritz Holznagel, which gave me some great insights.”—Dragan

“I started using a toilet paper roll holder as a buzzer, and I'd stand behind my chair like it was a podium and practice ringing in. I would even turn all the lights up and shine a light in my face to mimic the show's conditions.”—Belle

Once contestants make it to the Sony lot in Los Angeles, much of the day goes by in a blur. First, they gather in the green room for some prep on game play, plus hair and makeup. Then they head into the studio, where five episodes are taped in a day and contestants are randomly selected for each game.

“(The ‘Jeopardy!’ stage) was simultaneously much bigger and much smaller than I had imagined. It felt like stepping behind the curtain of ‘The Wizard of Oz’, but in the best possible way—it completely exceeded my expectations.”—Dragan

“In my game, there was a point where I got pretty in the hole, but ended up going on a streak after that and almost climbing back to positive. The look on (Trebek)'s face like he was cheering me on helped motivate me, and I still remember that.”—Oxman

Some questions linger in the mind—for better or for worse.

“I will never forget that Atlanta is the U.S. capital named after ‘the feminized form of a large body of water,’ specifically the Atlantic Ocean. I can't believe I missed that, as someone whose major was half oceanic science, and whose department was in the Atlantic Building!”—Ciara Donegan ’22

“There was a question about words in the Bible, to which I answered ‘shall’ ... and repeated it when asked to clarify. Because the correct answer was ‘shalt.’ I also mispronounced ‘The Hague’ on national television.”— Rosen

“I guess my dad was upset that I missed a question on ‘Desolation Row’ by Bob Dylan.”— Hirsch

“I went into Final Jeopardy with a lead and missed it. I knew it and blanked. I lost to the guy who went on to win the tournament. Whenever I see or hear ‘Esperanto,’ I grind my teeth.”— Shewfelt

“I did get to answer a question about ‘Some Like It Hot,’ which was awesome as someone who does drag to answer a question about that movie.”— Belle

For many, the biggest takeaway from appearing on “Jeopardy!” wasn’t winning or losing—it was joining a community of trivia lovers, having a once-in-a-lifetime experience and, of course, a photo with Alex Trebek or Ken Jennings.

“Everyone wanted everyone else to succeed. I've had a chance to make some great friends in the alumni community, including some other local UMD alums like Kevin Belle, and being able to reconnect with several folks from my tape day.”—Niranjan Murali ’13, MPP ’14

“Of course everybody wants to win, but we're all rooting for each other, too. After taping, there's a big community of past ‘Jeopardy!’ contestants that I've been able to take part in, and it's great to have those connections!”—Donegan

“It’s so rare, especially as adults, that we get to fulfill a lifelong dream, and I’ll always be proud of that moment.”—Dragan