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Lifelong Fan of 'Jeopardy!' Gets Shot
at $100,000 in Show's College Competition Round
Ioana Patringenaru | April 30, 2007
She’s been watching Jeopardy! ever since she was little. Now, she’s going to be part of the game — and get a chance to win $100,000.
Haritha Sudanagunta, a UCSD junior, will star in the show’s competition for college students, broadcast from April 30 to May 11.
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| Haritha Sudanagunta (right) poses with two of her opponents, Alicie Luo from Georgia Tech (left) and Dean Malec from Northwestern University (center). |
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“I’m pretty excited,” she said. “I just kind of want to have fun.”
Sudanagunta, a bioengineering and biotechnology major, had to compete with about 2,500 other applicants to earn a spot behind a “Jeopardy!” podium. Her parents, who also are fans, heard the show was looking for contestants. They encouraged her to audition. She took a 150-question test. Then she was invited to Los Angeles, where she took part in a mock game. Jeopardy! staff members also probed her personality during an interview. “It was really nerve-wracking,” she said.
Finally, she spent April 21 and 22 taping the show in Los Angeles. Fifteen students competed in groups of three during the first round. Then the five winners and four wild cards went on to the next round. Finally, the three winners from the second round moved on to the finals.
Sudanagunta is sworn to secrecy about the results. Before she headed to Los Angeles, she said she was more worried about taking part in the taping than about the questions. She didn’t have time to cram for the show and was hoping her knowledge would help her pull through.
Sudanagunta’s family is from India, but she was born in the United States. She has lived in San Diego for 16 years. Sudanagunta fell in love with bioengineering after taking a summer seminar on the topic in seventh grade. “From then on, I knew,” she said. She chose UCSD because it’s one of the top schools for her major. Also, the campus is beautiful, she said. “It’s a good place to be.” |
