An Iowa native will be a contestant on an upcoming episode of Jeopardy. Rachel Anderson, who’s originally from Webster City, recently took part in the taping of the long-running TV quiz show.
Anderson says she’s been watching Jeopardy since she was 11 years old, when it returned to television in 1984. She says there was an on-line test for potential contestants and she took it on a lark. Based on the results, Anderson took part in a regional audition in Chicago and then was invited to be a contestant on the actual show in Los Angeles.
She wasn’t allowed to say how she placed on the program, but describes her visit with host Alex Trebek. Anderson says, "He really doesn’t talk to the contestants too much, I’d assume because of legal reasons, but he’s very nice, very witty and has a good sense of humor." Anderson now lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she’s a English professor at Grand Valley State University.
A 1991 Webster City High School graduate, Anderson credits one of her Iowa high school activities in preparing for her national TV appearance. She did Quiz Bowl in high school and "could always remember things that I never even knew I knew," as she says remembering random facts and trivia is key to Jeopardy as you can’t really study for it. The episode featuring Anderson will be telecast on March 2nd.
For more information, visit the Jeopardy website .