Lincolnshire teen still buzzing about 'Jeopardy' appearance
Zach Blumenfeld offers this tidbit to all "Jeopardy" fans: Working that buzzer is harder than it looks.
And he should know. Blumenfeld, a 16-year-old junior at Stevenson High School, is one of the teenagers who will be phrasing answers in the form of questions during the "Jeopardy" Teen Tournament in November.
"It's tricky, getting the timing down," said Blumenfeld, a Lincolnshire resident. "I have a whole new perspective on the game now."
The 15 young people who will compete in the tournament traveled to Los Angeles a few weeks ago to tape the programs. The winner of the tournament will bring home a cash prize of $75,000. The second- and third-place winners will get $25,000 and $15,000, respectively. The tournament programs begin airing Nov. 2 on ABC.
So, um, how did Blumenfeld do?
"My friends have been asking me that, too," he said. "I tell them, 'you'll just have to watch in November.'"
Blumenfeld, a geography buff and a longtime "Jeopardy" fan, decided in February to take the online test to be a contestant. In May, producers asked him to do an in-person tryout in Chicago.
During the tryout, Blumenfeld took another written test, played a mock round of the game, then participated in the type of contestant interview that "Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek does during each program.
"I looked around me and saw 17 other kids I thought had a better chance than me to get on," Blumenfeld said. "I fantasized about being chosen, of course, but I didn't really think my chances were good."
He found out he'd been selected while working as a camp counselor in the summer. During an evening card game with his campers, another staff member told him to call home. His parents delivered the good news.
"It's probably the most excited I've ever been, and my campers were stoked," Blumenfeld said.
As might be expected, spending time with Trebek was one of the highlights of the taping weekend in Los Angeles. Blumenfeld had actually met Trebek once before during a state geography bee, but that was just a brief encounter.
"I won't say that I know him, because I don't, but I definitely got to talk with him a lot more this time," he said. "What people might not realize is that he's very funny. He talked to the audience during the commercial breaks, and always came off well. It was really cool."
Like most ambitious high-school juniors, Blumenfeld has already thought a great deal about college. He hopes to study either international relations or international economics, and while he doesn't know yet what school he'll attend, his list of scheduled visits includes some heavy hitters: Stanford, Harvard, Brown.
Wherever he goes, his stint on "Jeopardy" is sure to be a good conversation-starter.
"I really had a great time," he said. "Being on the game was great, and I got to know 14 cool kids from all over the country. Now I'm just waiting for November."