Ever wanted to play in a game of Jeopardy? A lucky university student, named Pranjal Vachaspati, did. And he won. He appeared in an episode of Jeopardy with game show host Alec Trebek on July 26, 2016.
But it was not an easy game. It appears that this particular contestant had trouble identifying midwestern states on the map. Daily Illini has it that Pranjal wanted to enter the game show but he was hesitant because he was "really terrible" when it comes to midwestern geography.
A close friend of Pranjal, named Erin Rhode, explains that he could not identify Iowa on the map. In another test, he could not identify Wisconsin on the map, either. Rhode is Vachaspati's friend. They were both undergrads at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
She further added that he had difficulty in figuring out the difference in states with the letter "I." Ultimately, she said that she was proud of him.
Pranjal explained that he took the online test. When he was called, they informed him that he would be on the show. Nobody coached him. He took it upon himself to prepare for the show. It took him a month to get ready.
He used an online database of old Jeopardy questions to get him ready. "I used this and I rented software to help quiz me," says Pranjal. It helped him identify his weak spots and he needed help with the buzzer timing. His friend Rhode, competed last year. He only pursued Jeopardy because Rhode was able to do it.
Rhode's advice? She emphasized the importance of the buzzer. "The winner is always the one who can get the buzzer," she says.
When asked what she thinks of his win, "I'm like 90% really happy for him, and 10% kind of jealous," she said. But all in all she is happy for him.
Vachaspati did not expect to win at all. Check out a segment of his gametime below:
