2009 College Championship wildcard semifinalist: $10,000.
21 and from Verona, New Jersey at the time of the College Championship.
Jeopardy! Message Board user name: ceeps
Andrew Ceppos Blog Entry 3
August 18, 2009
Maybe it was because I had already advanced, or I had gotten over my first day jitters, but I really didn’t have any expectations going into the second day. I was content. Again, I can’t really remember too many of the answers from my episode, although it did seem uncharacteristically difficult and lacked any history and geography. I vaguely remember mouthing meerkat to the cameras without buzzing in, but it really would not have made a difference. The Final Jeopardy! was on a current event that happened when I was on the other side of the world, studying abroad in China; I had never heard of the last lecture before and there was no way I was going to deduce those two alliterative words from the clue. I won $10000, got a free trip to L.A., and get to be on T.V…..twice! These parting gifts are not too shabby for coming in third in both of my games.
The E-list celebrity status I had for the two weeks between taping and airing might be the best prize of all though. A feature article in the Tufts Daily. Opposite sex attention (well, more than usual at least). An over-the-top TV-38 commercial. And a rowdy Jeo-Party! to commemorate my national television debut.
Now I just have to decide what to do with the money. Lenehan wants me to go on his bank account emptying Euro-trip and I’m thinking of maybe going to South America for a couple of months to study Spanish and volunteer. I didn’t win year changing money, but summer changing money is equally welcome.
Because I couldn’t write any personal messages on my Final Jeopardy! responses here it is: Mom, Dad, Dan, Robin, Verona Crew, and Knoll, thank you all.
Andrew Ceppos Blog Entry 2
May 13, 2009
Maybe it was because I had already advanced, or I had gotten over my first day jitters, but I really didn’t have any expectations going into the second day. I was content. Again, I can’t really remember too many of the answers from my episode, although it did seem uncharacteristically difficult and lacked any history and geography. I vaguely remember mouthing meerkat to the cameras without buzzing in, but it really would not have made a difference. The Final Jeopardy! was on a current event that happened when I was on the other side of the world, studying abroad in China; I had never heard of the last lecture before and there was no way I was going to deduce those two alliterative words from the clue. I won $10000, got a free trip to L.A., and get to be on T.V…..twice! These parting gifts are not too shabby for coming in third in both of my games.
The E-list celebrity status I had for the two weeks between taping and airing might be the best prize of all though. A feature article in the Tufts Daily. Opposite sex attention (well, more than usual at least). An over-the-top TV-38 commercial. And a rowdy Jeo-Party! to commemorate my national television debut.
Now I just have to decide what to do with the money. Lenehan wants me to go on his bank account emptying Euro-trip and I’m thinking of maybe going to South America for a couple of months to study Spanish and volunteer. I didn’t win year changing money, but summer changing money is equally welcome.
Because I couldn’t write any personal messages on my Final Jeopardy! responses here it is: Mom, Dad, Dan, Robin, Verona Crew, and Knoll, thank you all.
Andrew Ceppos Blog Entry 1
May 4, 2009
Los Angeles, I'm Yours
The past few weeks have just been a whirlwind of support, aspirations, and knowledge. It was spring break when I found out, and while the general college population was in the midst of its annual southern migration, I retreated to scenic suburbia for a rather boring week of working on three mid-terms (that should be illegal).It was Friday, vacation was coming to a close and it was becoming clear that I would not be able to visit my friends, as originally planned, because I still had at least fifteen pages of Confucian philosophy and New World history to write out. I was en route for a nice dinner at one of northern New Jersey's infinite Italian restaurants with my family when I received the call.
"Hi Andrew, this is Glen from Jeopardy!....," and that's all I really took away from that conversation. As soon as he dropped the magic word this really warm feeling just flowed throughout my whole body; a wave of pure happiness. I don't really remember what we covered on the phone but I am pretty sure that I could only respond to Glen's questions with one-word automated responses.
When we arrived at the restaurant, I called everyone important in my phonebook and just rode the high created by my fifteen minutes of television fame. It took me at least a half hour after we sat down to get through the specials. I'm sure I was one of the most obnoxious patrons our waiter has ever served; with one ear glued to my cell phone and a repeating chorus of "I think I need a few more minutes."
Eventually, the initial shock wore of and I was focused enough to began a comprehensive training regiment of reading J-archive clues, research on Wikipedia, watching the show nightly, and any useful source of information that I could get my hands on.
It just seems like I've been luckier since I got the good news. My first day back at school, I found out that I will be awarded a prize at graduation from the Chinese department. Word rapidly spread on the electronic grapevine that is Facebook and I was getting congratulations and cheers from friends left and right. Last Thursday, a few friends and I won pub trivia (I'm 21 so this actually is legal) for the first time all year, hopefully foreshadowing of trivia victories soon to come.
Obviously I want to win the whole tournament, fame and fortune are cruel mistresses but mistresses nonetheless, but right now I just want to express that I truly feel like I have won already. So far I have won $5,000, a free vacation to L.A. in the middle of the semester, and getting to be on national television. Thank you Jeopardy! for de-trivializing my trivial mind. |
