Soph. To Compete On Quiz Show

Answering queries about college mascots may not seem like the best way to garner fame and fortune, but for one Harvard undergrad, his fame may lie in the form of a question.

Last weekend, Jonathan P. Hawley ’10, a history concentrator from California, competed for the $100,000 grand prize in the “Jeopardy!” 2008 College Championships held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The shows will air from May 5 to May 11 on NBC.

Hawley and 14 other competitors, including students from Tufts, Georgetown, and Yale, spent the weekend mingling, managing nerves, and brushing shoulders with host Alex Trebek while they duked it out for game-show glory.

After trying out for last year’s College Tournament and not making it onto the show, Hawley tried again for this year’s show.

Hawley, who writes for the Harvard Political Review and is a member of the Harvard Democrats, said he had dreamed of competing in the “Jeopardy!” College Tournament long before the opportunity presented itself.

“7:30 every night back home we’d gather round the TV and shout out answers,” he said.

After making it past the initial online portion of the try-out, Hawley was invited to New York where he impressed “Jeopardy!” executives with his intelligence, buzzer-skills, and charming demeanor.

“He’s just such a special guy,” “Jeopardy!” Contestant Executive Maggie Speak said. “There’s just a little spark of joy that stood out in him."

Huaou Yan ’10, who is one of Hawley’s roommates in Mather House, said he was not surprised when Hawley was chosen to appear on the show.

“He just happens to have this crazy memory thing going on,” he said. “He just soaks up knowledge like a sponge.”

But Yan also said that Hawley, who has an extensive knowledge of the American presidency, is also well-versed in esoteric subjects.

“He’ll tell you every single winner in the Academy Awards back to the 50s, or something ridiculous like that,” he added.

The results of the College Championship will be released when the shows air in May. Even if Hawley did not take the grand prize, he is still guaranteed to walk away with at least $5,000 and an impressive line on his resume.

“I can’t tell you what happened of course,” he said, “but I’ll tell you that the buzzer is tough.”