Alum buzzes in to ‘Jeopardy’

A Messiah alum started the new year off with a bang by participating as a contestant on the game show “Jeopardy.”

A grad student majoring in statecraft and international affairs at the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C., English major and politics minor Rachel Bauman ’15 applied to the show more than a year ago via an online test. The show then called her to audition in Boston, Massachusetts, where she took a written test and practiced being filmed while buzzing in during real-time questions. Finally, in September, the show called and asked her to fly to Los Angeles, California, to compete for real.

“Most of it was waiting,” she said, “and, honestly, I wasn’t thinking about it constantly during those many months.”

Bauman says she felt well prepared for the show. “On ‘Jeopardy,’ it’s important to know at least a little about a lot,” she said. “A liberal arts education ensured that I gained knowledge broadly, not only in my subjects of study.”

The episode aired Jan. 19. Although she placed third, she says the experience was a dream come true. “I’m proud of my performance,” said Bauman, “and I think I represented myself well. The support I received from friends, family and the Messiah community has been amazing.”

—Jake Miaczynski ’20