UpDate - Vol. 11, No. 31, Page 9
May 14, 1992
Political science major in 'Jeopardy'

     The answer is: "University of Delaware senior picked to play
'Jeopardy.'"
     The correct question is: "Who is Stephanie Leveene?"
     Leveene, a senior majoring in political science, continues her
battle this week as a semifinalist in the annual college tournament on
the game show famous for its answer-question format and its mental
challenge.
     Leveene could be seen matching wits with opponents from other
colleges and universities across the county last week and last night,
and she will be on again tonight and Friday. Although she cannot
reveal her fate from the shows taped in March, or say how much money
she won, she will say she has added her "Jeopardy" experience to her
resume.
     Leveene's game show odyssey began when her postcard was picked at
random, enabling her to compete in a regional contest in Washington,
D.C. After passing a written test, she played a mock game and was one
of 15 selected to go to California for the real thing.
     Prior to leaving for the taping, she said she planned to watch
the shows and brush up on state capitals and U.S. presidents.
     "Jeopardy" paid for her flight and accommodations in California.
While there, she said she spent most of her time in the studio.
     "I flew in on Saturday, we spent Sunday and Monday taping and my
flight left Tuesday morning," she said.
     She said five shows are taped in one day, with a short break in
between to give host Alex Trebek a chance to change his suits "to give
the appearance that they really are taped on different days," she
said.
     She said Trebek was very professional and that contestants did
not see much of him other than when taping, although he did bring his
l3-month-old son onto the set for a visit.
     The set, she said, looks exactly as it does on the air, although
television cameras do not show the size of the studio audience or the
three researchers who sit off stage with a set of encyclopedias to
consult when an answer is challenged.
     "The buzzer," she said, "is a little tricky. It's hard to ring it
at exactly the right time. If you ring it too soon, you get locked out
for about half a second."
     Leveene, from Aberdeen, N.J., said she plans to look for work in
New York after graduation.
     -Beth Thomas