UNC student competes on "Jeopardy"

Bernard Holloway can regularly be seen on UNC’s STV news and talk-show program “Feedback Live,” but Wednesday night, he grabbed the spotlight as a contestant on the national game show “Jeopardy.”

Holloway, a sophomore political science and economics double major, competed in the Ultimate Tournament of Champions, a 15-week tournament that reunites the greatest players in the show’s 21-year history.

Holloway said he was intimidated, but more by the categories than the other competitors.

One category focused on furniture, while another dealt with matching a year and a quote to a host of the Academy Awards — which Holloway said was really difficult.

He said he had no idea what the categories were going to be. “Truth is, you really can’t prepare,” he said, though he did try to study geography. He said “GeoSafari” was a game he played to tune up on state capitals, among other geographic places.

He did not win — he was unable to compete in the final round because his score was in the negative numbers — and received $5,000 as a consolation prize.

“In the end, I didn’t do too well. The categories were tough,” he said.

But Holloway did get something out of the experience. “I felt a big rush of adrenaline and jolt of energy,” he said about the set. “(It’s) really small, actual set is the size of Carroll 111.”

On the set, he said, there is always anticipation that you won’t do well.

“You’re nervous all the time, not from being on TV, you’re nervous because everyone wants to do well,” Holloway said. “All of us are competitive.”

Holloway first appeared on “Jeopardy” more than three years ago, when he won the 2002 Teen Tournament. His prize was $50,000 and a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder.

“I went on the show with no expectations,” Holloway said. “On my first show, I got in a groove and did really well.”

After his first show, he said he had a “stay alive” mentality. He carried this mind-set with him through successive rounds.

Maggie Speak, who works as the contestant executive for “Jeopardy,” said she thinks Holloway is a wonderful guy who knows how to play the game well.

“It’s funny people think they know how to play the game until they get up and play it,” Speak said. “It’s much harder than it looks.”

She said contestants must pass a difficult test before they can get on the show.

“I barely made it to my tryouts,” said Holloway, which is why he sometimes calls himself an “accidental champion.”

He said the show tapes a couple of weeks in advance — he flew to Los Angeles for the taping Feb. 6.

His parents — Wilfred and Joan Holloway — said they are proud of him.

“He’s done terrific stuff,” said Wilfred Holloway, adding that his son has always been bright.

He said he never imagined his son would be on “Jeopardy.”

“In fact, I actively discouraged him in the beginning because it was a long shot,” he said.

Joan Holloway said they are just as excited about it as they were the first time he competed on the show.

“‘Jeopardy’ takes in that overall knowledge of stuff like trivia, it doesn’t mean that you’re really, really smart,” she said. “You just collect information about different things well.”

Wilfred Holloway said he wasn’t scared for his son when he was on “Jeopardy.” He jokingly said that “being at Carolina is a little more dangerous.”

But he said his son’s experience with “Jeopardy” is just another thing in his son’s life.

“I’ll be right there when he graduates, but the fact that he’s participating in ‘Jeopardy’ is good for him, as long as he handles it well.”

Despite not being able to get to the game’s final round Wednesday, Bernard Holloway characterized his experience overall as a good one.

“It was a whole bunch of fun,” he said. “Where else in the world can you make $5,000 in 20 minutes?”

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