BU student takes on Trebek

‘ll take the rapist for $200,” he said.

No, it was not Darrell Hammond mocking Sean Connery in the famous “Celebrity Jeopardy!” skit on “Saturday Night Live” – it was Alex Trebek himself.

Two-and-a-half months after Boston University junior Beth Cimini rode the T to go take a test that would potentially qualify her for the Jeopardy! College Championship, she stood next to Trebek, listening to the quiz-show host recite those often-quoted lines from NBC’s popular late-night comedy show.

Cimini, a College of Arts and Sciences biochemistry and molecular biology major, was chosen as one of 16 college students nationwide to participate in the 2005 “Jeopardy!” College Championship in Raleigh, N.C., which will be aired this afternoon.

During the first days of October, Cimini flew to the Tar Heel State for a weekend of all things “Jeopardy!.” She said the days were filled with photo shoots, website promotional videos, practice sessions, media interviews and, of course, Jeopardy! tapings.

It was during a promotional photo shoot that Trebek jokingly imitated Connery, Cimini said. In fact, she said the game show host had a strong sense of humor and a dry wit that never let up.

“Alex Trebek is hysterical,” she said. “He is a very down-to-earth, personable guy. But he’ll zing you if he gets the chance.”

Cimini said she was one of only nine people who passed the qualifying test at the Boston auditions. Of the nine, she was the only girl. The finalists were invited to participate in a simulated version of the show after they completed the test, including a mock game and an interview.

“They wanted to see if we would crack under pressure,” she said. Following the late-July audition, Cimini said she wanted to put the experience out of her mind because she did not want to dwell on whether or not she would be chosen.

“I tried not to think about it too much over the summer,” she said. “I only took the test to see if I could, to see how well I would do.”

Cimini said she was able to forget about the show until September, when she received a call from a “Jeopardy!” employee inviting her to participate in the tournament.

College of Communication junior Ashley Rider, one of Cimini’s roommates, said she found out Cimini made it on the show when she entered their apartment at the Student Residences at 10 Buick St. one night to find her roommates celebrating in the living room.

“One day I came home from class and everyone was jumping and screaming,” she said.

Growing up about 100 miles west of Boston in East Longmeadow, Cimini said she “did everything you could possibly do” in high school.

“I did yearbook, Spanish club, select choir, drama, mock trial,” she said. “I did more, but I don’t think I can remember them all.”

“College Jeopardy!” was not Cimini’s first experience with televised trivia shows. She was on her high school’s four-person team for a show on local cable at home called “As Schools Match Wits.” She said although it was fun, it was nothing like her “Jeopardy!” experience because her team “wasn’t very good.”

Although Cimini said much of what she’s learned as a science major at BU did not help her because “Jeopardy!”‘s questions are mostly liberal arts-based, the school’s social environment and diversity helped a lot.

“I’ve learned so much just from getting to know so many people at BU from so many backgrounds,” she said. She asked her friends to write questions about their cultures or interests so she would be able to study with them.

Before she flew to North Carolina to tape the show, Cimini said she barely had time to register what was going to happen.

“I didn’t get to [study for the show] as much as I would have liked, because I had two midterms during the two days before I left,” she said. “I just relied on hopefully having learned enough in 19 years of being alive.”

Cimini said looking back, the weekend seems like it did not even happen.

“It was very surreal,” she said. “The whole time you were there it felt like a dream. We rode in limos, got free stuff. So getting treated like royalty for five days then going back to eight hours of class a day – adjusting back to school was sort of odd.”

Eight to 12 hours on Saturday and Sunday were spent taping the entire tournament, Cimini said. Although the audience was large, she said the potentially huge television audience was more frightening.

“I was more afraid of the cameras than the audience,” she said. “Just knowing in the back of your mind that this is going to be on national TV was really intimidating.”

While in Raleigh, Cimini said she quickly grew close with her fellow contestants. For the first two days, she said they referred to each other by their schools’ names until they learned their real names. Contestants would call out “BU” and Cimini would turn around.

“Everyone who was there was very down to earth and very open to making friends,” she said, adding that they all kept in touch and are trying to organize a reunion that would take place over winter break.

She also marveled at the “range of conversations that whole weekend,” which varied from reality television to American foreign policy to Trebek’s moustache. One day when they had free time, several of the contestants walked to a mall in Raleigh. When they got to the mall, several of her fellow contestants caused a commotion while they ordered their ice cream.

“They named all the U.S. presidents in order,” she said. “That would only happen with “College Jeopardy!” kids.”

Despite the pressure to perform well, Cimini said she focused mainly on having a good time and relishing the experience.

“I push myself,” she said. “But I’m here for the fun of it.”

And the prizes for finishing even as a runner-up are still nice, Cimini said. “Even if you get eliminated the first day,” she said, “you still end up with $5,000, a weekend in a hotel room for free, free airfare and the experience.”

Cimini said she did not tell anyone how she fared except for her immediate family.

“Everyone has a different tactic to get it out of me,” she said. “It hasn’t worked yet.”

School of Management senior Emily Holtz, another one of Comini’s roomates, said Cimini would not say a word about her performance in the show.

“She couldn’t tell us anything except that she had a lot of fun,” Holtz said. According to her roommates, Cimini seems excited that the tournament will finally air on Monday.

“Someone asked if she was nervous about the show anymore,” Rider said. “She said ‘The hard part is done. Now I just have to watch.'”