JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Want to peek behind the scenes at Jeopardy? A Jacksonville contestant answers what we’re curious most about, from buzzing in to studying up for the show.
Emmie Trammel of Jacksonville started auditioning for Jeopardy! when she was just 16. On Thursday night, the Stanton grad will check an item off her bucket list by going head-to-head with two other competitors on the game show.
First Coast News couldn't resist asking her some questions about her experience on the show.
"They said, 'Hey, if they like you, you'll hear maybe from us in 18 months," said Trammel. "And about a year later, I got a call...It was really exciting, and then I tried to frantically study a whole bunch of random things in about a month."
That's not very long, but Trammel is sharp. She also has a double major in political science and history. That should help some.
"That brings up what I've always wondered," said First Coast News Anchor Jeannie Blaylock. "How do you even know what to study? Just randomly study geography on Google? How even prepare?"
"The advice I was given is to study what you don't know," she replied. "So I know I don't know sports. I know I don't know opera, let me try to Wikipedia some things about these categories."
Trammel taped the episode on May 16. She can't say much about how it went, but she can say a little something about it.
"They tape five episodes in a day," she explained. Trammel explains the contestants are randomly selected for each episode, and everyone waits in the studio audience area.
So it was a long day for her. Roughly 12 hours.
And that buzzer? She says it's critical.
"I've heard some people say they practice clicking on an ink pen, did you?" asked Blaylock.
"I did," said Trammel. "Most of the technique comes down to the buzzer, people know most of the answers... They have a light that comes on, you have to click in the second, not a millisecond, before or after. And the button is hard to press. They said rapid-fire press to get your answer in."
Trammel attended Riverside Presbyterian Day School, James Weldon and Stanton.
"Shout out to every teacher I've had... clearly I've learned something!"
Watch Emmie compete during the airing Thursday on WJXX.
