PEA Lower Advances in Jeopardy Show

Faculty and students watched intently last Thursday evening as lower Caleb Richmond fielded questions in the quarterfinals round of a tournament on America’s most-award-winning quiz show: Jeopardy! Meanwhile, Richmond, excited for his television debut, celebrated his victory with family and friends at a personal viewing party back at his home in Bedford, New Hampshire.

Competing in the second quarterfinals game of Jeopardy! Teen Tournament against two other freshmen from high schools across America, Isabella Pagano of Illinois and Rotimi Kukoyi of Alabama, Richmond readily answered questions and tactfully wagered his money in daily doubles for a spot in the semifinals.

“I thought it was really exciting and everyone had a lot of fun,” Rogers said. “We cheered when Caleb answered the questions before the other kids.”

By the end, Richmond had gained a large enough margin over the other two contestants to bet zero dollars on the final round even though he answered correctly: “Who is Napoleon?”

Richmond won with a final score of $20,200, while Pagano and Kukoyi finished with $0 and $1, respectively, after losing their wagers. Applause and shouts broke out in Agora, and for the next couple of days as Exonians congratulated Richmond on the paths.

Lower Emilio Abelmann, who was present on Thursday night, recalled that he was  “amazed by what a huge show it was [...] Students who may not have known Caleb personally were cheering him on and clapping when he did well.”

Another lower, Paul Rogers, also commented on the room’s contagious energy. “I thought it was really exciting and everyone had a lot of fun,” Rogers said. “We cheered when Caleb answered the questions before the other kids.” Rogers felt that watching Richmond served as a bonding experience for Exeter students. “I really liked the sense of community it gave the whole school,” he said.

Agreeing with Rogers and Abelmann, lower Ibrahim Ahmed felt that the campus atmosphere was very supportive of Richmond. “Everyone who was there just wanted him to do as well as he could,” Ibrahim said.

Upper Zane Ice, another former contestant of Jeopardy! who won his game in Kids’ Week in 2014, voiced his support and confidence in Richmond. “I’m really proud of him,” Ice said. “I love Jeopardy! and it was really cool to see someone else at Exeter have that same opportunity.”

Richmond’s advisor, Mark Trafton, instructor in Modern Languages, said he has followed Richmond’s experience on the show with great interest and an appreciation for Richmond’s accomplishments. “It’s been a pretty robust spreading of the news and I think that’s great,” Trafton said. “He’s a very intelligent person and I’m glad to see his light shine.”

Trafton emphasized Richmond’s admirable qualities and the success he worked hard for. “I just think it couldn’t happen to a nicer young man,” Trafton said. “He is a great advisee in our group, he is a gentleman, he is considerate to others, he’s understanding and empathetic and as you can see really highly intelligent and highly informed.” Trafton concluded, “I think that’s what he is, intellectually honest; he’s a great scholar.”

Richmond, nevertheless, did not hesitate to highlight his competitors’ intelligence as well as the inconspicuous challenges that they all faced on the show, such as the buzzer and the betting strategies. Both of Richmond’s competitors bet the entirety of their sums on the last question, leaving them much farther behind Richmond in the final score which Richmond did not think accurately reflected their skill level. “You should be gauging [the competition] off of [the questions] before the final question because it changes so much, you can bet anything you want for the last one,” Richmond said.

Richmond emphasized how exhilarating his experience had been during the filming of the show in California over the summer. On winning his quarterfinals, Richmond said “It was really really exciting and I was super happy and it was all kind of shock.” He added with a laugh, “It was one of my dreams coming true. It’s a pretty ‘nerdy’ dream I guess.” Despite his distinguished success, Richmond humbly clarified that he valued his time on the show more than his final score. “It was just such an exciting experience, but to be honest I just really value the whole experience and all the memories of it more than how it ended up turning out,” he said.

Richmond’s semifinal game against senior Maya Wright of Georgia and senior Jack Izzo of California will air today, Thursday, November 15th.