Grad Student Wins Big on `Jeopardy!'

Be sure to phrase your response in the form of a question.

The category is "Harvard Superstars." The answer: A second-year graduate student in astronomy who just won $17,000 on the TV game show "Jeopardy!"

RING! Who is Graydon H. Hazenberg? Correct.

On Monday night, Hazenberg, who studied applied mathematics as an undergraduate at the University of Waterloo in southern Ontario, appeared on "Jeopardy!" and came away with what amounts to roughly a year's Harvard tuition for a half-hour's work.

He appeared on the show Tuesday night as well, but lost in what he called a "tragic finish." It all turned sour, he said, when he missed a question on saccharine in the category "Sweeteners."

To celebrate his victory, Hazenberg hosted a party at his Somerville apartment Monday night, inviting friends to watch the show which was taped last September.

"It was great," said Lori B. Daniels '95. "We had two TVs hooked up and two rooms full of people. [Hazenberg] was bouncing all around."

To prepare for his appearance on the show, Hazenberg read the book "Secrets of the `Jeopardy!' Champions" by Chuck Forrest, a former "Jeopardy!" Tournament of Champions participant.

Hazenberg has had plenty of practice playing competitive trivia games. This year he is competing on Harvard's College Bowl "A" team, and in high school he was a member of the quiz bowl team.

One of his College Bowl teammates said Hazenberg's personality helped him get on the show.

"We don't get that many tall, blond, frizzy-haired Canadian people on the team, so he was pretty unique," said Gilbert D. Collins '96, one of the presidents of the Harvard College Bowl.

Meeting Alex Trebek was not as exciting Hazenberg expected, he said.

"Alex is closeted away, boning up on thequestions that are going to be asked that day sohe can look really smooth," said Hazenberg. "Itwas really hard to form an impression of him."

The chance to try out for the show did not comeuntil last summer, when Hazenberg vacationed inCalifornia and took the game show's qualifyingtest in Los Angeles. He was notified of hisselection a few months later.

Hazenberg plans to spend his winnings to seethe world he apparently knows so much about.

"I'd like to use most of the money for travel,"he said, citing Russia, East Africa, Greece,Turkey, Egypt, India and Nepal as possibledestinations.

Hazenberg hails from Thunder Bay, Ontario, thesame hometown as Paul Shaffer, David Letterman'sband leader

"Alex is closeted away, boning up on thequestions that are going to be asked that day sohe can look really smooth," said Hazenberg. "Itwas really hard to form an impression of him."

The chance to try out for the show did not comeuntil last summer, when Hazenberg vacationed inCalifornia and took the game show's qualifyingtest in Los Angeles. He was notified of hisselection a few months later.

Hazenberg plans to spend his winnings to seethe world he apparently knows so much about.

"I'd like to use most of the money for travel,"he said, citing Russia, East Africa, Greece,Turkey, Egypt, India and Nepal as possibledestinations.

Hazenberg hails from Thunder Bay, Ontario, thesame hometown as Paul Shaffer, David Letterman'sband leader