What Is ‘How Did A North Carolina Teacher Do When He Competed On Jeopardy?’
UNDATED: Ken Jennings poses in this undated handout photo. Jennings finally lost on Jeopardy after becoming the biggest money winner in TV game show history, earning $2,520,700 over a 74-game run. The show was broadcast on November 30. (Photo by Jeopardy Productions via Getty Images)
Every night while we eat our dinner we settle in to watch Jeopardy. I know. We’ve officially become our parents. Anyway, occasionally, we see a contestant with ties to the Carolinas. And, on the July 5th episode a Charlotte, North Carolina teacher competed. Aubrey Gilleran teaches high school English in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district.
And, Gilleran did fairly well throughout the competition. In fact, the North Carolina teacher had the lead heading into Final Jeopardy. However, fellow competitor Anji Nyquist took the win, leaving Gilleran to finish second in the episode.
Also, during the show Gilleran shared tweets praising Nyquist’s game play. And, he expressed gratitude for the experience saying “they made this dream so worth it.” The North Carolina teacher took the test to qualify for competition online. His Twitter indicated that he taped the episode in May for the July 5th airdate.
I admire anyone who is able to even make it to a Jeopardy appearance. And, to hang in with a lead right to the end is even more impressive. Honestly, I try my hand at some of the categories as we watch. And, there are a few I’m able to answer. However, when it comes to 17th century poets and the periodic table, I’m out. Pop culture, music and entertainment are more my speed. And, ironically, the contestants typically struggle in those areas. Different strokes for different folks! And, Wheel Of Fortune that follows Jeopardy each night is where I shine.
But, a big congrats to Aubrey Gilleran. The North Carolina teacher fulfilled his dream and represented Charlotte beautifully. And, if you have any interest in trying your hand at the academic olympics otherwise known as Jeopardy, see here for more information on taking the test for the competition.
North Carolina College One Of 10 Hardest To Get Into In The Country
We’ve got some fantastic universities in North Carolina. There is no question about that. But when I saw Niche’s latest ranking of the most difficult schools to be admitted to I wasn’t expecting to find an NC school ranked so high. But it’s true, a North Carolina college is one of the hardest to get into in the entire country. It’s ranked right between Columbia and Brown which is not bad company to be included in. This list is compiled by Niche and is based on acceptance rates and SAT/ACT test scores using data from the U.S. Department of Education. The top 25 features schools with acceptance rates between 5 and 12%. And while there has been an overall de-emphasis on SAT/ACT scores, you still are looking at scores in the high 1400s or 1500s if you want to attend one of the most elite schools in the country.
Of course, the Universities you’d expect are on this list including the Ivy League schools. And the top spot should come as no surprise to anyone. But I’ll be honest there were several schools on this list that I had never heard of before. Though to have such rigorous standards for admission a lot of people must have. Most of the toughest colleges to get into are in the Northeast with some in California as well. While it’s not a school I could ever get into, nor a sports team I find myself cheering for sans 2 games a year, it’s still something to be proud of that a North Carolina college is one of the hardest to get into in the country.
So which one is it? Below you’ll find the top 25 list, but I’ll let you know that it’s near the top. You can read the full Niche rankings here.
Debbie Nance is the afternoon co-host along with her husband on "The Charlie and Debbie Show" at WSOC, Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has been with the station for 18 years. Debbie is a CMA Award winner for Radio Personality of the Year. And, she has worked in radio for 40 years. Before her current afternoon position, Debbie spent more than a decade as co-host on morning shows in several markets across the Southeast. As a content creator for Country 1037, Debbie writes articles about food, new restaurants in the Carolinas and travel experiences.