Longmeadow's Lindsay Oxx to compete in 'Teen Jeopardy!'

Date: 11/2/2009

By Courtney Llewellyn

Reminder Assistant Editor

LONGMEADOW -- This senior at Longmeadow High School was looking for more study materials when she took a test and ended up a contestant in the fall 2009 "Jeopardy! Teen Tournament" competition.

Who is Lindsay Oxx?

Oxx, a field hockey player and a member of LHS' As Schools Match Wits team, said she has been a straight-A student all through school, but she never dreamed she'd ever compete on what's been dubbed "America's Favorite Quiz Show."

"As long as I can remember, I've watched 'Jeopardy!' with my family," Oxx said, jokingly adding, "One of the saddest moments of my childhood was when Alex Trebek lost his mustache. He said he has no plans to grow it back."

Oxx and her family flew out to Los Angeles in August to tape the tournament. How Oxx was chosen for the show's teen tournament is something she calls "very fortuitous and very lucky."

"I was online one day, studying for As Schools Match Wits, looking for questions, and I went to the 'Jeopardy!' site," she explained. "An online [contestant] test was 20 minutes away, so I signed up to take it. I never thought I'd be selected."

In June, she was invited to the auditions in New York City, and in late July, she was asked to be a contestant.

"I didn't believe it," she said. "It was very surreal."

Her father, Allan Oxx, was surprised as well. "[Representatives from the show] called me at the office to tell me she made it," he remembered. "I thought it was a joke."

Lindsay described her entire "Jeopardy!" experience as "amazing," and fondly remembers the new group of friends she made during her visit to California.

"They were extraordinary, nice people," she said. "They were well-rounded, interesting -- we keep in touch with each other through Facebook."

As for the tournament itself, Lindsay said she was more nervous the night before her taping than she was during gameplay.

"I think that the type of knowledge you need for 'Jeopardy!' and As Schools Match Wits is related, but not totally. As Schools Match Wits questions may fit into what you learn at school, but for 'Jeopardy!' you need more cultural knowledge, [you] need to know about strange things."

She credits As Schools Match Wits with helping her learn to trust her gut when it came to answering questions. She said her best categories include questions about literature, history, Shakespeare and random topics -- what she described as "the 'Jeopardy!' player's bread and butter."

"Because I already filmed it, it still feels like I'm going to be on 'Jeopardy!'" Lindsay said. "I have no idea what it's going to be like to watch myself on TV like that."

Lindsay said that being on the show gave her a real appreciation for how tough "Jeopardy!" really is. She knows how speed and knowledge really factor into who dominates a game and why people wager what they do on the Daily Doubles and Final Jeopardy.

"This was not a dream come true, because I never dreamed I'd be on 'Jeopardy!'" Lindsay said. "At 17, I thought, maybe someday."

The "Jeopardy!" 2009 Teen Tournament will air Nov. 2 through 13. Fifteen teens from around the country will compete for a top prize of $75,000 during the tournament; Lindsay Oxx can be seen starting Nov. 4.