I don’t have any memory of watching Jeopardy! before the current version, which began in the fall of my senior year of high school.  Then again, I also don’t have a memory of a time before Jeopardy!; it feels as if the show has always been there.  I do remember being young enough to only know an answer now and then.  (My youngest nephew, who is 8, typically gets a few answers right when we watch together, usually sports and Americana.  He’s always delighted to get one that I don’t know, which happens often because sports are not my strength.)

In my last two years of high school in Maryland, I played on our It’s Academic team.  I think that both years we won our first game and lost our second.  Here’s our team’s yearbook photo in my senior year: Ceres (whom I speak about here), me, and Tom, with host Mac McGarry; a Giant Food representative presenting us with our winnings; and Mr. Dave Harley, who taught us European history and advised the team.

The 1984-85 season.

(Yes, I was Nancy then.  Here’s how I decided to go back to Nan, if you are interested.)

The previous year, our episode taped too late to be in the yearbook, I guess, because the photo seems to be of a practice session–look, we had a buzzer system of some sort!  I’d forgotten.  I’m still in touch with a couple of these guys (yes, they were all guys. I guess Ceres didn’t join until she was a junior).  Also, I still have that squint in most photos.  I think the players ended up being Will (in the foreground, with glasses), Paul (gazing soulfully into the camera in sweater and blazer), and me.

The 1983-84 season.

Both seasons, we won our first game, then lost the second and were eliminated. Meanwhile, out in California (September 10, 1984):