Biomedical engineering freshman Weston Mangin conquered the first round of “Jeopardy!” last week and is making his way to the next. In reality though, Mangin is making his way from class to class because the show was previously filmed.
“It’s weird,” Mangin said. “It’s kind of surreal seeing how fast the show is being televised compared to how slow and drawn out the process of filming was.”
Mangin said he is getting recognized after having the episode air.
“(It’s) really cool because everyone knows who I am,” he said. “(Everyone’s) very supportive.”
Humble about making it onto the show in general, Mangin said he is relieved to have made it to the next round.
“It’s a tremendous relief,” he said
Mangin won $28,000 in the first round. Although he’s not allowed to disclose the results of the next round until it airs, he can say he hasn’t gotten the check yet.
“They give themselves four months to pay (the contestants),” Mangin said.
While many have asked him what he plans to do with the money he’s already won, Mangin said he doesn’t know yet.
“I honestly haven’t decided,” he said. “It’s something I need to think long and hard about.”
Mangin’s roommate, computer engineering freshman Matthew MacDougall, said it’s “very cool” hearing about the process of being on “Jeopardy!”
“It’s not easy living in (Mangin’s) shadow,” MacDougall said jokingly.
Having known Mangin before coming to Cal Poly, MacDougall said it was interesting to hear about the experience, especially because he and another friend helped Mangin practice.
Mangin’s Week of Welcome (WOW) leader, economics sophomore Emily Orlando, is also a fan of Mangin.
“It makes me really proud that my WOWie is the one that is representing Cal Poly on ‘Jeopardy!’,” said Orlando.
According to Orlando, Mangin came to her about his new campus stardom, indicated by his approximately 90 Facebook friend requests.
“I’m just really proud of him and excited (I) can say, ‘He’s my WOWie,’” Orlando said.
The next round of competition airs tonight on NBC at 7 p.m.