Ben Chan Buzzes in on the “Jeopardy!” Stage

With natural humility and an otherworldly collection of knowledge, Ben Chan (Philosophy) has quiz lovers around the world prognosticating his “Jeopardy!” run. His three-day winning streak has shown he’s a shrewd, strategic player who is willing to take a risk.

Racking up $69,001 to date in winnings, Chan will be back on “Jeopardy!” on Monday, May 15, after an untimely illness delayed his quest of trivia domination.

Early control of the board
In his first three matches, Chan had taken an aggressive approach to build his lead. At the first commercial break, he had led by $4,600, $2,800 and $4,000, respectively. And after the “Double Jeopardy!” round of all three matches, Chan was out of reach for his competitors, rendering “Final Jeopardy!” as a way to add a few more dollars to his winning total.

Between answers, Chan revealed a little about himself, including a memorable encounter with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Host Ken Jennings prompted the reveal: “Ben, I’m told that I’m not the first ‘Jeopardy!’ host you’ve spent some quality trivia time with. Is that right?”

Chan answered: “Yes, so a few years ago, Aaron Rodgers was recuperating from an injury and came out for pub trivia. And I’m happy to say that I beat Aaron Rodgers at pub trivia.” Chan believes that this tidbit helped him advance through the testing phases of the show.

Bucket-list experience
Born in New York to two émigrés from Hong Kong and Guangdong, Chan received his doctorate from the University of California-Los Angeles and did postdoctoral work in the bioethics department of the National Institutes of Health. He came to St. Norbert College in 2013.

Chan told Kendra Meinert from the Green Bay Press-Gazette that the experience crossed of an item on his bucket list, but he wanted it to be fun:

“So my goal going in was to be super prepared and then to play with joy. I figured I would have no regrets if I did those two things,” Chan said. “I enjoyed the preparation a lot. I learned a lot of things I should have known years ago, and I discovered some new study tools that I think I can pass on to my students.”

Support from the St. Norbert and Green Bay communities
St. Norbert students, faculty and staff members gathered for a watch party in support of Chan’s first match on April 12. He also live-tweeted during the show on the handle @JeopardyBenBen.

In true form, after his appearance, Chan tweeted, “Main sentiment after watching: Laura and Kat know a lot of stuff – how’d I pull that off?”

The Green Bay Press-Gazette is tracking Chan as he attempts to extend his streak to four victories and advance to “Jeopardy’s” Tournament of Champions. Chan has been tight-lipped about the results; episodes are filmed months in advance and contestants are obligated to keep any details under wraps. Check your local listings and tune in May 15.

Photo courtesy of Jeopardy Productions Inc.

April 18, 2023