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College News
2 June 2004
Royal Holloway students face University Challenge
Royal Holloway, University of London is to be one of 28 teams competing in BBC 2's University Challenge, described as "the toughest quiz on television". The last series was won by Magdalen College, Oxford who are the only team to have won the competition more than twice.
Journalist Jeremy Paxman, whose direct, 'no-nonsense' attitude has earned him a reputation as a hard quizmaster, presents the television show. The questions cover all sorts of specialist knowledge from quantum physics and ancient history to remote Pacific islands and European theatre.
The Royal Holloway team was selected following an entry exam of 80 questions, which had to be completed in an hour. It was important also to put forward a mix of students studying different academic subjects and try to cover as many areas as possible. After the initial selection, the team met the show's researchers in London for further testing and an interview. From 103 applying teams, Royal Holloway is one of the final 28 to make the filming stage.
Student team captain, Emily Dongray, aged 22 from Thuring Plane, Norwich, sees the team's selection as a great challenge and opportunity. "We are really happy to have made this stage", says Emily, who is about to enter her final year of a Mathematics degree. "We may be at a disadvantage because we are all undergraduates, but we've proved that we have a good collective knowledge. We are very excited and will do the best we can." Emily completed her 'A' Levels at Hewett College, Norwich.
The other team members all share Emily's enthusiasm. Clare Nettleton from Davey Crescent, Great Shelford is the youngest team member, aged 18. She studied at Hill's Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge before joining Royal Holloway. Clare is about to enter her second year of a Psychology degree and has a sound knowledge of the sciences and European geography.
Classics student, Linda Jones will also be facing the taxing questions. Linda is 20 and comes from Graham Gardens, Luton. She completed her 'A' Levels at the Dame Alice Harper School, Bedford. Linda is the president of the Royal Holloway Classical Society and hopes to contribute her knowledge of classical literature and ancient civilisation to the team.
Richard Freeman, aged 20 from Windmill Street, Brighton, will be a finalist in English, Drama & Theatre Studies next year and hopes to cover questions on contemporary arts, literature and cultural theory. He gained his 'A' Levels at Varndean College, Brighton.
The team will head off to Manchester with a coach of supporters to film the programme in early July. The show will be aired towards the end of the summer.
ENDS
Further information and
images
Contact Royal Holloway, University of London, Press Office:
Christine Long
Press & PR Officer
01784 443967, christine.long@rhul.ac.uk
Vicky Cousins
Assistant Press & Comms Officer
01784 414480, victoria.cousins@rhul.ac.uk
