LISA WAHLANDER Coordinating producer Nikki
Webster interviews Robert Magee, a
fourth-year electrical engineering student at UCLA. Participants
were interviewed only after they passed a written test.
By Terry Tang
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
On most days, one would be hard-pressed to spot college students
hanging out in the lobby of the elegant Beverly Hills Hilton. But
on this particular Saturday morning, clusters of them are waiting
in a line. Some even have their backpacks in tow. And almost all
are sinking into the throes of boredom.
“I could go back to the car and get my “˜Harry
Potter’ book and read it aloud,” said Roger Reese, a
fourth-year philosophy major from UCSB.
No, he has not been waiting for author J.K. Rowling. Reese and
many other university students rose bright and early, hoping to
flex their brain muscle at the 9 a.m. tryouts for the college
edition of ABC’s ratings-grabber, “Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire.” While getting up early on a weekend sounds
almost painful to some students, the chance to win $1 million makes
the task a no-brainer.
“I figured it wouldn’t hurt,” said Jamis
Medeiros, a first-year biology student from Mesa College in San
Diego who woke up at 5 a.m. to make it on time. “I could hook
my family up with some cash, depending on how much there
was.”
 LISA WAHLANDER Crowds of wanna-be contestants wait
patiently in line at the Beverly Hills Hilton for a chance to be on
"Who Wants to be a Millionaire." Although “Millionaire”
advertised these tryouts on TV and the Web, most students heard
about them from friends. Some were told by their professors.
Ironically, word-of-mouth was the only way Michael Meeder, who was
at the head of the line, could have been informed.
“There were a couple of people at 4:30 a.m. But I’m
first in line “¦ That’s where the special skills come
in,” said Meeder, a biology student at Santa Barbara
Community College, who drove from Ventura. “I don’t
even have a TV.”
Since mid-September, the game show behemoth has been on a
nationwide hunt for college-age contestants. Other cities on the
“Millionaire” trail were Washington D.C., Chicago,
Atlanta and Boston. In each city, the crew held three auditions at
9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. for one day. According to associate
producer J. P. Buck, the staff has already tested more than 1,500
students. But the City of Angels, the last destination on the list,
marks the sole West coast stop. As a result, aspiring millionaires
drove from as far as Stanford University. One potential contestant
flew in from Dallas, Tex.
“We’ll see how this works. In the future, this may
expand to other cities,” Buck said. “In Boston, one guy
flew all the way from Arkansas. Luckily, he passed.”
Getting on the show could prove almost as difficult as the show
itself. Only the first 125 people at an audition can take the
written exam. No exceptions.
 Illustration by HINGYI KHONG/Daily Bruin
At this 9 a.m. tryout alone, 60 people are turned away.
Meanwhile, everyone else is ushered into a conference room where
rows of seats are lined with clipboards holding a pencil and
application. With an S.A.T.-like atmosphere, the exams are handed
out face-down. Coordinating producer Nikki Webster explains that
each person will be assigned a number that goes on their
application and test. Students have 15 minutes to complete 30
questions.
“Then we’ll separate you into two groups ““
pass and what I like to call “˜not pass,'” Webster
said.
Similar to the “Millionaire” round of “Fastest
Finger,” the test has applicants rank four given items in a
certain order. The questions range from the somewhat obvious (Rank
each number by its distance from the pound button on a telephone
starting with the closest) to the very obscure (Rank each bird by
its beak-to-tail length starting with the shortest).
It does take more than book smarts, however, to climb into the
hot seat across from Regis. After it is revealed which people
passed the first test ““ typically about half the group
““ those still standing will go through a short, video-taped
interview with a staff member. The interviews help producers and
the show’s sponsors find contestants with an appealing
television presence.
“We’re looking for contestants with good
energy,” Webster said, advising those who made it to the
second round. “If you’re not the type who jokes and
clowns around, don’t force it.”
Meanwhile, the disappointed students who didn’t pass must
hand over their applications before filing out of the room. Steeped
in more secrecy and security than the White House, the
“Millionaire” audition process abides by a strict set
of rules. Producers remain mum about what constitutes a passing
score. Furthermore, applicants, pass or fail, are not permitted to
see their tests or an answer sheet afterwards.
After producers and sponsors review audition tapes from the
nationwide pool, 30 finalists will be notified by telephone on Oct.
20. The contestants will then be flown to New York City in November
to tape three episodes which will air Dec. 19-21.
“Millionaire” contestants are always shadowed by
certain staff members at the studio. To avoid any implication of
unethical behavior, contestants are not allowed to come in contact
with cameramen, crew and even Regis until the actual taping.
“If someone from the staff goes into a rest room at the
same time with someone who wins a lot of money, people could
complain,” Webster said. “So, we even have rules that
no one can be in the rest room with them. It’s kind of
awkward for adults to be walked to the rest room.”
Webster, Buck and other staff who work primarily with
contestants are also strictly forbidden to ever have contact with
the show’s writing staff. Only the writing department, which
is situated in a different building, knows, before the taping, what
questions will be asked.
But the producers running tryouts have enjoyed coming in contact
with college students. Usually relegated to a studio in New York
City, Buck likes being able to chat with viewers.
“We’re not usually in touch with whoever
watches,” Buck said. “College students are just a lot
more friendly. It’s been hard work but a fun
process.”
“I’ve seen so many people of all different
ethnicities, styles, majors. It’s been great,” Buck
continued. “We don’t want the same cookie-cutter
contestant all the time.”
But, like every contestant before them, the students in line
cannot keep from daydreaming about what winning a million dollars
would feel like. Yet, students do seem to have similar priorities
in mind when it comes to spending prize money.
“I would pay off my bills. That’s number one,”
said Robert Magee, a UCLA fourth-year electrical engineering
student. “An elaborate trip to Vegas would be number
two.”
And that’s when it comes time to phone a friend.
With contributing reports from Brent Hopkins, Daily Bruin Senior
Staff.