By Catherine Brown
Contributing Writer
The final round of Constitution Jeopardy took place on Sept. 17 in the Walsh Amphitheater; Dan Kerns, a senior philosophy major, won the contest.
The game began at 7 p.m. and lasted about an hour. Kerns, Steve Kibbe, a senior political science major, and Tyler Piraino, a junior political science major challenged each other for the win. Kerns, Kibbe and Piraino had taken first place in their semi-final rounds on Tuesday night.
Constitution Jeopardy was sponsored by the Center for Law and Society. Steven Nuttall, a philosophy professor, presided over the event.
Once the game began, Piraino dominated the first round. However, Kerns began to bring in some heat towards the end of the round. All three players were eager for the larger points, starting the first round by choosing the highest numbers in the categories.
By the end of the first round Piraino was in the lead with 4,200 points, leaving Kerns and Kibbe behind with 2,400 points each.
Kerns and Kibbe began to edge closer to Piraino at the beginning of the second round. At the end of the round, Kerns and Piraino each had 10,400 points and Kibbe had earned 5,400 points.
Then, the tension came – the Final Jeopardy question. The contestants were given time to decide their wagers. This was the deciding factor for the game.
Both Kerns and Kibbe answered correctly. Kerns wagered all his money, doubling his score to 20,800. Kibbe wagered 5,000 leaving him with a score of 10,400. Piraino missed the question and wagered 500, dropping him to third place with a score of 9,900. All three players found the final question difficult. They were asked to name the only current Supreme Court Justice who has never married.
Kerns received $350 in textbook money for his first place finish. Kibbe received $100 in Bona Bucks for placing second, and Piraino received $50 in Bona Bucks.
Both Piraino and Kibbe were glad for a chance to participate.
“It was an honor to play against such strong contestents,” Kibbe said. “It was a well-fought match.”
Piraino added, “It was a great match. Everyone played well.”
Kerns was thrilled with the win.
“It feels good to beat the political science majors,” Kerns said. “Thanks to the law and society program for putting on the event. It was a fun final round for sure.”
Kerns then added, “I didn’t know the answer to the final jeopardy question. I definitely guessed and lucked out a little bit. Congrats to Steve and Tyler for making it to the finals. Also a big thank you to Arin Liszka who organized the event and fearlessly volunteered to keep score.”
