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COC English Professor Wins On Jeopardy

By Adria Morales

Answer: $53,999

Question: How much did COC Assistant English professor Erin Delaney win on “Jeopardy,” which is letting her accomplish a life-long dream and take a trip to Rome next summer?


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The COC literature professor was recently given a chance on national television to demonstrate the value of an education on the subject she teaches during a three-episode run that aired in May.

Delaney grew up in the San Fernando Valley and eventually went on to receive her bachelor’s and master’s degree, majoring in English Literature from CSUN.

“I come from a long line of teachers in my family. I’m actually the third generation.”

Erin didn’t want to teach right away because she wanted to do something different. She at one point became an editor, then went on to work for a non-profit.

“I went back to school and was in an Assistant Teaching program, where I discovered I loved to teach.”

In 2009, Delaney was hired to the COC English staff part-time, and got a full-time job there in the summer of 2015 as an Assistant English Professor.

Growing up in North Hills,  Delaney watched Jeopardy religiously with her younger brother. “It was a nice way for my brother and I to bond,” she said.

Since she was a huge “Jeopardy” fan, she watched for years, but never entered because she “feared of losing.”

“I waited until I could play for fun, even if I ended up getting third,” she said.

The process of applying to play took a year and a half to complete. There were applications and auditions. Luckily for Erin, she only had to audition once.

“They wanted to make sure I had the knowledge and we played a practice game to make sure you have humor and are likable because the audience wants to root for you,” she explained.

When it came to telling her family—and especially her brother—they were really excited for her and they all came to watch her play. Her students were even more thrilled that their teacher played on “Jeopardy.”

“The show was taped in March while I was still teaching, and the episode aired in May,” she added. “My students were excited to see it and some of them even send me snapchats of them watching it.”

The studio tapes every show for that week in the same day. Delaney then got to sit and watch each game, while preparing herself for her game.

“I saw all four games before me and got to watch Buzzy Cohen win all four,” she said. “I was excited to play against him. He was a great competitor.”

Cohen, in the previous week, had won five games. By winning the four before Delaney, he was going into the game with a nine-day streak.

Playing “Jeopardy” can be very stressful, but for Erin, she just had to focus on one thing—the game.

“I forgot a lot of things. Forgot there was an audience and the other cast members. I just paid attention to the categories.

“The hardest part was if I wanted to guess or not—sometimes it paid off and sometimes I got it wrong.”

After winning two games by answering two literature questions regarding Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island” and Oscar Wilde’s “Lady Windermere’s Fan,” Erin accomplished what she came to do—have fun.

“After I won my first game, I was really happy and excited. But I wanted to come back and show that it wasn’t a one-hit wonder,” she said. “By the third day, I lost my competitive edge.”

With the $53,999 Delaney won, she plans on taking a trip to Rome next summer.

“I plan to go to Italy and rent an apartment in Rome,” she said. “I never studied abroad while I was in college, and I regret not doing it.”

KHTS AM 1220 - Santa Clarita Radio

COC English Professor Wins On Jeopardy

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