Thursday, November 13, 2014

Case Study No. 1674: David Hoskins

Jackson Librarian To Compete On 'Jeopardy!'
0:39
Jackson research librarian Davis Hoskins will compete on 'Jeopardy!' Tuesday.
Tags: david hoskins jeopardy
Added: 4 years ago
From: wapttv
Views: 38

[scene opens with a male news anchor speaking directly to the camera]
SCOTT SIMMONS: Tomorrow, you'll see a local guy take his chance on "Jeopardy." We caught up with contestant David Hoskins of Jackson.
[cut to footage of an African-American male librarian (short black hair, goatee, glasses, blue short-sleeved shirt) working at a computer in the Eudora Welty Public Library, as "16 WAPT News, Local to Appear on Jeopardy" appears on screen]
SCOTT SIMMONS: [in voice over] He works as a reference librarian at the Eudora Welty Library downtown. Hoskins says being on the show is a lot different from watching it on TV.
[cut to the librarian ("David Hoskins, Jeopardy Contestant") speaking directly to the camera]
DAVID HOSKINS: 'Cause y'know, at home, y'know, you know all the answers and even ... you conveniently forget the ones you don't know.
[he smiles]
DAVID HOSKINS: But, um, when you're up there on that stage, it's just ... it goes by really fast.
[he shakes his head]
DAVID HOSKINS: And y'know, you just try to answer the ones you can, and the ones you don't know, you just let 'em ... y'know, let 'em go by.
[cut to a still image of the "Jeopardy" logo]
SCOTT SIMMONS: [in voice over] Now you'll have to see for yourself how Mister Hoskins did tomorrow on "Jeopardy." It airs right here on Sixteen WAPT at Three Thirty.

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From jacksonfreepress.com:

David Hoskins is used to getting strange questions. As the reference librarian at the Eudora Welty Public Library, he is the go-to guy for research materials and assistance."The coolest thing today was a guy who called me and asked (what animal) would win a fight: a lion or a tiger?" he says. "It turns out that there are experts in robotics and zoology who run assimilations on things like that."

Hoskins sifted through the research and reported back to the patron with the verdict: The lion would win.

In April, Hoskin's accumulation of factoids earned him a spot on the game show "Jeopardy." Out of curiosity, the Batesville native took an online test to compete on the game show and soon, he received a call from a producer asking him to fly to Chicago and audition for the show.

"It took a minute to sink in. I thought I had misheard her or something, but then I realized that she wouldn't call me to fake me out," Hoskins says. "I've been watching that show for years so to get on it was a very big honor."

To prepare, Hoskins's coworkers helped him train by making flash cards and giving him random pop quizzes. He made it to the final question: The ivory-billed woodpecker and the coelacanth are examples of species named for this biblical man?

Under the bright lights with television cameras pointed at him, Hoskins searched for the right answer. Finally he made an educated guess: Noah. The right answer, however, is Lazarus because the animals are species that people thought were extinct, but actually still exist.

Since the experience, he has been a celebrity at home. His friends and coworkers recorded his episode of "Jeopardy," and watched it during a recent game night.

"I'm not used to this much attention, but I'm learning to be more comfortable with people coming up and talking to me," Hoskins says.

Hoskins, 32, received his bachelor's degree in English from Jackson State University in 2001. After graduation, he stumbled across a job listing with the library and has been there ever since. He is currently working on his master's degree in library science from the University of Southern Mississippi.

"I'm a natural nerd, so now I get to use my nerdiness for good," he says. "I want more people to know that (the library) is out there, and we have all sorts of information that people can use. The more people know what is at the library for them, the better off the entire community will be."

In his free time, the Belhaven resident enjoys local theater productions. "Jackson is really laid back," he says. "It has all the good stuff of a larger city, but it is really like a big small town."

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From j-archive.com:

A guybrarian from Jackson, Mississippi...

David Hoskins

"Hi Jackson, it's David Hoskins. See if I can bring the win home to the Magnolia State, on Jeopardy!"

Season 26 player (2010-04-06).
David appeared in the following archived game:
#5892, aired 2010-04-06 (Brandon Hathaway vs. David Hoskins vs. Emily Bryk)

J! score
$3,800

DJ! score
$7,400

FJ! score
$0

Coryat score
$7,400

R
14

W
3

Rebs.
1

DDs
0/0

DD gain/loss
$0

FJ!
W

FJ! gain/loss
-$7,400

BA
.241

TBA
.825

---

From thejeopardyfan.com:

Wednesday, April 7, 2010
What IS a guybrarian, Alex?

I watched Jeopardy! tonight in especially good spirits. I think it's because I have my taxes done. Phew!

I was busy writing down the contestant's names when I heard David Hoskins of Mississippi identified as a "guybrarian." I was so alarmed that I looked up at the screen, and indeed, that's how closed captioning had spelled it. I was sure Mr. Trebek would ask him about it! When he didn't, I sort of hoped David would win so maybe Mr. Trebek would ask him tomorrow. I would look it up, but I want to hear from you, readers, if you have ever heard of this and what it means.

I also hoped David would win (or heck, anybody else!) because I found his opponent Emily Bryk of New York so irritating. At first she just copped an obvious attitude, but as the game progressed, especially in Double Jeopardy, it seemed like she felt like she could show off, and she was trying to. She got cockier every minute, even feigning shock and asking Mr. Trebek after being read a Daily Double clue, "You think I should know this?" Here was the clue, in Fashion Designers: "Giorgio Armani puts on fashion shows at his pallazzo on Via Borgonuovo in this northern Italian city."* Then of course, she acted like she was picking a random city and said, "Really?" when told she was right. Judging by his flat response I don't think Mr. Trebek was amused either, but only he knows.

Rounding out the contestant panel (if I may call it that) was 1-day champ Brandon Hathaway from Augusta, Georgia. I wonder if he'll be watching himself on Jeopardy! this week or, like many other Americans (not me), The Masters.

Speaking of sports, I was very surprised when no one came up with a correct response (or an incorrect one) on this $1000 clue in Fun at the Ballpark (I must have made a face like Emily's at the aforementioned Daily Double): "In a 1983 game, the presence of this substance on George Brett's bat caused controversy at Yankee Stadium." Now in my mind, the image of Brett storming out of the dugout and having to be restrained is one of the most famous and memorable scenes in the history of baseball. And NO, I would not have been old enough to remember it when it happened. Do you guys know this one without peeking at the correct response? Somebody say yes!

Emily got her comeuppance in Final Jeopardy. She was in the lead with $17000. Brandon had $13600, and David had $7400. No one (including me) came up with a correct response to this clue in The Animal Kingdom: "The coelacanth and the ivory-billed woodpecker are sometimes referred to as this Biblican man 'species.'" A toughie, it turned out. David lost everything on that clue. Brandon lost $6000, but it was still enough to beat drama queen Emily, who lost $10201.

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