WEST CENTRAL TRIBUNE — WILLMAR, MINNESOTA
GENERATIONS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 | D3
God and Jeopardy! in the time of COVID BY KARI STADEM This spring, a once-in-a-lifetime experience — competing on Jeopardy! — reminded me once again that my life is not under my control. Two years ago, I took the Jeopardy online test for the first time (along with about 200,000 other people) after talking about it for years. I was invited to Milwaukee for an audition, which happens to about 4,000 people per year, of whom about 400 get on the show, and then told I could be called any time in the next 18 months. After a year, I told the Lord, “I’m not getting any better at this as I age, and every year is another year of pop culture that I know nothing about. So please let me get on the show this time, because I’m not going to try out again.” I got the call in January — in the middle of COVID. Perhaps some potential contestants said “No” — I said “Yes!” (I’d had coronavirus by then.) Los Angeles was in the middle of a surge at that time, and I would be allowed to fly into LAX with a negative test 72 hours beforehand, only because I was considered an “essential worker” on a TV show. My husband Pete and I ended up flying to Phoenix to visit my
Contributed Kari Stadem
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, left, was the guest host during Kari Stadem’s appearance on Jeopardy! parents instead, and driving to California, staying with a cousin in Anaheim. I’m so grateful Pete drove through the six-to-eight lanes of traffic with construction. We were very puzzled to see people fully masked outside on the beach with no one within
About this section:
Generations, formerly Prime Time, sections are published a few times throughout the year as a special section within the West Central Tribune. People age 55 and older are invited to write stories and submit pictures or other artwork for publication in these sections. We recognize that senior citizens have much knowledge and experience. What better way to share that with the community than by writing an article for publication? We invite all interested senior citizens to contribute articles. They may deal with
100 yards, or jogging alone in a park. We also couldn’t find a restroom to use, at gas stations or restaurants. We found out later that LA had an outdoor mask mandate, a ban on indoor dining including restrooms, and a rule that gas stations could only have a
serious issues, or tell human interest stories. Photos or other graphics may be included with the submission of your article to help illustrate the piece. If you need a photo returned, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Try to keep articles to within 500 words. Articles may be sent to: Generations, West Central Tribune, Box 839, Willmar, MN 56201; or emailed to news@wctrib. com with Generations in the subject line. For additional information, email news@wctrib.com.
restroom open if they had two employees on duty. I realized my lack of control of everything. My mandatory COVID test might be positive; I might be only an alternate; COVID could shut the whole taping down. I reminded myself, “God is a good
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Father. If He can say yes to my request to be on Jeopardy, He will.” I really did want to win at least one game, but again, “Thy will be done” was my prayer. “Just please let me not look like an idiot,” I asked.
JEOPARDY!: Page D4
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