This year’s University Challenge team finalised
Philippa Skett reports as the final team is chosen following weeks of quizzes
The University Challenge team has been finalised after an extensive selection process. The new team consists of 5 male students and was selected after passing several rounds of quizzes and a final trial stage.
The team consists of three undergraduate students and two PhD students. Ben Fernando, a third year physics student and Captain of last year’s team, has made a reappearance alongside James Bezer, a third year physics student (and one of Felix’s esteemed Science Editors).
New to the team is Ashwin Braude, a fourth year physics student, and Onur Teymur, who is working on a PhD in statistics. Also joining them is Patrick Dunn, who is a physics student, also currently working on his doctorate.
The selection process started a few weeks ago, with quizzes held by Imperial College Union in conjunction with Quiz Soc. The 60-question test culled down 100 hopefuls to 16, who had a call-back for the evening of Friday 21st November.
The final trial was a mock-up of teams being questioned, Jeremy Paxman style, and observed by Imperial College Union President Tom Wheeler and Student Trustee Thomas Lim.
The 16 students were judged on how they interacted as a team and total scores were also taken into consideration before the panel decided on the final five.
The team will now have another interview with the producers of the show in January where they will be asked more questions, and in the last weekend in February filming will commence in the Granada studios in Manchester.
28 teams make it to the televised finals.
Last year the team was knocked out at the January stage, so did not make it onto the screens of households across the country.
The series is due to air during the second half of August.
Imperial College London has won the popular quiz show in previous years; they beat London School of Economics to the title in 1996, and again in 2001, beating St John’s College, Oxford.
