Who Is Mark Dawson

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=3 height=91 BGCOLOR="#000066" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="41d14603.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Bauhaus 93" ><B>JEOPARDY'S</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B> 19th Season Tournament of Champions</B></FONT><B>  |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="HOME"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="site_info.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ABOUT THE SITE"><U>ABOUT THE SITE</U></A>   |   <A HREF="crew.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ABOUT THE CREW"><U>ABOUT THE CREW</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id136.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="GAME RECAPS"><U>GAME RECAPS</U></A>   |   <A HREF="toc_19_contestants.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MEET THE CONTESTANTS"><U>MEET THE CONTESTANTS</U></A>   |   <A HREF="media__photos_and_more_.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="IN THE MEDIA"><U>IN THE MEDIA</U></A>   |   <A HREF="communications.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="COMMUNICATIONS"><U>COMMUNICATIONS</U></A>   |   <A HREF="links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LINKS"><U>LINKS</U></A>   |   <A HREF="offical_site.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="JEOPARDY! .COM"><U>JEOPARDY! .COM</U></A></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=228 BGCOLOR="#000066" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="41ec8c83.jpg"> <div> <B><IMG SRC="907b48c0.jpg" border=0 width="180" height="140" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> DAY 1 - $13,599</div> <div> DAY 2 - $11,599</div> <div> DAY 3 - $15,401 </div> <div> DAY 4 - $ 3,800</div> <div> DAY 5 - $ 8,200</div> <div> PLUS A $42,000</div> <div> CORVETTE</div> <div> <A HREF="dawson.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who Is Mark Dawson"><U><IMG SRC="8ebb3170.gif" border=0 width="179" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="dawson_reg_games.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who Is Mark Dawson"><U><B><IMG SRC="8e9b3170.gif" border=0 width="179" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="dawson_reg_games5c.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who Is Mark Dawson"><U><IMG SRC="9adb3170.gif" border=0 width="179" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=389 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <I><B>Who Is.... </B></I><B>  </B>Mark Dawson</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Facts of Interest</B></I><I><B> </B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>In your own words, describe what you do.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>As the only non-architect in the firm, I handle most of the support</B></div> <div> <B>functions from Accounting and Human Resources to Facilities Maintenance and Receptionist Duties. </B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>5 favorite/most important accomplishments.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>1.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B> Being a good uncle.</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>2.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B> Owning my home.</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>3.</B><B> </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>Having cultivated a great group of friends that are "good</B></FONT></div> <div> <B>    people."</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>4.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B> Winner Sportsmanship Trophy, 1994 College Bowl National</B></FONT></div> <div> <B>    Championship.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>5.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B> "Five-time Jeopardy! Champion."</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>What made you want to take the Jeopardy test?</B></I></div> <bR> <div> T<B>he long answer --- Though I was born in Bloomington, Indiana, I have</B></div> <div> <B>little recollection of my hometown, as my family moved away before my second birthday. Later, when I was about five years old, I would watch Art Fleming host the original version of the show. At that time, a woman from</B></div> <div> <B>Bloomington appeared as a contestant, winning all five of her games, as best I recall. She was for me a connection to my place of origin, and at that</B></div> <div> <B>time, I figured, if she could win on Jeopardy I could too.</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>How many times did you take the test?</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>I took the test 4 times, twice in Los Angeles (1987 and 1993), once in</B></div> <div> <B>Atlanta (1992) and once in New Orleans (2001). I passed the test three times, failing in '93 after a three-day cross-country adventure and no sleep the night before (I rationalize these things to maintain my self-esteem).</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Any particular Jeopardy heroes over the years?</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>Pam Mueller, College Champ 2000 [insert fluttering heart and a deep sigh</B></div> <div> <B>here]. Actually, the two types of players I most enjoy are those who play</B></div> <div> <B>the game well, with good strategy, tactics and discipline (Pam is an example) and those who have a way of transcending the game, especially with their sense of humor. From Pam's ToC class, Babu and Ryan are among those who would fall into that category.</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Do you have a nickname based on your Jeopardy! reputation?</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>None from my Jeopardy! reputation, except that I am sometimes</B></div> <div> <B>referred to as "the ringer," when playing trivia with friends. Otherwise,</B></div> <div> <B>some friends call me "AWOL," for my tendency to come and go without</B></div> <div> <B>announcement. One friend swears he's never seen me arrive at or leave a</B></div> <div> <B>party; he says that I simply appear and disappear.</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>What stands out in your memory about competing on Jeopardy!? </B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>(An anecdote you told, or a wild answer you gave.)</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>a.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>  That during a commercial break, Alex asked if he had pronounced</B></FONT></div> <div> <B>"Altamaha" correctly. It's the name of a Georgia river and was part of a</B></div> <div> <B>clue on the 13 colonies. I was impressed that he cared enough about being</B></div> <div> <B>accurate that he would ask me, someone from Georgia, when he has a staff of writers and fact-checkers at his disposal. Alex's professionalism is</B></div> <div> <B>outstanding.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>b</B><B>.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B> Winning from third place in my fourth game. I was tired and had</B></FONT></div> <div> <B>decided that if the FJ clue was going to ask me to come up with a name, even if I knew the answer it would be likely that I wouldn't be able to recall</B></div> <div> <B>it. I bet $0 on a triple stumper and won.</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Is there something unique about your competition? (Youngest winner, highest dollar amount...)</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>The large number of answers that I "vultured" from my opponents. </B></div> <div> <B>By one count, on 17 occasions during my five games, I picked up points after a competitor made an error in their response. </B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Any special preparation for this tournament?</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>Study, study, study. I would like to thank all of my friends and</B></div> <div> <B>family for their help and support, including those who collected reading</B></div> <div> <B>material for me and those who quizzed me mercilessly at home and at Emory and at Georgia Tech.</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Has your appearance or the money you've won had any impact on career paths or life-changing decisions?</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Not yet, but it may still.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Is there anything you want to "set the record straight" about?</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>I would like to dispel all rumors that my primary reason for</B></div> <div> <B>competing on Jeopardy! was because "chicks dig it." That was actually my</B></div> <div> <B>secondary reason. My primary reason was because I love to play, and you only get to keep playing as often as you win, so I play to win.</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>What do you think most prepared you for your previous success with the game?</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>I learned that I had an unusual talent for recalling facts playing</B></div> <div> <B>"Current Events," in Coach Pierce's 10th grade History class. </B></div> <div> <B>Since then, I have squandered innumerable hours in learning bits of information that, until now, were useful only for conversation starters at parties and the like.</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Do you have a secret weapon? What's your game plan?</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Secret weapon?</B></I><B> It's a secret. </B></div> <div> <I><B>Game plan?</B></I><B> Strategy: Survive and Move On. </B></div> <div> <I><B>Tactics:</B></I><B> take my time and re-read the category before giving my response.</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>5 words that best describe your personality or style of</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>competition.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Personality:</B></I><B> patient, analytical, conscientious, gregarious,</B></div> <div> <B>problem-solver.</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Style of Competition:</B></I><B> fast, intense, controlled, challenging,</B></div> <div> <B>playful.</B></div> </td> <td valign="top" width=185 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="67180803.jpg"> <div> <B><IMG SRC="a58957a0.jpg" border=0 width="149" height="122" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>To learn more about each contestant simply click on a name below.</B></div> <div> <A HREF="bailey.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who Is Alan Bailey"><U><B><IMG SRC="49894170.gif" border=0 width="148" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="norris.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who Is Trevor Norris"><U><B><IMG SRC="49a94170.gif" border=0 width="148" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="tritle.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who Is Ben Tritle"><U><B><IMG SRC="49b94170.gif" border=0 width="148" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="brown.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who Is Mark Brown"><U><B><IMG SRC="49c94170.gif" border=0 width="148" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="troyer.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who Is Travis Troyer"><U><B><IMG SRC="4a794170.gif" border=0 width="148" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="weikle.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who Is Brian Weikle"><U><B><IMG SRC="49794170.gif" border=0 width="148" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="floyd.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who Is Eric Floyd"><U><B><IMG SRC="49d94170.gif" border=0 width="148" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="mccune.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who Is Jason McCune"><U><B><IMG SRC="49e94170.gif" border=0 width="148" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="chimka.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who Is Jill Bunzendahl Chimka"><U><B><IMG SRC="9b393170.gif" border=0 width="147" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="lee.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who Is Mark Lee"><U><B><IMG SRC="4a094170.gif" border=0 width="148" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="levaren.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who Is Max Levaren"><U><B><IMG SRC="4a194170.gif" border=0 width="148" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="harrison.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who Is Jackie Harrison"><U><B><IMG SRC="4a294170.gif" border=0 width="148" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="cassity.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who Is Kathy Cassity"><U><B><IMG SRC="4a394170.gif" border=0 width="148" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="hale.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who Is Kyle Hale"><U><B><IMG SRC="4a594170.gif" border=0 width="148" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="love.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who Is Faith Love"><U><B><IMG SRC="4a694170.gif" border=0 width="148" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>