What is the third-most spoken Indigenous language of Nigeria? To what word, first used in 1664, was a new sense added in the Oxford English Dictionary in 2022, with its first citation in 2007? Kings Cross Station is named for a monument erected in the 1830s featuring which king? Who was the 1980s world darts champion who struggled with the yips?
If these questions seem hard, you’ll be impressed to know that, on Great Britain’s prestigious game show University Challenge this week, a team of Northeastern University students got all of them right. A group of four students participated in the 60-year-old quiz show for the first time in the university’s history on Monday, exceeding expectations to earn 120 points against York University.
A formidable foe, York took the win, but the Northeastern team still has much to be proud of. For one thing, it became part of a show that holds a special place in Great Britain’s culture. You can ask any Brit about University Challenge, and they’ll know what you’re talking about. “I’ve watched the show at home for years,” said Chloe Rogers, a history, politics and international relations major, and the team’s captain.
