Four UCLan students have their fingers firmly on their buzzers after proving they’re up to a University Challenge.

After 46 years of watching regular winners Cambridge, London and Oxford, UCLan has formed a team to compete in this year’s competition. 

Education Officer Sarah Delli-Colli, who co-ordinated the auditions, said: “Selecting a team for University Challenge used to be a bit of a tradition and by keeping that going we can demonstrate how it isn’t just the red brick universities that can do things like this. There are some really intelligent students at UCLan.” 

The team is Maureen McElroy, David Martin, and Jonathan Cooper and Lisa Atkinson, with reserve Mark Swallow. 

The audition process began earlier this year when Sarah devised an online survey for potential applicants to test their knowledge. Auditions were held on March 11 and 16 and the team of four and one reserve were selected. 

“The standard was quite high. There were fifty questions on the sample we received from University Challenge and the people we selected for the team all scored in the 20s,” said Sarah. 

The team now have less than two months before the heats begin. A series of knock out rounds begin in Manchester in June, the top teams then go through to face Jeremy Paxman in the televised rounds this the Autumn. 

Despite finding and auditioning UCLan’s entrants, Sarah’s role as Education Officer ends this semester. It’ll be up to the newly elected officer to lead the team through the Manchester and television heats. 

University Challenge began on ITV in 1962. The familiar format broadcast today was created by the BBC when they revived the show in 1994 following a seven year hiatus. The show was recently embroiled in controversy after Manchester University won with a non student team member.   

But that won’t deter the UCLan team and preparations are already under way. Sarah said: “The team have started their ‘training’… they’re practicing with the University Challenge board game!”  

Breakout:

Think you’re up to the University Challenge? Here are some of the sample questions students were asked at the UCLan auditions: 

Said to be the region where the first urban civilisation evolved, which part of lower Mesopotamia, between Babylon and the Persian Gulf, included the city states of Uruk, Eridu and Ur? 

In Greek Mythology, who was the youngest son of Laomedon and, in later years, Kind of Troy during the siege by the Greeks?

Profiles for each team member: 

Name: Maureen McElroy

Where are you from: Prestwick, Scotland.

Course: Homeopathic Medicine

‘Specialist’ Subjects: Medical Science or History

IQ: 140+

Audition score: 21

Previous experience: Pub quizzes and the like.

Where next after your degree: “I want to open up my own clinic in Prestwick, and also one in Northern Ireland, where my daughter lives!”

Name: David Martin

Where are you from: Preston.

Course: Social Work

‘Specialist’ Subjects: History, Politics or Art.

IQ: unknown

Audition score: 29

Previous experience: Won the weakest link, eight years ago!

Where next after your degree? “Either a masters or straight into Social Wor.k”

Name: Lisa Atkinson

Where are you from: Liverpool

Course: Arabic & Islamic studies

‘Specialist’ Subjects: “I know lots of things about nothing in particular”

IQ: unknown

Audition score: 22

Previous experience: Other quiz teams

Where next after your degree? “I’d like to work as a translator.”

Name: Jonathan Cooper

Where are you from: Angus, Scotland

Course: Phd in Sustainable Development

‘Specialist’ subject: sciences

IQ: unknown

Audition score: 21

Previous Experience: pub school quiz teams

Where next after your degree: “I plan to stay in academia.”

Name: Mark Swallow

Where are you from: Harrogate

Course: Film & Media studies

‘Specialist’ Subjects: I know a little bit of everything

IQ: unknown

Audition score: 16

Previous experience: Mostly pub quizzes. The team I was on won the SLO course rep quiz recently- but we lost out on the trophy!

Where next after your degree: “I’ve no plans yet other than to see where it takes me.”