"My life has been a quest for knowledge and understanding..."

Earlier this month, we said goodbye to Alex Trebek, the long-time host of Jeopardy!, who died from pancreatic cancer on November 8th.

Trebek was born in my home and native land, not far from where I grew up, in Sudbury, Ontario. He went to school in Canada, and started his career at the Canadian Broadcasting Company. Ten years later, he moved to the U.S. and hosted a variety of game shows before securing a spot hosting Jeopardy! in 1984. And for 37 years, he was in our living rooms, steady and calm as we shouted answers at the TV screens. While I admittedly have watched very little Jeopardy! as an adult, as a child I remember watching in conjunction with Family Feud, and hoping that one day I’d be smart enough to know all of the answers to the show. In a time where facts somehow seem debatable, Trebek is a refreshing voice, reminding us that in many things there is a right answer. Ulaanbaatar is the capital of Mongolia, whether you or I know it or not.

What I love about the story of Jeopardy! is just how indelible the format of the show has been over time. Almost four decades later, it largely remains the same, a series of questions along certain topic areas and a cash prize. In a year when things seem to change by the hour, it remains reliable while still somehow exciting. As recent as last year, there was buzz around a show’s contestant with James Holzhauer having a 32-game winning streak that totaled $2.4 million.

My life has been a quest for knowledge and understanding, and I am nowhere near having achieved that. And it doesn't bother me in the least. I will die without having come up with the answers to many things in life.

As we approach the final month of school for 2020, I find myself appreciating that thirst for knowledge that we are nurturing in our 6,000 students each day as they arrive at our school doors. I hope that we can do their curiosity justice, and that Trebek will live on in the hearts of Jeopardy! watchers everywhere.

-Reshma