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Birkbeck
take the spoils in University Challenge Final
Birkbeck
College has won its first ever University Challenge series title,
beating Cranfield University by 180 points to 155 in a closely fought
contest last night on 91热爆 TWO. (Monday 31 March 2003, 8.00pm).
From
the very beginning, the teams were evenly matched. Cranfield got
off the starting blocks first, but within minutes, Birkbeck had
equaled their 15 points.
The
teams were neck and neck throughout, but Cranfield managed to take
the lead with 155 points to Birkbeck's 150.
Then
a very late flurry from Birkbeck gave them the edge.
Quiz
master Jeremy Paxman told Birkbeck: "You left it pretty much
on a knife edge all the way through."
Both
Cranfield University and Birkbeck cater for older students, who
juggle full-time jobs with part-time study.
Paxman
was on his best behaviour with these mature students and was less
irascible than usual.
Marden,
Captain of Cranfield, inspired Paxman's disdain when he gave the
answer Wordsworth to a question, but was centuries out of date.
The
Cranfield team raised a laugh from Paxman. After correctly identifying
a piece of music from Elgar's Enigma Variations, Paxman asked them
if they knew which part of the Variations was played.
"It's
close to the middle!" said Arbuthnot.
Captain
Tony Gillham explained what it felt like to reach the final: "We
were fairly relaxed in the first matches, but as the pace hotted
up and we got closer to the final, it dawned on us that we might
actually make it!"
His
team-mate Colum Gallivan, an actor and Classics student, is well
prepared for tense situations, having played in EastEnders, Father
Ted and Juliet Bravo.
Gillham
said: "Even Colum, who is used to tv appearances, started sweating.
We were so shocked when we heard the gong, it took a few minutes
before it dawned on us that we'd actually won!"
The
winning trophy was presented to Birkbeck by Benjamin Zephaniah,
Rastafarian, author, recording artist and one of the UK's most distinctive
poets.
Zephaniah
commended Birkbeck's tactics of staying cool and leaving it until
the last minute.
"I
do it all the time myself," he said.
University
Challenge is a Granada Production for 91热爆 TWO.
Notes
to Editors
The
Teams
Birkbeck College
Tony
Gillham (Captain) - from Croydon; studying for a Masters in Applied
Linguistics
Tony
Walsh 聳 from Hertfordshire; studying History and Archaeology
Thor
Halland 聳 from East London; studying Philosophy
Colum
Gallivan 聳 from Walsall; studying Classics
Route
to the final
Birkbeck:
230 v Emmanuel College, Cambridge: 185
Birkbeck:
190 v Clare College, Cambridge: 130
Birkbeck:
220 v UCL: 145
Birkbeck:
190 v Sheffield: 155
Birkbeck
College differs from other Colleges of the University of London
because it caters for the needs of over 5,000 mature part-time evening
students reading for first or higher degrees.
Students
at Birkbeck carry out research in the humanities, social sciences
and natural sciences.
Founded
in 1823, Birkbeck college was incorporated into the University of
London by Royal Charter in 1920.
Birkbeck
has never taken the trophy before, but they reached the final in
1998, when they lost to Magdalen, Oxford by only 30 points.
Cranfield
University
Joe
Marden (Captain) - from London; studying for a Masters in Business
Administration
Susan
Brennan - from Dundork in Ireland; studying for a Masters in Aerospace
Dynamics
Simon
Arbuthnot 聳 from Blackheath in South London; studying for a
Masters in Business Administration
John
Corley - from Somerset; studying for a PHD in Management
Route
to the final
Cranfield
v Brasenose, Oxford 聳 tie break on 165 points.
Cranfield:
190 v Manchester:175
Cranfield
v Durham 聳 tie break on 165 points.
Cranfield:
200 v Leeds: 125
Cranfield
University is one of Western Europe's largest academic centres for
strategic and applied research, development and design. It is unique
in its almost entirely postgraduate focus.
The
university is made up of three campuses - Cranfield, Silsoe and
Shrivenham (The Royal Military College of Science).
The
forerunner of Cranfield University - the College of Aeronautics
- was created in 1946.
In
1969, the College of Aeronautics became The Cranfield Institute
of Technology with full degree-awarding powers, and diversified
into other technologies and into manufacturing and management.
Cranfield
University has never before reached the final of University Challenge.
University
Challenge Final 2002 - 2003 (25.03.03)
Top
professionals take on University Challenge (26.03.03)
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