Contestant Blogs
This Week's Contestant
Chad H.
| Theme: | College Week Portland |
|---|---|
| Hometown: | Vancouver, WA |
| Week of: | 05-14-2012 |
POSTED on 5-14
I have been an avid watcher of Wheel of Fortune for as long as I can remember. I always sat down in front of the television with my parents and siblings and tried solving the puzzles along with the on-screen contestants. It was such a great time just being with my family and playing the game. As a child I dreamt of going on the show and being a contestant myself. This was when the bonus round consisted of five envelopes to choose from. They spelled out the word "WHEEL". I got more and more excited when the prizes became bigger and the opportunities became greater. The introduction of the prize puzzle was amazing; just seeing the look on people's faces when they won a trip to Ireland or London or a Caribbean Cruise. All of these additions just made me want to be on the show even more.
When I was 19, I applied online for the adult version of the show as well as the college edition. I had heard of the Wheelmobile driving around and I always hoped it would stop near me, but sadly, it never did.
Throughout my first couple years at Washington State University I waited for a response, but never received one. I applied a couple more times. My Sigma Nu Fraternity brothers and friends told me I had a knack for solving puzzles and would do great on the show. I think my final application was around December of 2011. I was determined to get an audition. A couple of months later, I was scrolling through my email and in all capitals was the email title "WHEEL OF FORTUNE AUDITION". My roommate saw it too and we were both in disbelief. I thought it was a joke, but to my amazement I opened the email and had received an audition in Portland. I was so excited! I called my parents (This was at two in the morning). My mother thought something was wrong, but was greatly surprised by the news!
When it came time to audition I was extremely nervous, but also very excited. I had looked up any tips there were on how to be a good contestant and the number one thing said was to have a good time. That is exactly what I did. There were about 50 other people with me, most of them college age. I sat next to a girl from Western Oregon University. The audition lasted about three hours. It went by very fast. The casting coordinators were so nice and wanted everyone to have the best time they could. I felt confident leaving, but still very nervous. I did not want to get my hopes up. Regardless on if I made the cut or not, it was still a great experience, and I had gotten an autographed headshot of Vanna White for answering a trivia question!
About a week later I received the call. One of the casting coordinators told me I was to appear on one of the "College Week" episodes! I was in shock! I immediately called my family members and my best friends. I think I was shaking from excitement for a good half hour!
I had two weeks to wait before the taping in Portland. Those were a very long two weeks indeed! I spent a good amount of time practicing puzzles and trying to find any tips I could to be a good contestant, however I did not want to psych myself out. The night before the taping I could not sleep, so I watched about eight episodes of Wheel my mom had recorded for me. My dad picked me up around 8 AM, I chugged an energy drink and was good to go!
The taping was held at the Oregon Convention Center. I was so excited! There were actually quite a few people from my audition who were there with me, including the Western Oregon freshman, Sara and one of my new friends Julia, from Oregon State University. The day of the taping consisted of some rehearsal, some paperwork, and a lot of getting to know the casting coordinators as well as the other contestants. It was the best time of my life. Walking on stage and actually being able to spin the wheel was unbelievable. I never thought I would get this opportunity.
When it was my turn to play the game, all the nerves came back to me. I was not nervous to be on television, I was just nervous of doing well. I wanted the best for all the contestants and we were told by the contestant coordinators to 'play together against the wheel', however, there is also that little devil in you wanting to win all the money. There were a few final tips from the casting group, putting on some big smiles, the lights dimmed; Pat and Vanna walked on stage and my game began.
Tune in on Wednesday, May 16th, 2012 to see how I did!