The Final Jeopardy question (11/9/2012) in the category “Disasters” was:

In 2012, the Natl. Postal Museum marked the 75th and 100th annivs. of these 2 disasters with an exhibit called “Fire & Ice.”

Day 3 of the Teachers Tournaments. Another semi-final spot will be filled today and it will be filled by one of these three teachers: Marion Penning from Baltimore, MD; Chris Pae, from Suwanee, GA and  Robin Cheney, from Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.

Robin found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Civics.” She just got in the lead with $2,600, $200 more than Chris and $400 more than Marion. She bet $1,400, guessed two-thirds and that was WRONG.

For a Constitutional Amendment to take effect, this fraction of the states must ratify it.
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WHAT IS THREE-QUARTERS?

Marion finished in the lead with $3,200. Chris was second with $3,000 and Robin was last with $1,400.

Marion found the first Double Jeopardy Daily Double in “Remember Bookstores?” She was in the lead with $7,200, $1,800 more than Chris in second place. She bet $2,000 and she was RIGHT.

This word preceded “ink” in the name of one of the first mystery stores, opened in 1972.
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WHAT IS MURDER?

Marion found the last Daily Double in “Elemental Symbols,” where they gave a clue to the symbol, but the contestant had to give the name of the element. She still had the lead, only now with $13,200, $6,200 more than Robin in second place. She bet $3,000, and she was RIGHT.

French preposition between coq & vin.
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WHAT IS GOLD (AU)?

Marion finished in the lead with $19,400. Robin was next with $13,400 and Chris was in third place with $7,800.

Only ONE of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHAT ARE THE TITANIC AND THE HINDENBURG?

According to the National Postal Museum, the inspiration for the title of this exhibit came from the first two lines of Robert Frost’s poem “Fire & Ice.” They also say that the “Hindenburg and Titanic share many similarities. The human tragedy associated with each stunned the world . . . a shock that affects people to this day. Both offered travelers elegant accommodations, and both provided postal services. In each era, the public trusted modern technology to provide safety and speed. And as anniversaries of the disasters are marked in 2012—seventy-five years since Hindenburg burned and a century since Titanic sank—many questions remain unanswered.”

Chris wrote down the “Titanic and Triangle Shirtw” (Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire). He lost his $7,401 bet and finished with $399.

Robin had the “Chicago Fire and the Titanic.” She lost $12,000 and ended up with $1,400.

Marion got it right. She added $3,401, winning the semi-final spot with $26,801.

So we end this week with these results:

Teachers Tournament Semi-Finalists:
Marion Penning $26,801
Colby Burnett $20,001
John Hines $8,399

Wild Card Contenders:
Michael Farabaugh $18,000
Diana North $10,000
Terry Parker $6,799
Robin Cheney $1,400