The show's three rounds require that competitors answer esoteric questions under bizzare categories. A contestant is eliminated with each round, until one person is left to compete against Stein in a best-of-10 questions format.

The three contestants have varying degrees of familiarity with the show.

"I haven't really seen a whole show, just when I'm flipping through

the channels," O'Malley said. "I'll have to go to my House grill and learn the rules."

Takao, on the other hand, considers himself a fan.

"It's sort of a low-budget game show, but I'm a big fan," he said. His strategy will consist of "ringing in as fast as I can [because] you don't get money taken away when you're wrong."

Nikonchuk will most likely gloss over a few reference materials to

prepare.

"I'm really bad with geography, but I don't want to prepare too much because it will take away the fun," he said.

Valley Creek Productions will fly all three students to Los Angeles at the end of February and will provide them with food and board, as well as a $35 per day stipend.

"I will have a draft of my thesis done. I was here during intersession,

and it will be nice to get paid to go away for a few days," O'Malley says.

--Staff writer Nicole B. Usher can be reached at usher@fas.harvard.edu.