A team of students from The Open University take the good wishes of their fellow scholars and OU staff with them tonight, Monday 29 January, when they take part in the first round of three quarter-final matches in University Challenge at 8.30pm on BBC Two.
The four-person Team Open, plus a reserve team member, are one of eight teams to get this far and tonight they face Trinity College, Cambridge, to answer questions on a wide range of subjects from literature to music and sport.
Team Open includes Ellie Romans, a nursing student, Mike Holt studying an Open Degree, Ann Gavaghan (captain) studying Art History and James Davidson studying English Literature.
Their achievement represents the furthest a Team Open has reached since OU students David Good, John Burke, Sue Mitchell and Lance Haward won in 1999 (find out more on our history on University Challenge here).
Each year, the team is selected by The Open University Students Association and there is a story discussing the team’s performance so far in the programme.
Lara Munday, Projects Officer for The Open University Students Association, who has been closely following the team’s progress, said:
“We’re delighted that this fantastic team of OU students have progressed to the quarter finals of University Challenge.
“Having not met each other in person until their interview day, they enthusiastically practiced online together and became a team from afar. They have done themselves and the OU community proud. Good luck Team Open.”
Picture credit: Lifted Entertainment/ITV Studios
