Michael Arnone, a student in the School of Journalism's New Media Program standing with Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, left.

Michael Arnone was mentally and physically exhausted. He had already amassed $40,899 in the first three games, but this contest, his fourth in two hours, had been more taxing than the others. Even the carefully styled part in his hair was somewhat displaced. Despite possessing a slight lead, Arnone's opponents were both within $1,500 of him going into the decisive battle: Final Jeopardy.

Arnone had $5,400 to gamble with in the crucial round, where a final bet is placed on one last question. Confident with his knowledge of the category "Television"—he is an admitted TV junkie—Arnone had put it all on the line, betting double or nothing and assuring himself victory if he answered correctly.

The Journalism School student braced himself as the question was presented by Jeopardy host Alex Trebek: "An allusion to the Arabian Nights, this show invites viewers to open a magic door to knowledge."

Arnone stood motionless, his face stoic, revealing nothing to his opponents or Trebek. When his answer was finally unveiled—Sesame Street—the studio audience exploded with applause and cheer. The New Jersey native was suddenly one win away from achieving the distinguished title, "Five-time Jeopardy Champion." But first, he would get a much-needed rest. The show would not tape again for six days.

Upon returning, Arnone managed to win his fifth and final game by his most narrow margin. He took home a total cash prize of $54,499 and a brand new Chevrolet Suburban (all five-time winners receive a new car).

He attributes his success on the show to keeping the experience in perspective at all times. "I just went out there and had fun. The game was always a game," he says. "The times I played most poorly were when I stopped thinking it was."

The aspiring international correspondent never studied for the competition. Although some of his opponents were still scrolling through almanacs and dictionaries just minutes before the show, he figured cramming would hinder his concentration.

"I thought it would be more stressful to study. I just went in cold," Arnone says.

In preparation for the challenge, Arnone adopted the philosophy that would eventually carry him through five victories. "I told my friends and family I had to have a 'good vibes only' policy," he says. Arnone wanted to maintain a mood of optimism rather than competitiveness. "For me, the fact that I won is the greatest testament to the power of a positive attitude."

Of course it was more than good vibes that kept Arnone on top. "I played very aggressively. Knowledge gets you there but strategy keeps you there," he says. Arnone adds that patience and composure are also two necessary keys to winning. "You don't guess," he notes, "especially out of fear of needing more money. Most of the answers I got wrong were guesses."

Facing the cameras and studio audience was an opportunity Arnone actually enjoyed. "I've never had a problem getting up in front of people," he says. Rather, he relished the adventure of appearing on the show. "I thought to myself, 'I'm somewhere I've always wanted to be,'" he says.

Playing the game, he notes, requires a surprising degree of strength and endurance. "It's a very physical, intense thing. You're standing still the whole time, but you're using all your energy," he says. "Every muscle is poised."

A former reporter for the Trenton Times and the Pennington (NJ) Post, Arnone acquired much of his trivia knowledge through years of writing on diverse subjects from science to geography, to politics and entertainment. The 29-year-old, who majored in liberal arts as an undergraduate at Notre Dame, says appearing on Jeopardy was always a dream, but one he hadn't pursued until a random evening last April.

"I used to play at home on the couch. Often I'd do better than the people on the show," he says. "On a whim, I went to the Web site."

After filling out some basic information on the Jeopardy site, Arnone was then invited to Washington, D.C. in May to take a test. Like all potential players, he needed to answer correctly a minimum of 35 out of 50 fill-in questions. Arnone passed the exam, and subsequently became one of 4,000 possible contestants hoping to fill only 400 spots available on the show each year.

By the time autumn arrived, Arnone had put the prospect in the back of his mind, instead concentrating on his heavy workload as a new graduate student. Then, in October, he got the phone call that would change his life. He was offered a spot on the Nov. 1 show. Like all of the game's contestants, he would have to pay his own way to Los Angeles, but Arnone was more than ready to head west. He would go as far as his dream required.

Returning home a champion has been an unusual experience. "I've never been the focus of this kind of attention before," says Arnone, who adds that it's still funny when well-wishers stop him in the grocery store. "People are talking about it," he says. "They're all coming out of the woodwork."

As a five-time winner, Arnone will get to compete in Jeopardy's Tournament of Champions, which will be played at the end of the summer.

He plans to implement the same strategies that helped him succeed in his first five victories. "It's a matter of relaxing, listening carefully to the questions and trying to get into the zone," he says.

And, of course, he'll follow one of his most reliable mantras: "Don't think too much."