Gary Dobbs Winning Story

[ Written by the Editor, I hope I can get Gary to retell this story that won him First Prize in the story telling contest at the 31 Alumni Reunion on August 23, 2003. We "voted" by applause from the audience and his clearly won the approval of all those who heard it. I actually have the entire clip on video tape. So here's how it went ]

Gary and Toni Lowery are on the set and each day they draw from a large barrel of entries to see who wins a trip to the Tennessee Aquarium. The barrel is pushed out in front of them and we see a camera operator turn the drum around and then reach way in and pull out a card that looks like a photo postcard.

Gary picks it up and starts to read the name scrawled on the back. He says, " Well, the winner is, JENNA", and then he pauses as he tries to make out the last name. Finally he says, "Taylia" and pronounces it TAY-LE-AH, and then spells it out for the Chryon Op as T-A-Y-L-I-A. Toni Lowery chimes in saying, "what a pretty last name, Taylia."

In only a moment, the Chyron Op has it spelled on the screen and we see a full screen graphic of the winner of the trip to the Tennessee Aquarium as, "Jenna Talia".

Then we begin to hear some laughter in the back of the studio. There is quiet for a few more seconds...and Toni says, "Uh-oh, I think someone is pulling a prank here." Then the background laughter gets louder.

Shortly after Gary and Toni make some kind of lame excuse and go to a commercial break, amid laughter quite loudly in the studio. They have been had.