Penn hits `Hollywood Squares'

When Yolande Tomlinson decided to check out an event she had read about in an e-mail one day last September, she did not expect to earn a trip to California, a national television appearance and a chance to converse with the likes of Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean, model Tyson Beckford and the ubiquitous Whoopi Goldberg.

But that's exactly what the College senior got -- and tonight, viewers across the country will tune in to see Tomlinson's appearance as a contestant on Hollywood Squares during the show's annual college tournament.

The syndicated show airs locally at 7:30 p.m. on CBS.

Tomlinson follows in the footsteps of College freshman Jonathan Lubin, who appeared earlier this month on the popular game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, and Nursing sophomore Joseph Tini, who nabbed a spot on Hollywood Squares during last year's College Week after auditioning for a spot on campus.

College senior Tonya Barrett, a friend of Tomlinson who accompanied her to the Irvine Auditorium auditions for support, said she thought producers chose her friend because of the various telegenic traits she possesses.

"Number one, she's pretty, and number two, she has an interesting background," Barrett said. "She does a lot of different things."

Barrett and Tomlinson both made it past the first round of auditions, where students took a brief trivia quiz. After casting agents scored the quizzes, the top 27 progressed to the second round -- a mock game show, only without the usual Hollywood heavyweights.

"They focused on other people during the mock game, so it seemed as if they would choose the other people," Barrett said. "Neither she or I thought that we'd have a chance."

But just before Thanksgiving, Hollywood Squares officials notified Tomlinson that she had been selected to fly out to Hollywood to appear on a taping of the show.

Late last month, she got to pack up her things and take a three-day retreat to sunny Los Angeles.

Tomlinson admitted that she was a little nervous during the taping.

"There's a portion where they have a secret square, and you're supposed to act really happy and clap, whatever it is," she said. "I was really intent on having a strategy, and I just forgot to clap at that section."

But despite the high stakes, Tomlinson said the atmosphere remained warm and friendly throughout the three days.

"It was really just you against yourself," she said.

Tomlinson said she and the other 13 contestants from schools around the country took their time in Hollywood as an opportunity to bond with each other.

The best part "was actually just meeting the people and getting to hang out in California for three days for free," Tomlinson said. "Even the people who didn't win -- they were all really happy, and we all went out the night after."

As for her winnings, Tomlinson said she intends to put it towards tuition.

"It's directly going to Penn, so it's not going to be in my hands too long," she said.

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