News from Tulane

Whip-smart Ian Terry, a 21-year-old Tulane University engineering student, went from reality TV underdog to series champ this summer, winning $500,000 in season 14 of CBS’s “Big Brother.”

Tulanians from all over have been following the chemical engineering senior’s progress each week as Terry frequently wore his Tulane shirt on camera. In fact, several students had watch parties and rooted for him online.

Terry is still a little in shock by the win and all the attention, especially from fans on campus.

 “I’ve seen a little bit of it (online) through my phone, and it’s crazy! I never expected to have the whole school rallying behind me — ever,” he said via phone from California during a whirlwind day of media interviews. “Apparently there was a big viewing party at The Boot last night, which I thought was really funny.”

Terry took a semester off for the show but plans to be back on campus in January.

What does he plan to do with his prize money? First, he’ll pay off tuition bills and maybe create a vacation fund. “I’m going to take it in stride and be smart with the money.”

Terry outplayed 15 other contestants on the show, which isolates players for three months while cameras follow their every move. The goal is to survive weekly evictions until the end when a jury of cast-off players votes for the winner.

Ian, who was cast as a super fan of the show, beat out backstabbing villain Dan Gheesling. The two were part of a five-player alliance Ian named the “Quack Pack.”

“Quack, quack” followed by a duck hand gesture was his catchphrase the last half of the season. It’s a call he expects to hear a lot now.

“I do think that the duck sign will probably be a regular facet in my life from now on,” he says, laughing. “I love my Quack Pack.”