IU student competes on Price is Right

When Erin Yacko visited a friend in Los Angeles last October, she sought something fun for them to do together.

An accounting graduate student at IU, Yacko said she got the idea to attend a taping of “The Price Is Right” after hearing that a live version of the long-running game show was coming to the IU Auditorium.

After inquiring online, she bought tickets.

Yacko, whose appearance on the show aired Monday on CBS, said she and a fellow IU graduate, who was also making the trip to LA, prepared themselves by watching the show more often.

“We got really into it,” Yacko said.

Yacko said she and her friends arrived at CBS Studios in LA around 8:30 a.m, the day of the taping.

Before going inside, Yacko said they had to fill out forms, get pictures taken and complete an interview with the show’s producer.

“We were so slap happy because it was so early in the morning,” Yacko said. “Everyone’s just really hyped up and getting excited for the show.”

Once inside, host Drew Carey and announcer George Gray came on stage and explained everything the audience needed to know about the show’s process.

Gray called the first four contestants to “come on down.” As contestants won their bid prizes and played pricing games, another contestant would replace him or her, Yacko said.

She said while names were called, someone would stand on stage with a poster displaying the new contestant’s name.

“It’s super loud in the studio,” Yacko said. “You can’t hear them saying that. Everyone’s screaming.”

Then, during the first half of the show, Yacko’s name was called.

“When they called my name, I’m pretty sure we weren’t paying attention,” she said. “It was such a delayed reaction. It all happened so fast.”

After being outbid by $1 for the first prize, Yacko said she made it on stage following her second attempt.

She said she gave Carey a big hug after arriving on stage.

“I didn’t think I’d react like that,” Yacko said.

She then played a game for a chance to win two designer watches, designer purses, paddleboards and digital cameras. Yacko said she had to decide which prize among the purses, paddleboards and cameras was the same price as the watches.

“The game was confusing,” Yacko said. “I had no idea the price of any of that stuff.”

Yacko said her friends tried to help and give her signals, even though they didn’t know the correct answer.

“It’s just exciting to be up on stage and get input from my friends,” Yacko said.
She then got to spin the famous Big Wheel for a chance to go to the showcase round at the end of the show.

Yacko said she did not spin a high enough number to go to the showcase.

“The most exciting part wasn’t winning anything,” she said. “It was getting to spin the wheel with Drew Carey and giving a shout-out to my friends on TV.”

Yacko said although she and her fellow contestants were competing against each other, there were no hard feelings.

“Everyone’s so friendly and encouraging to each other. That was nice,” she said. “They’re so happy to be on ‘The Price is Right.’ It was a good time.”

Follow reporter Alyssa Schor on Twitter @SchorAlyssa.