Will Shortz graduated from IU in 1974 as the only person in the world to have a degree in enigmatology, the study of puzzles. Shortz, who is now the New York Times crossword editor, will speak at IU’s graduation ceremony May 3.
Q: What is your favorite word?\nA: That’s an easy one: ucalegon ... It means, “neighbor whose house is on fire.”
Q: What is the most memorable part of IU for you?\nA: There are so many memorable experiences, how do I pick one? ... I was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity - there are lots of good memories wrapped up in there. I also spent weeks and months at the IU library, particularly in the newspaper section in the basement, researching puzzles for my thesis.
Q: Where was your favorite place to study at IU?\nA: My favorite place to study was in the piano room at the Union ... there were a few carrels set up in there, and you could study while people practiced the piano.
Q: What do you know now that you didn’t know in college?\nA: One of the greatest things about crossword puzzles is that they take you into every realm of human knowledge ... I (also) grew up on an Arabian horse farm outside of Crawfordsville, Ind., and was shy ... I was the president of my fraternity, which requires an outgoing personality. So I grew a lot at IU.\nQ: Your favorite book?\nA: Sam Loyd’s “Cyclopedia of Puzzles.” It was published in 1914 ... He’s considered America’s all-time greatest puzzle-maker.
Q: One thing people might not know by looking at you?\nA: Everyone assumes that, because my profession is academic that I spend all day listening to classical music ... I’m a garage-rock lover and aficionado. I listen to Little Steven’s Underground Garage ... I also play table tennis. I play, on average, six nights a week. I love the game because it’s so fast-paced ... I’ll actually be playing with the IU Table Tennis Club Friday night.
Q: Do you Sudoku?\nA: I’m crazy about Sudoku. I’m a pretty good Sudoku solver ... I love the logic of the game.
