This program is brought to you in part by the Erika Lewis Endowment Fund.

Coming up, it's Silverado... [cheers and applause] ...taking on Bonanza.

[cheers and applause] -This is the Varsity Quiz Blue League Championship!

[cheers and applause] ♪♪♪ (Nate Tannenbaum) Hello and welcome to the 54th season of Varsity Quiz .

The best and the brightest high school students are matching wits in this unique academic competition.

Now, as we hope you know, there are two separate Varsity Quiz leagues at each season's competition.

There were 14 schools in the Blue League in three divisions.

Well, tonight the question is: Which team becomes the champion?

Silverado or Bonanza?

Now, Silverado defeated Spring Valley in their semifinal match.

Bonanza victorious over Valley in theirs.

Congrats to both teams.

Let's go ahead and meet our starters for Silverado.

We have Hadi.

Hey, Hadi.

(Hadi) Hi.

-There's Dani.

Hi, Dani.

(Dani) Hello.

-There's Nate.

And there's Naomi.

Ladies and gentlemen, Silverado!

[applause] And the coach for Silverado, Nick Pavlides [applause] Now our starters for Bonanza.

There's Kate.

Hey, Kate.

And Luke and Tommy and Matthew.

Ladies and gentlemen, Bonanza!

[applause] And the coach for Bonanza, it's David Christensen [applause] Let's play Varsity Quiz !

What is the common name of the monkey Nasalis larvatus, known for its large nose and native to Borneo?

Bonanza, Kate: Elephant monkey -Incorrect.

Silverado, Hadi: Jackal -No, we were looking for the Proboscis Monkey.

No points.

And this next question: Its town of Dixville Notch traditionally votes at midnight to be the first voters in the nation.

In which New England state are we looking?

Bonanza, Tommy: New Hampshire -Yes.

"...dog will have his day," "The lady doth protest too much, methinks," or "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."

Name the Shakespeare play in which these phrases appear.

Silverado, Nate: Hamlet -Yes.

Points on the board for Silverado.

Next question.

As of February 2022, this religion's lunar calendar was in mid-year 1443 AH.

The majority of the population of Kashmir practices it.

Name this religion that prohibits the consumption of pork and alcohol.

Bonanza, Tommy: Islam -Yes.

Next is a calculation question.

What is the percentage concentration of 75 grams of ethanol dissolved in 500 grams of water?

Bonanza, Matthew: 16% -Incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] [buzzer sound] -I believe that's after the buzzer.

We were looking for 13%.

No points.

Next question.

He spent nine years as an organist at Weimar.

He became Kapellmeister to Prince Leopold.

Then he became cantor of St. Thomas Church at Leipzig.

Name this composer of Cantata No.

147: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring.

Silverado, Nate: Friedrich Kondo -No.

Bonanza, Kate: Beethoven -No.

This was Johann Sebastian Bach.

No points.

Next question.

University of Tennessee has competed for the women's basketball national championship four times against which rival whose mascot is the Huskies?

That is Silverado, Dani: UConn -Yes.

Points for Silverado.

Next question.

While in some oceans the word "hurricane" is used to describe extreme weather events of low pressure, two other terms are used in other parts of the world.

Identify both terms.

Silverado, Nate: Typhoon and Cyclone -Yes.

Next question.

Which explorer, courtier, and favorite of Queen Elizabeth I wrote The History of the World while imprisoned in the Tower of London?

Silverado, Nate: Francis Drake No.

Bonanza, Tommy: [shakes head] -Okay.

We were looking for Sir Walter Raleigh.

Next question.

Also called "mustard oil," the compound AITC is found in which green root used in Japanese cuisine?

Bonanza, Tommy: Wasabi -Yes.

Next question.

Due to their work with x-rays, a father and son both named William Bragg were jointly awarded the 1915 Nobel Prize in which category?

Bonanza, Tommy: Madison -No.

Silverado, Dani: Biology -No.

It was physics.

Next question.

The western part of what European country is known as Tyrol?

Silverado, Nate: Austria -Yes.

After Nikita Khrushchev unexpectedly retired as head of the Soviet Union October 1964, which archetypal Soviet leader replaced him?

Silverado, Dani: Gorbachev -No.

Bonanza, Tommy: Brezhnev -Yes.

Next question.

Only two countries in Africa were free from European domination or influenced by 1912.

One was Liberia.

Name the other, located-- We'll go with Bonanza, Tommy: Ethiopia -Yes.

Students, next is a calculation question.

What is A if the product of these four consecutive integers is 3,024: A times B times C times D?

Bonanza, Matthew: 12 -No.

[buzzer sound] [bell chimes, time expires] I believe he got it in time.

Silverado, Hadi: 8 -No.

We were looking for 6.

We move on.

What school of painting founded in Paris in 1924 was characterized by a fascination with the bizarre and irrational?

We were looking for Surrealism.

Next question.

In July of 2022, the president of which island nation in the Indian Ocean had to flee to the Maldives as protests rocked the nation in the midst of an economic meltdown?

Silverado, Nate: Sri Lanka -Yes.

Next question.

What term names the subfield of computer science that focuses on creating computer software that imitates human learning and reasoning?

Bonanza, Tommy: Artificial Intelligence -Yes, sir.

Next question.

These songs are examples of what category of regional music that originated with immigrants to a southern state: Diggy Liggi Lo, La Noce a Josephine, Allons a Lafayette, Ma Louisiane, and Jolie Blonde?

Silverado, Dani: Louisiana -Pardon me?

-Louisiana.

-Nope.

[bell chimes, time expires] Looking for a category of regional music, we were looking for Cajun music.

No points.

Next question.

Which early Ayn Rand novel is a story about a young man raised in a society without individuality?

The one-word title also refers to a song that represents a country or other entity.

Silverado, Nate: Anthem -Yes.

In this behavior, which may be done consciously or unconsciously, an unacceptable outcome is justified after the fact by making excuses.

Bonanza, Matthew: Mistake -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] We were looking for a Rationalization.

Next question.

It contains twice as much protein as the same volume of milk, three times as much vitamins A, B, and C, and more than twice as many calories.

Name this pear-shaped fruit from a tropical American tree, aguacate in Spanish.

Bonanza, Matthew: Apricot -No.

[buzzer sound] [bell chimes, time expires] I believe that was in time.

Silverado, Dani: Coconut -No.

We were looking for the Avocado.

Next question is a calculation question.

A bag contains 14 blue, 6 red, 12 green, and 8 purple buttons.

Now, 25 buttons are removed from the bag randomly.

How many of the removed buttons were red if the chance of drawing a red button from the bag is now 1/3?

We're gonna go with Silverado, Dani: One -Yes.

Next question.

What adjective would complete the titles of this literary threesome: Man by Mary Shelley; Battle by C.S.

Lewis; and Tycoon by F. Scott Fitzgerald?

Bonanza, Tommy: Sand -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] Looking for Last.

Last man, last battle, last tycoon.

Next question.

Name the Teutonic tribe with a one-syllable name which invaded and destroyed much of southern Europe between the third and fifth centuries and whose name has come to refer to a style of architecture.

That's Silverado, Nate: Goth -Yes.

And that is the end of Round 1.

But before we move on, students, take a second to breathe.

We want to get to know our players just a little bit more.

We're going to start with Silverado.

We have senior Hadi.

Hey, Hadi.

(Hadi) Hi.

-Good to see you.

I understand that you have competed in a sort of sport, at least earlier in your life.

Do you remember what you wrote down here?

-Chess.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, I have since I've been little, around 5 years old.

I used to play with my dad.

-Do you still play chess?

-Yeah.

-Awesome.

Well, good luck with that, and good luck on Varsity Quiz .

Thanks, Hadi.

Good to have you here.

-Thank you.

-Here's senior Dani.

Hi, Dani.

(Dani) Hello.

-I understand that you do compete in an actual sport.

What sport do you participate in?

-Bowling.

-Excellent.

How long have you been doing that?

-I started my freshman year.

-How are you guys doing?

-We're doing pretty good.

Last year, we went to the state championship.

So that was pretty good.

-Wonderful.

Well, good luck with the bowling, and good luck here on Varsity Quiz .

Thanks, Dani.

Here is senior Nate.

Hey, Nate.

(Nate) Hi.

-So this says that you have participated in the Speech and Debate over there at Silverado; is that correct?

-Yep.

-For folks who are not familiar, what happens with a speech and debate team or club at a high school?

-We go to tournaments a lot.

We debate with teams from other schools.

-Are you mostly doing debating, or are you doing other categories of speech?

-I mainly do debates.

-Okay.

Well, good luck with that, and good luck with Varsity Quiz .

And here's Naomi, a freshman.

Hi, Naomi.

(Naomi) Hi.

-Good to have you here.

I don't understand.

Maybe you can explain to me what is experimental origami?

-Um, so I've been doing origami, like, as a sort of a fidget thing.

And most of the things I've been doing haven't been doing books.

I just fold, and I keep folding, trying to figure it out.

And like I make some cool geometrical shapes.

-Okay.

Well, good luck with your origami, and good luck here on Varsity Quiz .

Ladies and gentlemen, those are our players from Silverado.

[applause] We want to quickly say hello to our students from Bonanza.

We start with Kate.

Hey, Kate.

(Kate) Hello, Nate.

-What?

It says here you like vintage fashion, but you also like some other vintage stuff.

Do you remember what you wrote down here?

-Well, I like vintage music, and I like vintage movies.

-Yeah.

Well, see, for somebody like me, when you say "vintage music," are you talking like the 1970s or something?

-Well, my range of music can come anywhere from the 1930s to the early 90s.

-Okay.

Well, keep enjoying the music.

And good luck here on Varsity Quiz .

Thanks, Kate.

Here is Luke.

Hey, Luke.

(Luke) Hi.

-Sophomore, right?

-[nods head] -It says you enjoy video games.

Is there a particular genre or a specific game that you're a big fan of?

-I mainly enjoy indie horror games.

-Which one?

-Indie horror games.

-Okay.

Is that working out for you?

-Yeah, it does.

-All right.

Well, good luck with that.

And Good luck here on Varsity Quiz .

Thanks, Luke.

Here is Tommy.

Hey, Tommy.

Good to see you.

(Tommy) Hi.

-A senior.

This says you have participated in a sport that not a lot of folks your age, I think, do, but maybe more and more folks are.

Do you know what we're talking about?

-Fencing.

-Yeah.

Are you still doing that?

-No.

But I've been thinking of getting back into it.

-Yeah.

I mean, it's-- that's a difficult thing to take part in.

-Yeah.

-Well, good luck if you get back into it, and good luck here on Varsity Quiz .

Thanks, Tommy.

-Thank you.

-And here is a senior, Matthew.

Hey, Matthew.

(Matthew) Hey, sir.

-Good to see you again.

This says you are very good at speed running games.

I don't know what that means.

-Stuff like track.

-Okay.

-I tried to write it down.

Really weird.

-Do you participate in track?

-Not anymore.

I really want to get back into it, though.

-Yeah.

Running is good for you, man.

Good luck with that, and good luck here on Varsity Quiz .

Ladies and gentlemen, those are our players from Bonanza.

[applause] And our bonus round is next.

[crashing sound] The score going into Round 2, Silverado with 40 points to Bonanza's 30.

This is a close match.

[crashing sound] We do you have a couple of new players we'd like to introduce.

For Silverado, we say hello to Cassie.

Hey, Cassie.

(Cassie) Hello.

-And there's Darin.

Good luck to you guys.

For Bonanza, there's one new player, and that's Nick.

Hey, Nick.

(Nick) Hi.

-Good to have you here.

Here we go!

Preceded by the words "I know not what course others may take, but as for me..." What was the rallying cry then uttered by Patrick Henry on the eve of the American Revolution?

Silverado, Nate: "Give me liberty, or give me death!"

-Yes.

Bonus questions now for Silverado only about the American Revolution.

First, when the Redcoats marched on Lexington in 1775, they were specifically ordered to arrest only two Americans.

Name either one.

Second, a major turning point in the American Revolutionary War came in 1777 when an entire army of 6,200 men surrendered, led by what officer known also as "Gentleman Johnny"?

-John Adams.

Samuel Adams.

-Captain?

-For the first question, Samuel Adams.

And no answer for the second question.

-Sam Adams is correct.

We would have accepted John Hancock for the second one.

We were looking for John Burgoyne.

You got some bonus points.

And now this question for both teams.

It is a calculation question.

Factor completely over the set of real numbers: 12x squared minus 75.

[bell chimes, time expires] No answer.

We were looking for 3(2x + 5)(2x - 5), but y'all knew that.

We move on to the next question.

If you arrange the words in journalism's 5-W formula alphabetically, which one is last?

That's Bonanza, Matthew: D -Incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] [buzzer sound] -Too late.

Too late, Dani.

We were looking for Why.

The five W's: who, what, when, where, and why.

Next question for both teams.

In 1807, Chief Justice John Marshall subpoenaed Thomas Jefferson for documents related to the treason trial of which former vice president?

Bonanza, Tommy: Um, nope.

-No answer.

Silverado, Nate: Aaron Burr -Yes.

Bonus questions now for Silverado only about the Supreme Court.

First, for a case to be reviewed by the Supreme Court, at least how many justices must agree to hear it?

Second, in the decision-making process of the Supreme Court, the opinion of which justice carries the most weight?

-I was thinking five.

-Captain?

-For the first question, four.

And for the second question, Chief Justice.

-Four is correct.

For the second one, None; Each justice has an equal vote.

So you get some bonus points.

And now this question for both teams.

How many nations border the country of Cyprus?

Bonanza, Tommy: Zero -That is correct.

Now we have Bonus questions for Bonanza only.

Cyprus is an island, obviously.

These questions are about Cyprus: First, until 1960, Cyprus was a protectorate of which country?

Second, what are the two official languages of Cyprus?

-Greek and Turkish?

-Yeah.

Turkish because Turkey is right next to Cyprus.

-They're suppose to be countries.

No, languages.

Sorry.

-Okay.

Can I answer?

-Captain?

-First one, United Kingdom.

The second one, Greek and Turkish.

-Yes, I believe those are all correct.

Yes, you've got bonus points.

Now this question for both teams.

Perhaps the most celebrated piece of embroidery ever created is a 230-foot piece of needlework made up of a series of scenes from the life of Harold and of the invasion and conquest of England by William the Conqueror.

What is it called?

Silverado, Nate: The Bayeux Tapestry -Yes.

Bonus questions now for Silverado only about medieval Britain.

First, "We few, we happy few," wrote Shakespeare, to describe the English warriors at the Battle of Agincourt.

This happens-- This appears in his play about the fifth English king of which name?

Second, a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales was completed in 1086 by order of King William I.

Now, by the 14th century, it was known as what, because "its decisions were unalterable, like those of the Final Judgment"?

-For the first question, Henry.

And for the second question, the Doomsday Book.

-Both are correct.

You got bonus points.

Next question for both teams.

Which novel opens: "Captain First Rank Marko Ramius of the Soviet navy was dressed for the arctic conditions normal to the Northern Fleet submarine base at Polyarny."

The story's central character, Jack Ryan, the author-- That's Bonanza, Tommy: The Hunt for Red October -Yes.

Bonus questions now for Bonanza only about twentieth-century literature: First, in which novel by Robert Heinlein do kids fly to the moon with their brilliant scientist friend and find a secret Nazi base?

Second, which book begins "Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moocow coming down along the road and this moocow was coming down the road met a nicens little boy named baby tuckoo."

-You can say that.

-Versis Dibia$e, Fly Me T' the Moon .

-Dibia$e, yes.

-1914.

-No.

-Captain?

-We have no answer.

-Okay.

First one was Rocket Ship Galileo , the Heinlein novel.

The second one was Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

No bonus points.

This question now for both teams.

Who was the first Black woman to sing leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera House?

Bonanza, Tommy: Aretha Franklin -No.

Silverado, Nate: Ella Fitzgerald -No.

It was Marian Anderson.

So that is the end of the bonus round, but our speed round is coming up.

[crashing sound] -Here comes Round 3 with the score: Silverado 75.

Bonanza 50.

We have a couple of new players for Silverado.

We say hello to Ashley.

Hey Ashley.

(Ashley) Hi, Nate.

-Nice to have you here.

And there's Devin.

(Devin) Hi.

-Welcome, Devin.

Bonanza is keeping their same players from last round.

Here we go.

Walton Enterprises is the parent company of what retailer?

Bonanza, Tommy: Walmart -Yes.

Complete this line attributed to Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire: "To God I speak Spanish, to women, Italian, to men, French, and to my horse..." Silverado, Nate: Spanish -Nope.

Bonanza, Tommy: German -Yes.

What term calling to mind buccaneers, swashbucklers actually refers to the illegitimate copying of computer software, CDs-- Bonanza, Tommy: Pirating -Yes.

Which colony, established formally in 1663, included into its charter the rule that none could be bothered by others because of differences in religion?

Silverado, Dani: Pennsylvania -Incorrect.

Bonanza, Tommy: Rhode Island -Yes.

Name the drainage pattern usually associated with volcanoes.

[bell chimes, time expires] Time.

We were looking for Radial.

How many ballots were needed to elect a Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 118th Congress?

That's Bonanza, Tommy: 15 -Yes.

In this early Jane Austen novel, Catherine Morland's worldview is shaped by her excessive reading of gothic fiction.

Named that book.

Bonanza, Kate: Pride and Prejudice -Incorrect.

Silverado, Dani: Emma -No.

We were looking for Northanger Abbey .

Next question.

The Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods belong to which geologic-- Bonanza, Tommy: Mesozoic -Yes.

Next is a calculation question, but we don't repeat here in the third round.

As a power of 10, what's the square root of a Googol?

Bonanza, Tommy: 10 to the 10th -That's incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] -We were looking for 10 to the 50th.

Next question.

For burying her brother, Creon orders the death of which title character of a Sophocles tragedy?

Bonanza, Matthew: Romeo -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] -Looking for Antigone.

Next question.

At 16 meters in length, it's bigger than a school bus, three times larger than a great white shark.

Name this giant precursor to that shark that lived millions-- And we're gonna go with Silverado, Dani: Megalodon -Yes.

Where is the Marianas Trench, the lowest point on earth, located?

Silverado, Dani: The Atlantic Ocean -Incorrect.

Bonanza, Tommy: The Pacific Ocean -Yes.

Name the Prime Minister of New Zealand who unexpectedly announced her resignation on January 18 of this year.

Silverado, Dani: Ardern -I think we can accept that.

Yes.

Jacinda Ardern.

Given that the diameter of the sun is 865,370 miles, what unit is being used if the diameter of the sun is given as 4.64 of those units?

Silverado, Dani: Astronomical Unit -Incorrect.

Bonanza, Matthew: A Light Year -No.

We were looking for Light Seconds.

Next question.

Identify the eight-letter noun that begins with a letter N as in Nancy.

It designates favoritism to relatives shown by public-- Silverado, Dani: Nepotism -Yes.

Sapsuckers are members of the woodpecker family.

What's the name for the common sapsucker found in the eastern parts of the United States?

Bonanza, Tommy: Hummingbird -Incorrect.

Got to speak up there, too, Tommy.

[bell chimes, time expires] -We were looking for the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

No points.

Next question.

This former politician and governor of Alabama ran unsuccessfully for President four times.

Name this man who was left paralyzed by a gunman in an attempted assassination in 1970-- Bonanza, Tommy: McGovern -Incorrect.

Silverado, Nate: George Wallace -Yes.

During his explorations, Christopher Columbus' knowledge of this type of wind helped his successful navigation of the Atlantic Ocean.

By what name are these winds known?

Bonanza, Matthew: Nautical Winds -No.

Silverado, Nate: Doldrum -No.

We were looking for Trade Winds.

What word indicates a public expression of approval or support of a political candidate by a powerful group or individual?

Bonanza, Tommy: Endorsement -Yes.

Next is a calculation question.

Convert the binary number 101 into a base ten number.

That's Bonanza, Tommy: 5 -Yes.

Next question.

Uncle Pelias stole the kingdom Iolcus from Aeson.

Pelias offered to return the kingdom in exchange for a certain magical pelt.

To whom was this offer made?

Silverado, Nate: Jason -Yes.

Genghis Khan was born near the shores of what big lake north of the Gobi Desert?

Silverado, Nate: Lake Baikal -Yes.

The arrangement of farming in which the tenant pays for the use of the land with a predetermined part of his crop rather than with money, that's called what?

Silverado, Dani: Sharecropping -Yes.

What term in sociology and demographics describes people born between about 1980 and 2000?

Silverado, Nate: Millennial -Yeah, Gen Y.

Next question.

What limestone formations found in tropical seas are formed by millions of tiny animals?

Bonanze, Tommy: Coral Reefs -Yes.

And we are out of time.

Let's find out who won.

[crashing sound] -The final score in a close match.

Silverado 115.

Bonanza 95.

And the trophy goes to the captain of Silverado.

Nate, congratulations!

Coach, congratulations!

Silverado gets the title "VQ23 Blue League Champions."

[cheers and applause] Now, we hope that you tune in next week because we're going to have a lighthearted Blue League All-Star Match.

We'll see you next week for another edition of Varsity Quiz on Vegas PBS.

♪♪♪