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

-Coming up, it's Clark... [cheers and applause] ...taking on Coronado... [cheers and applause] ...for the Varsity Quiz Silver League Championship!

[crashing sound] ♪♪♪ [cheers and applause] Hello and welcome to the 55th season of Varsity Quiz.

It's an honor to be your host, Nathan Tannenbaum.

We've got the best and the brightest high school students matching wits in this challenging academic competition.

So after starting with 20 schools in the Silver League in three different divisions, well, it is the end of the road to the VQ Silver League Championship because tonight, it's Clark taking on Coronado.

Clark defeated A-Tech in their semifinal to earn their spot here.

Let's meet the starters for Clark.

There's Aaron.

Hi, Aaron.

-Hey.

-There's Parth.

Howdy, Parth.

-Hi.

-There's Vivian.

-And there's Theo.

-Hi.

-And the coaches for Clark, Lonnie Robbins and Amber Thacker.

Ladies and gentlemen, Clark High School!

[applause] Now for Coronado.

They eliminated Palo Verde in their semifinal.

Let's meet their starters.

There's Daniel.

Hello, Daniel.

-Hi.

-Maryiam, welcome back.

-Thank you.

-Hello to Mia.

-Hey.

-And hello to Xander.

-Hi, there.

-And the coach for Coronado, Matt Aberman.

Students, you ready?

Let's play Varsity Quiz.

In Hebrew, the word is "Shalom."

In Arabic, it's-- Clark, Aaron: hello -That is incorrect.

That is an interrupt.

I'll finish reading the question.

In Arabic it is "Salam."

In both languages, this word of greeting translates to what concept?

Maryiam, Coronado: peace -Yes.

Next question.

A "biotic crisis" is also known as what two-word term for a historical event where large percentages of a species-- We'll go with Coronado, Maryiam: mass extinction -Yes, ma'am.

More points for Coronado.

Let's keep going.

Who wrote the novel The Martian, later-- That's Clark, Parth: Andy Weir -Correct.

Points on the board for Clark.

The name of which life-form is derived from the Latin word for "mushroom" but also applies to yeast and mold?

Coronado, Maryiam: fungi -I think we can take that.

Yes, ma'am.

The importance of this document in the 13th century was that it limited royal power-- We'll go with Coronado, Mia: Magna Carta -Yes.

The opening statement of Jose's paper was this: "An understanding of basic medical knowledge is important for everyone in terms of being able to advocate for their own care."

So this is what specialized statement of the essay?

Coronado, Maryiam: thesis -Yes.

Odin, the Norse god of wisdom, was analogous to which Roman goddess-- And that's Coronado, Maryiam: Minerva -Correct.

What book is the first in the series, A Song of Ice and Fire?

Coronado, Maryiam: A Game of Thrones -Yes, ma'am.

Next is a calculation question, students.

What is the value of tangent 45 degrees?

That's Coronado, Maryiam: one -Yes, ma'am.

Where did Sherlock Holmes "die" before-- That's Clark, Parth: Reichenbach Falls -Correct.

Next question.

Elected in 1968, he served as President until 1974.

During that time, he became the first President to visit all 50 states while in office.

Coronado, Daniel: Nixon -Correct.

Agricultural scientists have discovered a way to alter plant genes to make them less susceptible to insects and disease.

What three letters on a package-- And that's Clark, Parth: GMO -Correct.

Who is known for creating the binomial nomenclature-- That's Coronado, Maryiam: Carl Linnaeus -Yes.

The original connections of computers used what type of network-- And that's Coronado, Daniel: vacuum tube -Incorrect.

That's an interrupt.

--where all of the devices are in the same building and share a centralized connection?

[buzzer sound] [bell chimes] I think he got in, in time.

That's Clark, Parth: internet -No.

Close.

We're looking for LAN, Local Area Network.

Next question.

In 2020, Stephani Joanne Angelina Germanotta became the first female singer to have four singles selling more than 10 million copies apiece.

By what name is this singer-- That's Coronado, Mia: Lady Gaga -Yeah.

A vague setting with only general time or place information, no emphasis on either, is known as what type of setting?

Coronado, Maryiam: generic setting -Incorrect.

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

Next question.

Give the name of the naturally occurring hormone in plants responsible for inhibiting growth, promoting leaf fall, and promoting the ripening of fruit.

Coronado, Maryiam: gibberellin -Incorrect.

Clark, Parth: auxin -No.

We were looking for ethylene.

No points.

Next question.

The rise of which form of life likely caused the extinction of some megafauna species?

That's Clark, Parth: cyanobacteria -Incorrect.

Coronado, Maryiam: mammals -No.

No, we needed something more specific.

We were looking for humans.

Next question.

What's the measure of disorder or randomness-- That's Clark, Parth: entropy -Yes.

Jack Teixeira was apparently neither a spy nor a whistleblower; however, by leaking classified documents on what online platform, well, he was arrested in April 2023 for serious crimes under the Espionage Act?

That's Clark, Vivian: WikiLeaks -No.

Coronado, Mia: Twitter -No.

It was Discord.

Next question.

What is the "law of excluded middle" in classical logic?

Coronado, Maryiam: circular reasoning -Incorrect.

Clark, Parth: principle of inclusion-exclusion -No.

We were looking for every statement is either true or false.

Next question is a calculation question, students.

The mean December daily snowfall in Ski-Ville is 3 centimeters.

The standard deviation is 0.75 centimeters.

So assuming that this data is normally distributed, on how many days in December would you expect the daily snowfall to be more than 4.5 centimeters?

Repeating.

The mean December daily snowfall in Ski-Ville is 3 centimeters.

The standard deviation-- We'll go with Clark, Parth: zero -That's incorrect.

Coronado, Maryiam: seven days -No.

We were looking for one day.

Next question.

This chemist developed an experimentally-based theory of the chemical reactivity of oxygen and co-authored the modern system for naming chemical substances.

Coronado, Maryiam: Mendeleev -No.

Clark, Parth: Dalton -No.

We were looking for Lavoisier.

What subatomic particle was discovered in the year 1897 by the English physicist J.J. Thompson-- And that's Coronado, Maryiam: proton -No.

--during investigations of cathode rays?

Clark, Parth: electron -Yes.

In the early 1990s, a group of computer scientists at CERN in Switzerland came up with a way to send digital information over the internet so it could be accessed on a GUI, or Graphical User Interface.

By what term do we now call this invention?

Coronado, Mia: gmail -No.

Clark, Theo: World Wide Web -Yes.

We've come to the end of the round.

Can we have a round of applause for these students?

[applause] So don't go anywhere.

We're gonna get to know these students just a little bit better.

We're going to start with Clark High School, and this is 9th grader Aaron.

Hi, Aaron.

-Hey.

-You wrote that you participated in something in middle school and elementary school.

Do you remember what you wrote down?

-Yeah.

I participated in theater.

I've done five plays.

Two ended up being canceled, but I've acted in three.

-Did you have time for theater at Clark?

-No.

-Okay.

Well, good luck with that, however you choose to pursue it.

And good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Aaron.

-Thank you.

-Here is 12th grader Parth.

Good to see you again, Parth.

-Hello.

-So you said that you have college plans.

Do you know for sure where you might go?

-Not yet.

I got into Georgia Tech, so I might go there.

-Okay.

Well, I have a feeling that you'll be okay wherever you go.

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

-Thank you.

-Here's 12th grader Vivian.

Hi, Vivian.

-Hi.

-So I want to find out more about one of these hobbies that you wrote.

-Yeah.

So currently I'm doing ceramics at school and outside of school.

In my free time I really enjoy carving out mugs and bowls and stuff like that.

-Right on!

Good luck with that.

Good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Vivian.

Here's 12th-- This is Theo.

Hi, Theo, 10th grader Theo.

-Hi.

-Good to see you again.

This says that you were born in another country.

-I was born in Canada, specifically in Saskatchewan.

-Uh-huh.

How long did you live there?

-I lived there for about six years before I moved here in 2015.

So you've been mostly in Las Vegas?

-Yeah.

-Have you been back there?

-No.

-Maybe one of these days.

-Yeah.

-Thank you, Theo.

Ladies and gentlemen, our students from Clark High School!

[applause] Now let's meet these players from Coronado.

We start with 12th grader Daniel.

Hi, Daniel.

-Hi.

-You wrote that you speak a foreign language.

-I do.

-What language is that?

-Croatian.

-How did that happen?

-Well, my parents are both Croatian.

-That would explain it.

-And I lived there two years.

-Okay.

I can tell you got English down pretty good, too.

-Thank you.

-Daniel, good luck with whatever you do, and good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Maryiam, a 10th grader, good to see you again.

-You too.

-You wrote in terms of your college plans that you don't care as long as you get to study some particular field.

-Did I write that?

-Yes.

You wrote, as long as you can study medicine.

-Oh, yeah.

I want to pursue a career in medicine.

But for now, in two years, I'm gonna be doing this activity which I love, and I don't know.

I've been-- this is probably the best club in my entire school, and it's because I've got a coach who believes in me.

And I've got so many good friends here.

I think this is a good environment for everybody.

-If you could be a professional Varsity Quiz player, you would?

-Yeah.

I want to do Jeopardy.

That's on my bucket list.

-Okay.

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

Thanks, Maryiam.

Here's 12th grader Mia.

Hi, Mia.

-Hi.

-You say here that you are president of one of the clubs at your school or an organization?

-Yeah.

I'm president of the Speech and Debate Team club.

It's a lot of fun.

-Are you guys done with the season?

-Not yet.

We still got a lot to go.

-Okay.

Well, good luck with that.

-Thanks.

And good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Here's 11th grader Xander.

Hi, Xander.

-Hello.

-You say here that you have several pets.

-Yeah, I have, well, I had five dogs.

One recently passed away.

So it's a little outdated, but I also have a turtle.

-Well, four dogs and a turtle.

That's close enough.

Good luck with your pets, and good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thank you, Xander.

Ladies and gentlemen, that's Coronado!

[applause] And our bonus round coming right up.

[crashing sound] And the score going into Round 2: Clark with 25 points to Coronado's 45.

Before we get started, one new player for Clark.

We say hello to Varun.

-Hello.

-Welcome aboard.

Coronado is keeping their same players.

Now, this round is timed at six minutes, and the time starts with this first question.

In what country is the city of Minsk?

That's Coronado, Daniel: Belarus -Yes.

Bonus questions now for Coronado only about cities.

Which country are the following cities located in: First, Antwerp; second Medellin.

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] -First answer, Belgium; second answer, Greece.

-Belgium is correct.

The second one is Colombia.

So some bonus points, but not all.

Now this question for both teams.

The breed of dog known as the Great Dane originates from what country?

Coronado, Maryiam: Denmark -Incorrect.

[buzzer sound] [bell chimes] I believe he got in.

That's Clark, Aaron: Germany -Yes.

Bonus questions now for Clark only that may not be what you think.

First, what metal is the nickel coin mainly made out of?

Second, when does the celebrated Octoberfest usually begin in Munich?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-Tin and September.

-September is correct.

The metal in the nickel coin is copper.

So some bonus points, not all.

Now this question for both teams.

Einstein's theories led to the development of a wave detector for what type-- That's Coronado, Daniel: gravitational waves -Yes.

Bonus physics questions now for Coronado only.

First, what index tells how much a light ray will bend when it enters a substance?

Second, what discoverer of an acoustic phase law demonstrated that voltage equals current times resistance?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] -First answer, index of refraction; second answer, Ohm.

-Both are correct.

You got bonus points.

This question for both teams now.

What's the most popular sport in Russia?

Coronado, Xander: hockey -Incorrect.

Clark, Aaron: soccer -Yes.

Bonus questions for Clark only now about Russia.

What is the-- First, what is the Russian word for "summer house"?

Second, what church was established by the Tsar after the fall of Constantinople in 1453?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-Kremlin and Eastern Orthodoxy.

-Both are incorrect.

The summer home is a dasha, and the fall-- the church that was established was the Russian Orthodox Church.

No bonus points.

Now this question.

It is a calculation question, students.

Simplify square root of x times square root of 9x.

Clark, Parth: 3x -Yes.

Bonus calculation questions now for Clark only.

First, simplify the equation -10i(5+8i); second, simplify the square root of 100 divided by the square root of 4.

Let me repeat.

Simplify the equation -10i(5+8i); second, simplify the square root of 100 divided by the square root of 4.

- 80-50i and 5.

-Both are correct.

You've got bonus points.

Now this question for both teams.

This abolitionist, former slave founded the newspaper The North Star-- That's Coronado, Daniel: Frederick Douglass -Yes.

Bonus questions now for Coronado only about U.S. history.

Who was assassinated in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles in June 1968?

Second, from which NASA mission did we hear that now famous phrase, "Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here"?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-First answer, Robert F. Kennedy; second answer, Apollo 13.

-Both are correct.

You got bonus points.

Now this question for both teams.

Other than steam, what's a term for water in the gaseous state?

That's Coronado, Daniel: water vapor -Yes.

Bonus questions for Coronado only about water.

First, what's the principle involved when an object standing in water looks broken at the waterline?

Second, Water Music is a masterwork of which Baroque composer?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-First answer, refraction; second answer, Handel.

-Both are correct.

You got bonus points.

Someone's phone is ringing.

Do we still have time?

Okay.

What Shakespearean character is told by a ghost to "leave her to heaven"?

Coronado, Maryiam: Hamlet -Yes.

Bonus questions now for Coronado only about literature.

In which genre of literature are the Bram Stoker Awards given?

Second, what are the paragraph-like divisions of a poem called?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-First answer, horror; second answer, stanza.

-Both are correct.

You got bonus points.

This question for both teams.

Many in the science field have objected to this measurement, as it's not scientifically possible to measure how somebody feels about the air around them.

What type of humidity measurement has been questioned?

Clark, Varun: relative humidity -Yes.

Bonus questions now for Clark only about weather.

First, large asterisks on a weather map signal what weather condition?

Second, the density of air is influenced by relative humidity and what else?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-A cold front and sea level.

-Both are incorrect.

We were looking for snow and temperature.

No bonus points.

We're out of time.

Before we go, I want to take a moment to say thank you to the Kiwanis Club of Las Vegas.

You know, they have provided decades of help for the in-school competitions.

They start early in the year in classrooms all over the valley long before this televised postseason play.

And a shout-out to the Clark County School District's Student Activities department because they handle every detail of Varsity Quiz, before the season starts all the way to the championship.

While we are at it, how about some quick shout-outs to the parents and the teachers of these sharp young men and women.

All the volunteers, the men and women behind the scenes here at Vegas PBS as well.

Our speed round coming right up.

[crashing sound] Going into Round 3, the score: Clark has 60 points to Coronado's 115.

We say it because we mean it, anything can happen in this speed round.

We have new players.

For Clark there's Michu.

-Hello.

-Welcome aboard.

For Coronado there Sophia.

Nice to see you.

-Howdy.

-Here we go.

In ecology, what term refers to the role that an organism plays-- And that's Coronado, Maryiam: niche -Yes.

In February 2022, the women's teams of what sport won a landmark pay equity ruling?

Coronado, Mia: soccer -Yes.

The law of universal gravitation tells us that every mass attracts every other mass with a force proportional to their masses-- And that's Coronado, Daniel: radius squared -That is incorrect.

That is an interrupt.

--and proportional to the square of what other factor?

Clark, Michu: its radius -No.

We were looking for the distance between them.

Next question.

What's the name of the first human ancestral fossil found in the year 1974?

Clark, Theo: Lucy -Yes.

Here's a calculation question.

We don't repeat here in the third round.

Convert 32 yards to feet.

Clark, Parth: 96 feet -Yes.

The formula for electric field strength is force divided by what?

Clark, Parth: charge -Yes.

What explorer sailing for Spain in 1513 was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean?

Coronado, Maryiam: de Balboa -Yes.

What novel by Yann Martel about a shipwrecked-- Coronado, Maryiam: Life of Pi -Yes.

A thrombus is the medical term for what condition-- Clark, Michu: blood clot -Yes.

What rate measures the number of people actively in the labor market at the time of measurement?

That's Coronado, Mia: workforce -Incorrect.

Clark, Parth: employment rate -Yes.

In what 2013 song by Lorde does she express no desire-- Coronado, Mia: "Royals" -Yes.

Unlike most nations, South Africa has three capital cities, including Bloemfontein for the judicial branch, Cape Town for the legislative-- That is Clark, Theo: Pretoria -Yes.

What's the system of government where power is divided between a central authority-- Coronado, Maryiam: checks and balances -Incorrect.

And that is an interrupt.

--between a central authority and regional units?

Clark, Vivian: federalism -Yes.

If it's raining, then the ground is wet.

The ground is wet.

Can you conclude that it's raining?

Coronado, Daniel: no -Correct.

What's the name of the technology that uses blockchain to secure online-- And that's Clark, Vivian: cryptocurrency -Yes, ma'am.

Who was the first woman to serve as Chancellor of Germany, holding the office in 2005-- Coronado, Maryiam: Angela Merkel -Yes.

What word is used for an angle that has the same initial and terminal sides but may differ by multiples of 300-- That's Clark, Michu: coterminal -Yes.

In April 2023, a warplane from which nation accidentally fired a weapon into its own city, Belgorod, near Ukraine, causing an explosion damaging buildings.

Coronado, Daniel: Serbia -No.

Clark, Michu: Ukraine -No.

We were looking for Russia.

What musical genre emerged in Jamaica in the late 1960s-- Coronado, Maryiam: Rastafari -Incorrect.

Clark, Michu: reggae -Yes.

Scientists have discovered hydrocarbon lakes on which large moon of Saturn?

Clark, Michu: Titan -Yes.

Which civilization was responsible for the creation of the first alphabet?

Coronado, Maryiam: Sumerian -Incorrect.

Clark, Parth: Minoan -No.

We were looking for Phoenician.

Which Italian term for "beautiful singing" refers to a style that lasted-- That's Coronado, Mia: bella voce -No.

And that's an interrupt.

--and relied on techniques of legato and staccato?

Clark, Vivian: opera -No.

We were looking for bel canto.

What type of conditions occur when the system that should attack germs attacks the body's-- Clark, Parth: autoimmune -Yes.

What's the term for the geographic area where two different ecosystems meet and interact?

Clark, Parth: boundary -Incorrect.

Coronado, Maryiam: biodiversity -No.

We were looking for the ecotone.

Calculation question next.

You're given a triangle with one angle 60 degrees, another angle 80 degrees.

What's the measure of the third-- Coronado, Sophia: 40 degrees -Yes, ma'am.

Which three-word economic index indicates how much money it costs to cover basic living expenses in any given place-- That's Coronado, Sophia: cost of living -Yes.

Raskolnikov is the troubled protagonist of which novel-- Coronado, Daniel: Crime and Punishment -Yes.

Shu Ching is visiting three capital cities in Southeast Asia that are nearly triangular from each other.

She visits Vientiane in Laos, then Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar, and then travels southeast to which capital?

Coronado, Sophia: Phnom Penh -Incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] Looking for Bangkok.

The Gila Cliff Dwellings in New Mexico were once home to the agricultural Mogollon peoples of which indigenous nation?

Coronado, Maryiam: Navajo -Incorrect.

Clark, Theo: Apache -No.

We were looking for Pueblo.

On April 15 of every year, all Major League Baseball players and coaches wear the number 42 on their jerseys to honor which player?

Coronado, Maryiam: Jackie Robinson -Correct.

We've run out of questions.

Let's see who won.

[crashing sound] Our final score: Clark 120 points to Coronado's 155.

Congratulations to both teams.

An excellent match.

But congratulations to Coronado, the 2023 Varsity Quiz Silver League Champions!

And for the trophy presentation, Phil Colosimo is here from the Kiwanis Club, the president of the Las Vegas Kiwanis Club.

Hi, Phil.

-How you doing?

It's good to be here again, again this year to have the Coronado compete as well as they did back in '15.

I believe it was in the year '15, '16 to date.

And here we are again from last year.

So congratulations, Coronado.

And Clark, you're in between those years.

-There you go.

-There's quite a few years you won as well.

So I congratulate all the schools and all the coaches for the excellent job you do.

We want a special thanks to Christine Grimm for her hard work in organizing this throughout the year.

-Wonderful!

Thank you, Phil.

Congratulations to Coronado!

Hey, don't forget to tune in next week.

We're going to have a lighthearted All-Star Match, and we'll also honor the VQ Coach of the Year.

We'll induct a new member of the VQ Hall of Fame and announce the winner of this year's Howard Naylor Scholarship.

Lots to look forward to next week on Varsity Quiz right here on Vegas PBS.