This week on Granite State Challenge, the Cougars of ConVal High School... [applause] take on the Tomahawks of Merrimack High School.

[applause] Only one team will advance.

Granite State Challenge starts now.

Major funding for the production of Granite State Challenge is provided by Unitil.

Additional funding provided by Safety Insurance, NEA New Hampshire, and viewers like you.

Thank you!

Get ready.

It's time for New Hampshire high schools to match wits in a high-stakes scholastic showdown.

It's time for Granite State Challenge.

Here's your host, Jon Cannon!

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Granite State Challenge.

We are almost midway through the first round of season 44 of Granite State Challenge.

Three teams have already made their way to the second round.

Let's see which one of these two teams is going to join them.

First up, we have the Cougars from ConVal.

Hi.

I'm Ben.

I'm a senior.

Hi.

I'm Ben.

I'm a freshman.

Hi.

I'm Vinny.

I'm a junior.

Hi.

I'm Iris.

I'm a junior.

Their alternates are Colin and Marcus, and the team is coached by social studies teachers Eric Bowman and Chris Heider.

And they are the ConVal Cougars.

Their opponent this week is the team from Merrimack High School.

Hi.

I'm Avis.

I'm a senior.

Hi.

I'm Bridget.

I'm a senior.

Hi.

I'm Jeremy.

I'm a junior.

Hi.

I'm Lauren.

I'm a senior.

Their alternates are Zack and Tess, and the coaches are chemistry teacher Dr.

Sara Campbell and ESOL teacher Jess Kueblbeck.

And they are the Tomahawks of Merrimack High School.

Those are our teams this week, but we do have one more introduction for you.

Of course, our judge, back with us again on the Ann Cam, is Ann Boulanger!

[applause] All right, teams, introductions are out of the way.

Go ahead and grab those signaling devices.

We’re going to jump into Granite State Challenge.

As you know, we play in four rounds.

And in round one, we do ten-point toss-ups.

So, ConVal and Merrimack, good luck.

Here we go.

Alaska is the westernmost state in the US.

What is the westernmost province in Canada?

Ben M. of ConVal.

British Columbia.

Correct.

There are 36 columns on the Lincoln Memorial.

What do they represent?

They represent the 36 states at the time of Lincoln's passing.

All right, teams, LeBron James, who was born in Akron, Ohio, was the first round draft pick for this home state team in 2003 and played for the team from 2003 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2018.

Ben M. of ConVal.

The Cleveland Cavaliers.

That's right.

Discovered by Antoine Lavoisier in the late 1700s, this principle states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in an isolated system.

Avis of Merrimack.

Lavoisier’s Principle?

Sorry, no.

ConVal?

It’s the conservation of mass.

All right, teams, this ancient civilization built the Machu Picchu complex in Peru in the 15th century.

Iris of ConVal.

Inca.

Yes.

This Middle Eastern country hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Ben M. of ConVal.

Qatar.

Yes.

This NFL quarterback was only a sixth round draft pick.

He went on and got his revenge by winning six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.

Ben F. of ConVal.

Tom Brady.

That is right.

All right, teams, it is time for our Semiquincentennial Question, a 25-point toss-up question to celebrate America's 250th birthday, coming to you on your monitors.

Take a look.

Hello.

I'm teacher and author John Herman, and I've got a question for you.

This American naval commander known for saying, I have not yet begun to fight, spent some time in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, waiting for his ship to be built.

Avis of Merrimack.

John Paul Jones.

Correct.

At the college level, this game is played in two 20-minute halves, for a total of 40 minutes.

In the professional league, the game is played in four 12-minute quarters, for a total of 48 minutes.

Lauren of Merrimack.

Basketball.

Correct.

This track and field athlete is known as the fastest man in the world, and holds world records in the 100 and 200-meter races.

Ben M. of ConVal.

Usain Bolt.

Yes.

The forced relocation from the southeastern United States to lands west of the Mississippi by the U.S.

government of over 60,000 members of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muskogee, and Seminole nations between 1830 and 1850 is known as this.

Ben M. of ConVal.

between 1830 and 1850 is known as this.

Ben M. of ConVal.

The Trail of Tears.

Yes.

This famous New Hampshire highway, known as The Kanc, runs about 34.5 miles from Lincoln to Conway.

Lauren of Merrimack.

The Kancamagus.

Yes.

All right, teams, our next question is our Unitil Power Question, a 20-point toss-up question, coming to you on your monitors.

Take a look.

Hi.

I'm Amanda Vicinanzo with Unitil, and here is your Power Question.

In an 1887 letter to an Anglican bishop, British historian and politician Lord Acton wrote that absolute power does this to a person.

Avis of Merrimack.

Corrupts.

It does.

It corrupts them.

Absolutely, yes.

This structure provides shape, support, and protection to plant cells.

Avis of Merrimack.

The cell wall.

Yes.

The name for this ballroom dance popular in the 17th and 18th centuries is taken from the French word for small.

Bridget of Merrimack.

The waltz.

Sorry, no.

ConVal?

It is the minuet.

With over 1,000 gold medals in the Summer and Winter Olympics combined, this country has won the most Olympic gold medals in history.

Avis of Merrimack.

Britain.

Sorry, no.

ConVal?

Vincent.

United States.

The United States is correct.

All right, teams, go ahead and take a look at your monitors.

You are looking at a sketch used in creating this 1928 Disney short that featured synchronized sound and is often credited with launching Mickey Mouse's fame.

Lauren of Merrimack.

Steamboat Willie.

That's right.

All right, teams.

What is the next prime number after 31?

Avis of Merrimack.

37.

That's right.

This Shakespearean tragedy tells the story of a Danish prince avenging his father's death.

Bridget of Merrimack.

Hamlet.

Yes.

The Romans constructed these across the Republic and Empire to transport water into cities.

Lauren of Merrimack.

Aqueducts.

That's right.

All right, teams, go ahead and take a look at your monitors for this next question.

There are only around 350 of these large marine mammals left in the world, and only 70 breeding females.

It has been an endangered species since 1970.

Its range stretches along the continental shelf on the Atlantic coast, and it has been spotted off the coast of New Hampshire.

Avis of Merrimack.

Humpback whales.

Sorry, it is not a humpback whale.

ConVal.

Ben F. The sperm whale.

No, it is the northern right whale.

The northern right whale.

All right, teams, marine biologist and educator Stephen Hillenburg, who wrote and illustrated the picture book The Intertidal Zone about life in tide pools, went on to create this series about sponges, starfish, and plankton in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom.

Iris of ConVal.

SpongeBob.

That's right.

SpongeBob SquarePants.

And that sound ends the round.

And a competitive first round match with a tight score, but Merrimack out to a bit of a lead.

[applause] Great first round, teams.

Great first round.

We're going to take a pause on the action right now and talk to our teams for a moment, get to know our players a little bit.

And we're going to start with a team from ConVal Regional High School.

ConVal Regional High School is located in Peterborough, but it serves a number of towns in the surrounding area.

And of the 630 enrolled students, we'll start down here with Iris.

Iris, we ask every player on the show something amazing about them.

And you wrote about an instrument that you play.

What do you play?

Guitar.

Okay.

I love that you play guitar.

How long you been playing?

A couple of years now.

Okay.

What sort of inspired you to play the guitar?

Well, my dad taught me, and it just seemed really fun.

And it was a great way for us to bond.

All right.

Do you play acoustic?

Electric?

A little bit of both?

I play both.

You in a band?

Not yet.

Okay.

You got to start a band.

Yeah.

All right, all right.

Excellent.

With Iris is Vinny.

And Vinny has, should we call it a talent?

You could call it that.

We can call it a talent.

What can you do with your arm?

I can pop it out of its socket.

Okay.

You can pop your arm out of your socket.

We're not going to ask you to do it.

But how did you discover you had this ability?

I was in first grade, and I was playing on the monkey bars, and it kind of just popped out.

You were hanging on the monkey bars and just like, Okay, it just popped out.

And you just popped it right back in no problem?

Yep.

Okay.

It doesn't hurt at all?

Nope.

Fantastic.

I think you might have a career ahead of you with that.

All right.

Joining Vinny is Ben F., and Ben is not the first member of his family to grace the stage of Granite State Challenge.

Tell us.

Yeah.

So, my dad actually was on Granite State Challenge in 1996 and 1998.

Okay.

Did he tell you how he did?

Do you know how he did?

Well, I know he at least won a round.

Okay.

So, he at least won a round.

So did he inspire you to do this or was this just something you did on your own?

I always knew I was going to do this.

Gotcha.

You just kind of knew.

It runs in the family.

I understand how that goes.

All right.

And with Ben F., we have Ben M. Ben's been on the show before.

We talked a lot last year, but I didn't know this you met a famous New Hampshirite?

Yeah.

So I wasn’t in New Hampshire when I met him, but I was at a Dunkin’ Donuts in Maine, and standing in front of me in line was Steven Tyler.

Okay.

That is, like, the most New Hampshire story ever.

It involves Steven Tyler and Dunkin’ Donuts.

So what happened?

Did you just say hi?

So my dad noticed him because he's got the big, long hair.

So my dad noticed him, and he goes, I think that's Steven Tyler.

He taps him in the shoulder, You Steven Tyler?

He goes, Yeah, that's me.

And then, like, it just became a whole thing, like, Oh my God, Steven Tyler's in this Dunkin’ Donuts!

And so he bought everybody's Dunkin’ Donuts.

What a good guy, man!

Thank you, Steven.

We hope you're a Granite State Challenge fan.

All right.

That is Ben!

And that is the team from ConVal Regional High School.

[applause] And their opponents this week are the team from Merrimack High School, Merrimack located down in Hillsborough County.

It's got about 1,100 students, and of them is Lauren.

Now, Lauren, you rang in and got the question about aqueducts just a few minutes ago, and you had to get that.

Why?

Tell us.

Because last April, I went on a trip to Italy.

Okay.

So you went to Italy.

It was a school trip?

Yes.

Okay.

And did you just stay in one place?

You go all over the place?

We were all over the country.

We went to Rome, Venice, Florence... Do you have a favorite of all those places?

Rome was my favorite.

Because of the Roman history?

Yeah, and the Colosseum was amazing.

Yes.

So I hear.

Never been.

Hope to be there.

All right.

Lauren is joined by Jeremy, who's not just a fan of Granite State Challenge as far as quiz shows go, also a big fan of Jeopardy!

So, not a lot of distance between those two things.

How did you get into Jeopardy?

So, me and my family play, basically, every night, and we always go against each other, so we try to get to the questions first.

Okay.

So you're actually playing along with the show... Yes.

...competing against your family members.

All right.

How are you doing?

I think the record is 600 to 1 not me right now.

600 to 1.

Work in progress, and this is good practice.

Listen, if Jeopardy!

keeps going the way it's going, you could win 601 to 600.

Fingers crossed.

All right.

Excellent.

Joining Jeremy is Bridget, who attended the Saint Paul's Advanced Studies Program.

Tell us about what that is.

So, at Saint Paul's boarding school in Concord very fancy boarding school during the summer, they let anyone who goes to school in New Hampshire I knew someone who lived in Vermont, but he went to school in New Hampshire they let them come stay for the summer for like six weeks, and you get to choose a course you want to do.

So you stay on campus for six weeks, you get to be a part of their community, study something really cool.

What did you study?

I got to study law and governance.

Law and governance.

Fantastic.

That's a great program.

Glad you got the chance to do it.

And joining Bridget is Avis, also been on the show a number of times.

Right.

We've talked about a number of things.

I did not know what your name meant though.

What does your name mean?

My name means bird in Latin.

Oh, okay.

So your name means bird.

So do people always talk about birds and stuff with you?

Are you like the bird person?

Yeah, a little bit.

I like birds a lot, so whenever I'm meeting someone new, I ask them, If you were to be a bird, what kind of bird would you be?

All right.

So that's my question for you, Jon Cannon.

So we talked about this before.

I think I would be a blue jay for many reasons, but what bird would you be?

I would be a chickadee.

I actually have a tattoo of one.

Oh, look at that!

Okay, so a tattoo of a chickadee.

All right.

Great New Hampshire bird.

I love that I know that.

Love that you ask everybody that question.

And this is the team from Merrimack High School!

[applause] All right, teams, thanks for that break in the action.

We're going to get back to the game in round two, which is our three strikes in year out round.

And the way that this round works is we start with each team.

We ask every individual player down the line one question out of ten.

And we'll go right down the line giving you ten points for each correct response.

Now, each team has three passes, so if you don't know the answer, you can pass to your teammate next to you.

And we'll keep going until all ten questions are asked or until three strikes and you’re out.

And just as a reminder, there's always a clue to the next question in the current question.

So, we do this alphabetically.

Ben M., that means we start with you and ConVal.

This is your question.

In 2025, President Trump had this part of the White House demolished to make room for a ballroom.

The East Wing.

Correct.

Ben F. In the TV series The West Wing, Martin Sheen played the president, who was the former governor of this state.

Massachusetts?

It is New Hampshire.

Vincent.

New Hampshire has had three women elected governor, including the current governor, Kelly Ayotte.

This southwestern state has had five women elected governor, including Katie Hobbs, who was elected in 2023.

Sorry, it’s Arizona.

It's Arizona Iris.

Iris.

This Arizona senator and his identical twin brother Scott were both astronauts.

It is Mark Kelly.

And just like that, three strikes and that ends your round.

[applause] All right, Merrimack, we turn to you.

Same drill.

Avis, we'll start with you.

This is your question.

Robert Downey Jr.

played businessman and engineer Tony Stark in this 2008 movie.

Iron Man.

Correct.

Bridget.

The 1970 song Iron Man by this heavy metal band is not about the superhero in the Marvel Universe, but about a man who is turned into steel by a magnetic field and was mocked for trying to save humanity from an apocalyptic future.

Pass.

Pass to Jeremy.

Black Sabbath.

Correct.

Lauren.

Back in Black was the seventh studio album by this Australian rock band fronted by Brian Johnson following the death of their previous lead singer, Bon Scott.

AC/DC.

Correct.

Avis.

Washington, D.C., became the permanent capital of the United States in 1800.

Before that, this city was the temporary capital from 1790 to 1800.

New York City.

It was Philadelphia.

Bridget.

Philadelphia is the setting for this 1976 movie about a debt collector turned boxer.

Pass.

Pass to Jeremy.

Rocky.

Rocky is correct.

Lauren.

In the animated series Rocky and Bullwinkle, Rocky is a flying squirrel and Bullwinkle is this species.

Moose.

Yes.

Avis.

The Progressive Party (or Bull Moose Party) was founded by this former president in 1912.

Teddy Roosevelt.

Yes.

Bridget.

The Roosevelts: An Intimate History is a 2014 documentary series about Teddy, Franklin, and Eleanor Roosevelt, directed and produced by this Walpole, NH, filmmaker.

Pass.

Pass to Jeremy.

Ken Burns.

Ken Burns is right.

Lauren.

The Burn Book causes all kinds of trouble in this 2004 movie starring Lindsay Lohan.

Mean Girls.

Yes.

Avis.

The Blue Meanies are fictional characters in the 1968 movie Yellow Submarine from this band.

The Beatles.

That is correct.

And that is the ten questions and the end of your round.

[applause] All right.

Great job, teams.

Merrimack extending their lead in that round, but we're going to start round three which is our 60-second round.

I'd like to invite the alternates to come on up and join their teams at the podiums.

In our 60-second round, teams work together answering ten questions in a category as fast as they can.

We'll give you ten points for each correct response and a bonus of ten if you get them all right.

We'll start with the team trailing.

ConVal, that is you.

So, Ben, you can talk to your team and choose from these categories D & D, Spice of Life, and The Sound of Silence.

[deliberating] All right, Ben, what do you say?

We’re going to go with The Sound of Silence.

The Sound of Silence, okay.

So, in this category, the answers to the following will all begin with a silent letter.

So, Ben, you can talk to your team.

I'll take your answer as the team answer.

60 seconds.

Start the clock.

Lung infection caused by bacteria or viruses, not by going Pneumonia.

Yes.

People like to put figurines of these in their gardens.

Gnomes.

Yes.

You will find 150 of these in a book in the Bible.

Psalm.

Yes.

This flying reptile from the Late Jurassic Period had a long neck and a short tail.

Pterodactyl.

Yes.

Type of joke that little kids like to ask.

Knock knock.

Yes.

When you punch someone, you could say you gave them this type of sandwich.

A knuckle sandwich.

Yes.

60 minutes make up one of these.

An hour.

Yes.

Alfred Hitchcock film starring Anthony Hopkins as Norman Bates.

Psycho.

Correct.

You might decorate your front door with one of these for the holidays.

A wreath.

Yes.

This is what you might call someone who can see the future.

A psychic.

[affirming] A psychic!

That seemed pretty good to me, but we'll count them all up over there.

Ten out of ten on your 60-second round.

[applause] Great job, ConVal.

Go ahead and stay there, alternates.

You’re okay.

Merrimack, we'll turn to you.

Tough act to follow, but you can do it.

Avis, you can talk to your team.

You can choose from D & D or Spice of Life.

We're going to go with D & D. D & D, okay.

The answers to the following will be two words that start with the letter D. Okay.

So, Avis, you can talk to your team.

I'll take your answer as the team answer.

60 seconds.

Start the clock.

Author who wrote Robinson Crusoe.

Daniel Defoe.

Correct.

Batman and Robin are sometimes called this.

Dynamic duo.

Yes.

Character played by Rachel Dratch on SNL who always brought everyone down.

Debbie Downer.

Debbie Downer.

Yes.

He played FBI agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files.

David Duchovny.

This Disney waterfowl has three nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie.

Donald Duck.

Yes.

This term for an intensified challenge was also the name of a Nickelodeon series.

Double Dare.

Correct.

If you don't go to Starbucks, you might make a run here.

Dunkin’ Donuts.

Correct.

This name for very short shorts came from a character in The Dukes of Hazzard.

Daisy Dukes.

Yes.

This jump rope game uses Double Dutch.

Correct.

You play this game with 20-sided dice.

Dungeons & Dragons.

That is correct.

And also a good round.

Nine out of ten on your 60-second round!

[applause] Two great 60-second rounds.

Thank you, alternates.

You can go ahead and take your seats.

Things tightening up ever so slightly in round three as we roll into round four.

In round four, we're going to pick back up with our toss-up questions, but we're going to be doubling the point value to 20 points and we will be deducting 20 points for incorrect responses in this round.

So, playing smart and strategically ConVal and Merrimack, good luck.

Here we go.

World War II began on September 1st, 1939, with the German attack on Poland and ended with Germany's surrender on May 8th of this year.

Ben F. of ConVal.

1945.

That is right.

In 1822, Prince Pedro of Braganza declared Brazil's independence from this country.

Iris of ConVal.

Portugal.

That's right.

In 2020, this pop artist released a remix of Savage featuring Beyonce.

Jeremy of Merrimack.

Jay-Z.

Sorry, no.

ConVal.

Iris.

Megan Thee Stallion.

That is correct.

This colony established in 1732 by General James Oglethorpe as a haven for the worthy poor who had been sent to debtors prison in England, was the last of the original thirteen colonies.

That was Georgia.

In Avatar: The Last Airbender, what element is Aang originally able to bend?

Avis of Merrimack.

Air.

That's right.

Ryan Reynolds plays former Canadian mercenary Wade Wilson, who is transformed into a mutant with superhuman healing abilities and now goes by this name.

Lauren of Merrimack.

Deadpool.

Yes.

This female rapper gained fame with songs like Work It and The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly).

It's Missy Elliott.

In the movie Toy Story, Woody has the name of his owner written on the bottom of his boot.

Who is his owner?

Iris of ConVal.

Andy.

That's right.

Go ahead and take a look at your monitors, teams.

You are looking at a Komodo dragon.

It is the largest lizard in the world, can run at speeds of 13 miles an hour, and has a venomous bite.

They are found in a few locations in this island nation.

Jeremy of Merrimack.

Indonesia.

That's right.

This type of RNA carries the genetic code from DNA to the ribosome.

Iris of ConVal.

mRNA.

mRNA is right.

This artist, known for the abstract drip paintings of the mid-20th century, was the subject of a 2010 movie starring Ed Harris as the painter.

Jeremy of Merrimack.

Dalí.

Sorry, no.

ConVal?

It is Jackson Pollock.

The opening line of the novel The Stranger by this French author is [My] mother died today.

The Stranger was written by Albert Camus.

everything i [wanted] by this artist won the Grammy for Record of the Year in 2021.

That was Billie Eilish.

The official flag of this country was adopted in 1999 and is known as the Nissh ki (or sun mark flag ), or the Hinomaru, (or ball of the sun ).

Ben M. of ConVal.

Japan.

Yes.

This 12-mile long tidal river serves as a border between Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Kittery, Maine, and drains into the Atlantic Ocean.

Avis of Merrimack.

Connecticut.

Sorry, no.

ConVal.

Ben M. The Piscataqua.

That is right.

This city, which was the capital of the Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman empires, became Istanbul in 1930.

Jeremy of Merrimack.

Constantinople.

That is right.

Skip the next question.

Tofu originated in China around 2,000 years ago and is popular in Asian cuisine.

From what legume is tofu derived?

We did not quite get to the end, and it looks like, with a come-from-behind victory, ConVal will be moving on to the next round.

[applause] Congratulations on your victory, ConVal.

We'll see you in a few weeks when you come back for the second round.

And Merrimack, it's been a great run for you.

Tough loss today.

But you know we always have fun when you're here.

And we hope you had fun today.

We hope you had fun as well.

And we do hope you join us next week on Granite State Challenge as the teams from Mascoma Valley and Plymouth Regional High Schools face off.

That'll do it for us this week.

Thanks so much for watching, and I hope you learned something because I did as well.

We'll see you next time.

Major funding for the production of Granite State Challenge is provided by Unitil.

Additional funding provided by Safety Insurance, NEA New Hampshire, and viewers like you.

Thank you!

♪