-Students from La Plata... ...Poolesville... and St. Stephen's and St. Agnes meet today on "It's Academic."

[ Applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ Hello, everybody.

I'm Hillary Howard.

Welcome to "It's Academic," the world's longest-running TV quiz show, produced by Altman Productions in association with David M. Rubenstein Productions, and WETA.

[ Applause ] -Support for "It's Academic" has been provided by the following... George Mason University -- All Together Different.

-Call us different.

-Different in where we come from... -...where we're going... -...and how we think.

-But the same in our dreams for tomorrow.

-Driven by the pull of possibility... -...to inspire... -...to think fearlessly... -...to protect and to heal the planet.

We know the world will change.

-Together... -...we will be the ones to change it.

-Call Mason different.

-All... -...together... -...different.

[ Applause ] ♪♪ -Hi, we're so glad you're with us today for another competition here on "It's Academic."

And we begin, as we always do with the Fast Start teams.

Teams, you know Fast Start questions are worth ten points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

Here we go.

Ends in "N." Everything has to end sometime.

And the answers to all these questions have to end in the letter "N" as in noon.

Poolesville.

-Arson.

-Yes.

St. Stephen's.

-George R. R. Martin.

-That's it.

Nearly 1% of our atmosphere consists of this -- Poolesville.

-Argon.

-Argon.

Yeah, this noble gas.

Yes.

Poolesville.

-Decathlon.

-You've got it.

Yes, Poolesville.

-Freetown.

-Yeah.

Poolesville.

-Acorn.

-Yes.

Anybody?

Anybody?

Cyclotron.

Yup, St. Stephen's.

-Amen.

-Amen.

You guys better have gotten that one.

[ Laughter ] That does it for the Fast Start.

Let's take a look at the scores.

La Plata 100, Poolesville 150.

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes 120 points.

[ Applause ] ♪♪ Before we dive into the Mix and Match round, we get to meet these fabulous students, and we begin with La Plata High School from Charles County, Maryland.

Sarah.

Hello.

Tell us about yourself.

-Um, I'm a senior, And This Is My Third Year On "It's Academic," and I'm also on our high school swim team.

-And how much swimming do you do?

A lot.

-Yeah, a lot.

It's like an hour and 30 minutes every day.

-Yeah, um, what what part of swimming do you like best?

What event?

-My favorite stroke is freestyle.

-All right, well, it's good to see you.

And hello, Isaiah.

-Hey, um, my name is Isaiah Leonard.

I'm a senior at La Plata High School.

This is my fourth year doing "It's Academic," and I'm involved in all the bands at our high school.

-[ Chuckles ] How about you, Anne?

-Yes, I this is my fourth year on the "It's Academic" team, my second year competing here.

And I'm also part of my school's student government and math team.

-Fabulous.

Well, I have some questions for you guys.

In Mix and Match, questions are worth 20 points.

You all know this.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

Here we go.

Ravioli By A Chef -- Turn your attention from dinner to North Africa and you can find the hidden name of what country whose capital city is Tripoli.

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Libya.

-That's it.

Cartographer, Calligrapher, Podiatrist -- You would most appropriately hire which of these specialists to inscribe names on a diploma?

-Calligrapher.

-Yeah.

Which will happen for all of you.

Lads Or -- Lads and lasses can earn 20 points by rearranging these letters to identify what fin found on the back of a fish.

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Dorsal.

-Dorsal, it is.

February 14, 1949 -- This date saw the launching of the first mammal in space, named Albert II.

It was a rhesus variety of what kind of animal?

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Monkey.

-Yeah.

It's a monkey.

Jet Planes, Naval Destroyers, Humvees -- Under the 1941 Lend-Lease program, the US agreed to provide Britain with at least 50 of which of these?

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Naval Destroyers.

-You've got it.

"Don't judge a "blank" by its movie."

Please fill in the blank here with what kind of object that can be fact or fiction and is collected by bibliophiles.

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Book.

-That is it.

Nicely done, La Plata, 220 points.

[ Applause ] Now to Poolesville High School from Montgomery County, Maryland.

Hiya, Claire.

What's going on?

-Hi.

I'm a senior at Poolesville.

And outside of "It's Academic" and Quiz Bowl, I'm also on the school's History Bowl team.

And I do theater.

-So the History Bowl team, you're the person everybody turns to when we ask history questions?

-Not quite, because Asher is also on the History Bowl team.

-Oh, okay.

Anything else you want to add to that stuff?

-Um, I'm really excited for this spring's play or musical, which is "Little Shop of Horrors," and it's going to be a big comeback because we're finally getting our auditorium back after construction.

-Wow.

That's wonderful.

Good luck.

-Thank you.

-Hello, Asher.

What else do you do besides History Bowl and Quiz Bowl?

-Yes, besides History Bowl and Quiz Bowl, I'm also president of the school's Jewish Student Union.

And I work on weekends teaching fourth graders at my synagogue.

-And wonderful.

Both good things.

Both show tremendous leadership.

Talk about the student government and what you get out of contributing like that.

-It's the Jewish Student Union.

So we do volunteer work and work to educate people about Judaism.

And we also have a place where people can report anti-Semitic incidents.

So it's a good place where people can gather.

-Well, wonderful, Asher.

It's great to have you.

And finally, last but not least.

Hiya, Alex.

-Hi, I'm Alex, I'm in 11th grade.

I also do history bowl.

-[ Hillary laughs ] -Outside History Bowl, I also lead the math team.

And right now I'm working on translating a geometry book.

-You're translating a geometry book?

Do tell.

-Oh, it's from Chinese to English.

It's like -- It's a really long book.

-Wow.

That's impressive.

Alright, guys, here we go.

Why Go Bilateral?

Instead of going bilateral, go find in this phrase the name of what large desert in northwestern China.

-Gobi.

-Yeah.

Happy, Hungry, Remorseful -- Which of these words best describe someone who is penitent?

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Remorseful.

-That's it.

Sure Tap -- Rearrange these letters and you'll name what 19th century French scientist who found a way to make milk safe to drink.

-Pasteur.

-Yeah.

December 17, 2012 -- On this date, two NASA spacecraft named Ebb and Flow crash landed on the moon in a region named for what woman?

America's first female astronaut in space.

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Sally Ride.

-That is it.

Corsica, Crete, Catalina -- Which of these sea islands belongs to Greece?

-Crete.

Crete.

-That's it, too.

With the possible exception of the "blank," everything begins somewhere."

To complete this quote from a British author, add what imaginary line that circles the Earth at zero degrees latitude.

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Equator.

-Equator is right.

Nicely done, Poolesville, 270 points.

[ Applause ] Now to St. Stephen's and St. Agnes from Alexandria, Virginia.

Hello, Georgia.

-Hi.

How's it going?

-Good.

How about you?

-Pretty good.

Pretty good.

-[ Chuckles ] -Um, my name is Georgia Niederlande.

I'm a 17-year-old junior.

This is my first time on "It's Academic."

Um, outside of "It's Academic".

I am a squash player and a sailor.

And I'm a co-captain of both teams, so lots of sports.

And I love to make art as well.

-Wow, you do everything.

Sailing is hard.

You have to think a lot.

-Yeah, it's -- it's pretty tricky, but honestly, I love just being outdoors.

I think that it's great for both physical and mental health.

-Yeah.

That's beautiful.

I rowed for a while.

-Oh, really?

-And I really liked that.

It's nice being on the water.

Yeah.

Jackson, tell us about yourself.

-Hi.

My name is Jackson.

I'm a sophomore at St. Stephen's.

And I really like Greek and Roman literature.

-Oh, lovely.

What do you like most?

-Uh, I don't really know.

I love epic poetry, I suppose.

And I also just love how universal and just well-written all these stories have been and have -- how they have stayed in our life for so long.

-Do you learn something from it?

-I do.

-Yeah.

-I do.

-Anything specific?

-A lot of mythology.

-[ Laughs ] A lot of mythology.

Hello, Arleigh.

How are you?

-Hi, Hillary.

My name is Arleigh.

I'm a junior at St. Stephen's, St. Agnes.

This is my first year in Quiz Bowl, and I'm one of the co-presidents of my Model United Nations club.

-And tell us more about that.

Oh, I love going to a bunch of conferences.

We do a bunch of debates and everything about the most random topics, but also the topics that will help in the future.

-Does it help you understand what's happening in the world at large?

-Yes.

It does.

-Yeah.

Alright.

Well, I've got some questions.

Perhaps something international.

Eye Men See -- You'll see 20 points if you find here the hidden name of what Middle East country where Sana'a is capital.

-Yemen.

-Yeah.

Incorrigible, Taciturn, Frenetic -- Which of these words could best describe someone who rarely speaks?

-Taciturn.

-Correct.

Get Zany -- Instead of getting zany, see if you can rearrange the letters in this phrase to get the name of what longest river of China.

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Yangtze.

-You've got it.

January 25, 1971.

An important advance in space exploration occurred on this date when a Russian spacecraft provided close-up pictures of what planet between Earth and Mercury.

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Venus.

-Venus is right.

Tory, Carpetbagger, Muckraker -- Had today's investigative reporters lived in the days of Theodore Roosevelt, which of these terms would have been used to describe them?

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Muckraker.

-Yeah, indeed.

"A diamond is just a lump of "blank" that did well under pressure."

Please fill in the blank here With what ore That can be bituminous or anthracite.

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Coal.

-Coal, it is.

Great job, St. Stephen's and St. Agnes.

240 points.

[ Applause ] That does it for Mix and Match.

We have the Picture Perfect round next.

-I'm David Rubenstein.

From the Kennedy Center and the National Archives to the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, I've been pleased to support many important organizations and historic sites linked to American history, art, culture, education, and more.

I believe giving back to our country isn't just an idea, it's an action, a patriotic action that involves all of us.

And it begins with education and learning about our nation's past so that we, the people, can make a more perfect union for the future.

We can do it together.

Please read, learn, get involved, and make a difference.

-Time for an audience.

Question.

Well, he raised goats, which are very social animals and apparently have great communication skills.

[ Chuckles ] Back to the game.

[ Applause ] ♪♪ Welcome back.

Are you guys ready for some pictures?

-Yeah.

-Alright.

it's time for the Picture Perfect round.

Questions are worth 20 points up or down.

Once again, first team to buzz in gets to answer.

The waters washing this Australian beach are calm because the beach is protected by what natural formation over -- Poolesville.

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Answer.

-The reef.

-Yes.

The reef.

That's it.

The Great Barrier reef, specifically.

These words were spoken by King Abdullah II, the head of what Middle East country where Amman is.

-Poolesville.

-Jordan.

-Yeah.

Choice -- George Catlin depicted the snowshoe dance Of what upper Midwest Indians, Ojibwe, Mohawk, or Navajo?

Poolesville.

-Ojibwe.

-That's it.

What is the slope of the line representing the equation shown?

Yeah, Poolesville.

-3/4.

-You've got it.

This painting of Madame X is by what American artist?

Poolesville.

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Sargent.

-Yeah.

That's right, John Singer Sargent.

This giraffe was photographed near what African mountain?

The highest on the continent.

Yeah, La Plata.

-Kilimanjaro.

You've got it.

Enthalpy, Heat of formation, Heat of reaction -- Which of these terms refers to the internal energy or heat content -- Yes.

St. Stephen's.

[ Whispering indistinctly ] Answer, in -- -Enthalpy.

-That is it.

Pregnant nine-banded armadillos never had to wonder what their babies will be like.

All offspring are either identical male or identical female and always number how many equal to the cube root of 64?

-Poolesville.

-Four.

-That's right.

And that does it for the Picture Perfect round.

Let's take a look at these scores.

La Plata, home of the Warriors, 240 points.

Poolesville, home of the Falcons, 390 points.

And St. Stephen's and St. Agnes, home of the Saints, 260 points.

[ Applause ] So we know all of these kids are really bright, and the coaches and administrators are here to help prepare them for competition.

So let's meet them.

First to La Plata and Isaiah.

Isaiah, who's with you?

-So we have Mr. Dolan, our principal here, and his two daughters, our alternate Christopher Burch.

He's awesome.

-[ Hillary laughs ] -And we also have our -- our awesome coach, Mr. Matthew Panzarella with us today.

-Wonderful.

Happy you guys are here.

And to Poolesville.

Asher, tell us about your team.

-Yeah, we have our wonderful coach, Miss Snavely, here.

And I'd like to say a big thanks to all of our teammates and friends on the Quiz Bowl and "It's Academic" team for practicing with us every week and our families for showing up.

-Alright.

Beautiful.

And to St. Stephen's and St. Agnes.

Tell us, Jackson, who's with you?

-With us today are our two coaches, Miss Sandoval and Dr. Klein, as well as our alternate, Mark.

-So good to see all of you guys.

Thank you for being here.

[ Applause ] ♪♪ And now it's time for the Packet round.

So we have these lovely packets, one, two, and three.

La Plata gets to answer questions first.

Poolesville will choose what packet they answer questions from.

-Packet two.

-Packet two.

Questions are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

And if you get all the questions right what happens La Plata?

A 25-point bonus.

[ Chuckles ] Okay, here we go.

-[ Imitates explosion ] -Yeah!

That's it.

That's what I'm talking about.

Alaska is the destination of many tourists who want to see what natural phenomenon whose Latin name is Aurora borealis?

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Northern lights?

-Yes.

-As Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie was compared to what animal called the king of beasts?

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Lion.

-Lion is right.

The Polish Winged Hussars, a cavalry unit whose members attached wings to their uniforms, swooped down on the Turks in 1683 and rescued what besieged city, now Austria's capital?

-Vienna.

-Yeah.

Here's your science question.

Scapular, Sternum, Metatarsus -- Which of these is the formal term for your shoulder blade?

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Scapula.

-That's right.

Simon Bolivar was not born in Bolivia, but in what other South American country whose capital is Caracas?

-Venezuela.

-Right.

2013 marked the 200th anniversary of what Jane Austen novel about the Bennett family?

-"Pride and Prejudice."

-Yeah.

-Here's your math question.

The girls always get that right, by the way.

[ Laughs ] Simplify this expression, giving your answer as a positive integer.

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -36.

-36, yeah.

Samuel Eliot Morison wrote a biography of what other Samuel, the French explorer, whose name is given to a large lake between New York and Vermont?

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Champlain.

-It is Lake Champlain.

And that gives you guys that 25-point bonus.

Let's see the explosion, Isaiah.

-Boom!

Yeah.

-[ Imitates explosion ] [ Laughing ] Yeah.

Nice job.

[ Applause ] -Over to Poolesville.

Asher, you're ready for this?

-Yeah.

-Okay.

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes, what packet will they answer questions from, 1 or 3?

-Packet one.

-Packet one.

Okay.

The Luvironza River in Burundi is the most remote headstream of what longest African river?

-Nile?

Nile.

-Yeah.

Geologist Louis Agassiz made one of the first studies of what slow-moving masses of ice seen in many mountain ranges?

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Glaciers.

-Yes.

Some states have now banned the use of thermometers that use what metal that's liquid at room temperature?

-Mercury.

-Yeah.

We used to play with them as kids.

Those little mercury balls.

That was a long time ago.

Time for your science question.

Maturity, Adaptation, Stimulation -- Which of these refers to the chance variations which improve the survival possibilities of an animal?

-Adaptation.

-That's right.

In April 1945, one of the last major World War II battles began when Allied forces launched the invasion of what O-initialed Japanese island?

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Okinawa.

-Okinawa is correct.

If the fictional Athos, Porthos, and Aramis were alive today, they might enjoy a candy bar with what same name as the title of an Alexandre Dumas novel about them?

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Three Musketeers.

-Yes.

Here's your math question.

Evaluate this expression Taking all roots to be positive [ Whispering indistinctly ] -20.

-Yep, 20.

About 60 persons took part in the 1831 Virginia revolt led by what slave who was eventually caught and sentenced to death?

-Nat turner.

-Wow.

We've got another 25-point bonus.

Way to go, Poolesville.

[ Applause ] Okay, the pressure is on St. Stephen's and St. Agnes.

Here we go.

[ Laughter ] Artificial sweeteners would never be acceptable to what honey-loving bear who titles a beloved book by A.A. Milne?

-Winnie the Pooh.

-Yeah.

The United Nations charter was adopted at a 1945 meeting in what northern California city that 39 years earlier had been devastated by an earthquake?

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Sacramento.

-No, San Francisco, just a little south of there.

Japanese writer Osamu Dazai created a book titled "100 Views of..." what highest Japanese mountain?

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Fuji.

-Yes.

-Here's your science question.

Vacuum, Resistance, Centrifugal Force -- When you drink an ice cream soda through a straw, which of these phenomenon are you creating in that straw?

-Vacuum.

-Yes.

It was Chief Justice Roger Taney, who wrote the shocking 1857 Supreme Court decision concerning what slave who had sued for his freedom?

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Dred Scott yeah.

-Mice squeaked their way onto the bestseller list when they were linked to men in the title "Of Mice and Men," a novel by what American author?

-John Steinbeck.

-Correct.

Here's your math question.

What value of X satisfies this equation?

-Two.

-Yeah.

In 2008, a frog without lungs that breathes only through its skin was found in what island nation, whose largest city is Jakarta?

[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Indonesia.

-So nicely done.

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes, 400 points.

[ Applause ] Keep it here, because you know what's up next?

It is the Grab Bag.

See you in a minute.

-Hello, I'm David Rubenstein.

Did you know you can't sneeze when you're asleep?

At least not during deep sleep.

Which is just as well, since you can't blow your nose then either.

I'm David Rubenstein, reminding you to read, learn, get involved, and make a difference.

[ Applause ] ♪♪ -Hi.

Well, it's time for the Grab Bag round, everybody.

We're going to begin in just a second.

But first we're going to recap those scores.

La Plata, 425 points, Poolesville, 575 points, and St. Stephen's and St. Agnes, 400 points.

[ Applause ] So in this fast and furious round, questions are worth 20 points up or down.

And again, the first team to buzz in gets to answer.

Here we go.

The average American drinks about three cups a day of what caffeinated beverage?

Yes, St. Stephen's.

-Coffee.

-Yeah.

In 2016, a solar-powered plane flew around the world, starting and ending in what Capital city of the United Arab Emirates?

Poolesville.

-Abu Dhabi.

-Correct.

The largest U.S. island in the Bering Sea has what name that also identifies a seaway shared by the U.S. and Canada?

Yes, Poolesville.

[ Whispering indistinctly ] Answer.

-Bahrain?

-No, St. Lawrence.

On your screens.

A 17th century astronomer created this symbolic illustration of what constellation named for the mother of Andromeda?

Yes, St. Stephen's.

-Cassiopeia.

-Yeah.

Though he sought peace in our time, what British prime minister who -- Yes, Poolesville.

-Chamberlain.

Yes.

Very good.

Choice -- In the borax bead test, If the compound tested burns with a blue flame, then we know the compound contains what element?

Yes, Poolesville.

-Copper.

-No, Cobalt.

After surviving Pearl Harbor, the USS Phoenix was sold to Argentina, renamed the Belgrano, and sunk during what, 1982 -- Poolesville.

-Falklands War.

Falklands is correct.

On your screens for 20 points.

When asked if the study of theorems could be made easier, this was the reply of what ancient Greek mathematician?

Poolesville.

-Euclid.

-Correct.

A treatise on "The Suppression of the African Slave Trade" was written by what founder of the NAACP, who used the initials W.E.-- Poolesville.

-Du Bois.

-Correct.

If 8 pints equals 1 gallon, what percent of 5 gallons is 10 pints?

Yes, St. Stephen's.

[ Whispering indistinctly ] Answer in three, two -- -Five.

-No, 25%.

Nice try.

Both Constantinople's law code and its great Church of Santa Sophia were the work of what Byzantine emperor whose wife was Theodora?

Yes, Poolesville.

-Justinian.

You've got it.

[ Buzzer ] And that does it.

That is the end of the competition.

Stick around, We're going to have those scores in just one minute.

[ Applause ] -I'm David Rubenstein, and I believe giving back is something we all can do.

Many students are getting involved in their communities in important ways.

I've asked them to share with us how they're making a difference.

-Hi, I'm Malcolm and I go to Wakefield High School.

I'm a senior, and one way I give back to the community is through an annual clothing drive for the homeless, where we gather clothes from our neighborhood, store them on one weekend in a big group and bag them up to donate them to local homeless shelters.

I think this is a great way to not only bring people together in your community, but help others outside of your community by donating to the homeless, which reduces waste and gives back to people in need.

-Like these students, you too can help improve the lives of so many people by volunteering in your town and community.

Please read, learn, get involved, and make a difference.

[ Applause ] -The scores are now official.

We begin with St. Stephen's and St. Agnes from Alexandria, Virginia.

Georgia, Jackson, Arleigh, 420 points.

[ Applause ] From La Plata, Maryland.

Sarah, Isaiah, Anne, from La Plata High School, 425 points.

[ Applause ] And coming back for the playoffs, the team that did not take their fingers off the buzzers, Claire, Asher, and Alex, 655 points, guys.

Great job.

[ Applause ] We are so happy that you joined us today.

See you next time.

I'm Hillary Howard.

And remember, everybody... -"It's Academic"!

-Bye.

♪♪ -Support for "It's Academic" has been provided by the following... George Mason University.

All Together Different.

-Call us different.

-Different in where we come from... -...where we're going... -...and how we think.

-But the same in our dreams for tomorrow.

-Driven by the pull of possibility... -...to inspire... -...to think fearlessly... -...to protect and to heal the planet.

We know the world will change.

-Together... -...we will be the ones to change it.

-Call Mason different.

-All... -...together... -...different.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪