-Students from Landon... Sandy Spring Friends... Georgetown Day... meet today on "It's Academic."

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and 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.

-Support for "It's Academic" has been provided by the following... MITRE, a not-for-profit research and development company working in the public interest.

-What happens when the right people connect?

Diversity challenges convention, mentors inspire greatness, and passions drive innovation.

From health to transportation and national security, cyber and AI to space and back, MITRE connects the power of government, academia, and industry to meet our nation's challenges together.

MITRE connects.

♪♪ -Hey, so glad you're with us as we embark on our third semifinal match.

The winner goes on to the championship round.

But first things first.

We've got our Fast Start round, where questions are worth 10 points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

I know you know the drill.

Here we go.

Tiger Tales -- All of these questions will have something to do with tigers or the word "tiger."

Landon.

-Saber tooth.

-Yeah.

-Georgetown.

-China.

-Yeah.

He wrote the story, "The Lady or..." Landon?

-Stockton.

-Correct.

Landon.

-Bengal.

-Yeah.

He created the tiger Richard Parker in... Landon.

-Yann Martel.

-Correct.

This Ivy League university in...

Yes, Sandy Sp-- -Princeton.

-Correct.

He wrote the words "Tyger Tyger, burning..." Sandy Spring -Blake.

-Yes.

Once called Land of Tigers, this Asian peninsula is now divided -- Landon.

In three, two -- -Indochina.

-No.

Korea.

The Tigers are an MLB team in... Georgetown.

-Detroit.

-Correct.

Tiger of the Snows was the nickname of this Sherpa who climbed Mt.

Everest... Sandy Spring.

[ Indistinct whispering ] Answer?

-Tenzing Norgay.

-Yes, that is right, and that is the end of our very fast Fast Start.

[ Cheers and applause ] Let's take a look at those scores.

Landon, 130.

Sandy Spring Friends, 130.

Georgetown Day, 120.

[ Cheers and applause ] And now you've met them before, but you're going to meet them again.

We're going to meet the students here today.

First we go to Landon from Bethesda, Maryland.

Ryan, what's going on?

-Hi, I'm Ryan.

I'm a junior from Landon School.

Um, recently we had our first home fencing match in school history.

-Wow.

How'd it go?

-Uh, we won.

It was an overtime.

It was a close -- It was a great game.

-Congratulations.

I forgot: what implement do you use?

-Épée at school.

-Épée.

Nice.

Well, it's good to see you again, Ryan.

Oh, who's your mascot, by the way?

-Our mascot is the bear.

-The bear?

-It does not have a name.

-[ Laughs ] Okay.

-The Landon bear.

-The Landon Bear.

Thomas, good to see you.

What's going on?

-Hi, Hillary.

I'm Thomas.

I'm a senior from Landon.

Uh, and we recently started our rugby season and our practices for "The Play That Goes Wrong."

-[ Chuckles ] You're always prepared if you prepare for... -Yes.

-..."The Play That Goes Wrong."

Good to see you again.

-Good to see you too.

-And hello, Zack.

-Hi, Hillary.

I'm Zack.

Um, recently I've been awarded the opportunity to direct my own movie at Landon in one of my classes, so I'm very excited about that.

And I'm currently in the storyboard phase, but it's been a long, cool process.

-That's wonderful.

And the arc of the story will be...?

Do you know?

-About a guy, a kid who has schizophrenia -- or not schizophrenia.

Sorry.

He has, um, uh... memory loss.

He doesn't remember his past, so he's trying to discover his past through a diary that he was mailed.

-Oh, he has amnesia?

-Yes, amnesia.

That is the correct term.

-Very cool.

Well, good to see you guys.

And... ♪ I have some questions ♪ They're worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

Model.

Table.

Manners.

Table manners are important, but if you study this phrase, you'll find hidden within it what triangular alluvial deposit at the mouth of a river?

-A delta.

-Yes.

Exercising.

Talking.

Sleeping.

A person who is garrulous spends a lot of time doing which of these?

-Sleeping.

-No!

Talking.

To complete this rhyme, place in the blank the name of the gap through which Daniel Boone traveled The Wilderness Road into Kentucky.

-The Cumberland Gap.

-Cumberland Gap.

Oracle.

Artemis.

Nymph.

If you want to find out who will win this game, you might ask which of these mythical figures who could foretell the future?

-An oracle?

-Yes.

The oracle.

This was the observation of what American author of "The Things They Carried" -- a collection of stories about the Vietnam War?

-Tim O'Brien.

-Tim O'Brien is right.

Nicely done.

Landon, 210 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] And now to Sandy Spring Friends from Sandy Spring, Maryland.

Good to see you guys.

Hey.

Diego, what you been up to lately?

-So, I'm Diego.

I'm a 17-year-old junior at Sandy Spring Friends School.

Right now, I'm just kind of focusing on the, uh, the varsity baseball season.

It's in full swing, pun intended.

Um, and, yeah, so far... -[ Chuckles ] -So far, we're undefeated in conference play, so... Yeah.

-Alright.

Thanks, Diego!

And, Greta, good to see you.

-Hi, Hillary.

It's good to see you.

I'm Greta, I'm a 17-year-old senior at Sandy Spring.

Um, and recently I have been continuing to work on student government, and I also am part of Young Friends, which is a Quaker youth group.

-And tell me what it is that you get out of that.

How does it enrich you?

-Um, Quakerism is a really small faith, so it's really nice to have, like, spiritual and social connection with people who think like me.

Beautiful.

And for the people who don't remember, your mascot is...?

-Oscar Wilde, the wildebeest.

-[ Chuckles ] Very good.

Hiya, Justin.

What are you up to these days?

-Uh, hi, I'm Justin, I'm a 16-year-old sophomore, and recently I've been doing a lot of track and field.

-And which event do you like best in track?

-Um, probably the 110-meter hurdles.

-And I'm always curious, talking to athletes, like, where your head is when you're sort of in that groove going for it.

-It's just like forward to the next hurdle.

-And speaking of forward to the next hurdle, we have these questions for you.

Ready?

Will cacti be tall?

Instead of thinking about cactus, please find here the hidden name of what once independent country whose capital was Lhasa.

-Tibet.

-Yeah.

Countless.

Priceless.

Senseless.

The word "myriad" comes from Greek and is used in English as an adjective meaning which of these?

-Countless.

-Yes.

You can complete this quote by placing in the blank what type of span that can be suspension or cantilever.

-Bridge?

-Yeah.

Steppes.

Tundra.

Veldt.

Which of these words refers to the open grazing areas of South Africa?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Veldt.

-Veldt it is.

-Nice.

This quote is from what 18th-century author of "Robinson Crusoe."

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Defoe.

-Defoe is right.

Nicely done.

Sandy Spring Friends, 230 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] And now to Georgetown Day from Washington, D.C. Henry, good to see you.

-Hello, I'm Henry Fragale.

I'm a 16-year-old sophomore at Georgetown Day School, and recently I've been planning my next article on The Auger Bit.

-Ah.

So what's it going to be on?

-Um, I'm not quite sure yet, but I'm thinking about a piece perhaps about one of the more recent assemblies involving Israel, Palestine.

It's just a thing to talk about how the community has been dealing with that.

-Right, well, I would love to see a copy of it, uh, being a journalist, former journalist myself.

I'd love to see what you're up to.

Thanks, Henry.

Hello, Ben.

-Hello, Hillary.

My name is Ben Hillman.

I'm a 16-year-old junior at Georgetown Day School.

I play for the baseball team, and I'm also in a jazz band where I play piano.

-What's your favorite jazz piece?

-Uh, "Dear Old Stockholm," which is sort of a folk tune, but adapted by Miles Davis.

Really enjoy it.

Yeah.

-You can't go wrong with Miles Davis, right?

Alright.

Thanks, Ben.

Hiya, Haughton.

-Hi.

I'm Haughton.

I'm a freshman at Georgetown Day School.

Um, and I really enjoy, like, prepping for quiz bowl and history bowl, as nationals are coming up, so... -[ Chuckles ] What do you, um, get out of it?

-I find it's, um... First of all, it's just really enjoying to, like, hear the questions, which are pretty similar to "It's Academic."

And I can also meet people from around the country that have similar interests.

-Yeah.

That's nice.

Alright, guys.

Here we go.

I gasp, I rinse.

See if you can find in this hygienic phrase the common name for what salicylic acid compound used as a pain reliever.

-Aspirin.

-Yes.

Lost.

Dried out.

Expensive.

Which of these words best describe something that is desiccated?

-Dried out.

Yeah.

Dried out.

-That's it.

You can complete this quote by filling in the blank with the name of what Cabinet department headed by Lloyd Austin?

-Defense?

-Yeah.

Defense.

-That's it.

A mollusk, a marmoset, a marsupial.

The brain in which of these kinds of creatures is usually a ring of ganglia wrapped around the esophagus?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -A mollusk.

-You got it.

This bit of advice comes from what English author who created Captain Hook as an opponent for Peter Pan?

-J.M.

Barrie.

-Yeah.

-J.M.

Barrie.

-You are right.

Nice.

Georgetown Day, 220 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] Stay with us.

We have that Picture Perfect round coming up 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.

♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] -Well, it's time for the Picture Perfect round.

And, as you know, questions in this round are worth 20 points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

Ready?

First question.

The bird on this flag symbolizes -- Sandy Spring.

[ Indistinct whispering ] In three, two... -Zimbabwe.

-Yep, that's right.

Very nicely done.

Benjamin Franklin posed for this portrait in what year that marked the start of the French Revolution?

Georgetown.

-1789.

-Yeah.

Still in use today, this ceremonial spoon was first used at the 1199 coronation of what king, the brother of Richard the Lion?

Landon.

-John the Bad?

-Uh, yes.

That's it.

If a line segment were drawn between these two points -- Georgetown.

-13.

13.

-13 it is.

Tortoises like this attract visitors to -- Sandy Spring.

-Galapagos.

-Yeah.

That's it.

Galapagos Islands.

Very nice.

The 1923 Nobel Physics Prize went to this American for his work on the elementary electronic charge -- And Sandy Spring.

[ Indistinct whispering ] Answer?

-Simon.

-No.

Robert Millikan.

This is a section of what ancient scrolls found in 194-- Landon.

-Dead Sea Scrolls.

-Yeah.

What 19th-century British imperialists wrote this when establishing a scholar -- Georgetown.

-Cecil Rhodes.

-Yes, you've got it.

You can see this stained glass wall in a church in what C-initialed German city whose name -- Landon.

Answer?

Three, two, one.

-Cardiff.

-No, it's Cologne.

And that is the end of the Picture Perfect round.

Let's recap the scores.

[ Applause ] Landon, 230 points.

Sandy Spring Friends, 250 points.

Georgetown Day, 280 points.

And now that that is in the books, let's meet the people who prepared these students for competition.

We begin with Landon.

Thomas, you're the captain.

Tell us who came along with you today.

-Uh, today we have our coach, Ms.

Chambers, with us, who has done wonderfully in preparing us for this competition.

And we have our Dean of Students, Mr. Derwinski, as well as our head of school, Mr. Neill, here with us today.

And I'd also like to thank all of our younger Bears who are watching us at home today.

-Alright.

Awesome.

Over to Sandy Spring Friends.

Greta, tell us about your crew.

-We have our coach, Eduardo Polon, supporting us here today, as well as our alternate, Nate.

-Alright.

Great.

And Georgetown Day.

Ben.

-So, we'd like to thank our coaches, Sue Ikenberry and Shawn Miller, especially Sue Ikenberry, who's been doing this for 36 years, running the "It's Academic" team.

As well, we have our high school principal, Yom Fox, with us.

We'd like to thank her for being here as well.

-Alright, guys, so now we get to do the Packet Round.

So, this is a semifinal match.

That means all of you have been through this before.

We have three lovely packets of questions.

Landon, you answer first.

Sandy Spring, you get to choose which packet.

-Let's give them three.

-Three.

Alright.

And, of course, you all know this, but if you get all the questions right, there's a 25-point bonus.

Yay!

Questions are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

Here we go, Landon.

In the Revolutionary War, Francis Marion was famous for what type of hit-and-run warfare that sounds like a large jungle ape?

-Guerilla.

-Yes.

In August of 2023, the Hawaiian city of Lahaina was destroyed by fires on what M-initialed island?

-Maui.

-Maui is correct.

The push for the humanitarian treatment of animals got a boost with the publication of what Anna Sewell novel about a mistreated horse?

-"Black Beauty."

-"Black Beauty."

Yeah.

Here's your science question.

Energy Level, Spin, Charge.

According to atomic theory, a photon of light is given off or absorbed by an atom when one of its electrons changes which of these?

-Energy level.

-Energy level is right.

More than 100 Distinguished Flying Crosses were won by pilots of the all-Black World War II squadrons who had trained at what Alabama Institute?

-The Tuskegee Institute.

-Yeah, that's it.

Not only is Shakespeare's "Hamlet" full of skullduggery, it also features the skull of what court jester?

Answer is -- -Horatio.

-Yorick.

Here's your math question.

Evaluate this expression, giving your answer as an integer.

-One.

-One is right.

And now a question from Virginia's senior Senator Mark Warner.

-One of the oldest universities in the world was founded in 859, in the town of Fes in what northern African country whose largest city is Casablanca?

-Morocco.

-Morocco is right.

Good job, Landon.

370 points.

[ Applause ] Okay, Sandy Spring, you're up.

Georgetown, one or two?

-Two.

-Two.

The town of Gardner, Massachusetts, was named for Colonel Thomas Gardner, who was killed in what 1775 battle named for a hill near Boston?

-Bunker Hill?

-Yeah.

The biblical Joseph was able to foresee Egypt's future by interpreting for the Pharaoh what subconscious mental phenomena associated with sleep?

-Dreams.

-Dreams.

-Dreams.

Yeah.

Chopin's piano piece, "Opus 25, No.

9," is named for what sort of Lepidopterous insects, such as the Monarch and the painted lady?

-Butterfly.

-Butterfly.

-Yes.

Here's your science question.

Destructive Distillation, Fractional Distillation, Clarification.

Which of these terms refers to the process of making wood into charcoal?

-Destructive.

-Destructive distillation.

-You are right.

The letters A, E, I, O, U were a part of the coat of arms of Archduke Frederick, who was elected ruler of what medieval empire with a religious-sounding name?

-The Holy Roman Empire.

-Correct again.

Though his stories take place in Afghanistan, author Khaled Hosseini has said he was strongly influenced by the novel "White Fang" by what American writer?

-London.

-Jack London.

Yes.

Here's your math question.

Assuming X is not equal to -5, Simplify this expression.

-X minus 6.

-X minus 6.

-Yes.

And now your guest questioner, Maryland Governor Wes Moore.

-After failing in an assassination attempt earlier that day, Gavrilo Princip was just leaving a deli when he saw and shot Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in what city in the Balkans?

-Sarajevo.

-Sarajevo.

-Sarajevo is right.

And with that, you've got a 25-point bonus.

Way to go, Sandy Spring Friends.

435 points.

And that leaves packet number one for Georgetown Day.

Guys.

North Carolina is one of the few places in America with deposits of what precious red gemstone that describes the slippers worn by Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz"?

-Ruby.

-Yeah.

In Morse code, dash-dot-dot-dash stands for what letter that represents 10 in Roman numerals?

-X.

-X. Yeah, X.

-X it is.

If a citizen of Saudi Arabia decided to travel across his country, he would go from the Red Sea to what gulf that named a 1991 war?

-Persian Gulf.

-Yeah, you've got it.

Here's your science question.

Cud, Bile, Chyme.

Which of these terms refers to food particles thoroughly mixed with stomach secretions that pass through the pyloric valve?

-Bile?

No, chyme.

Yeah, chyme.

-Yes.

-For centuries, the President of France and the Spanish Bishop of Urgell have been the co-princes of what small country located in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain?

-Andorra.

-Yeah, you've got it.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow blew poetry lovers away with his poem about what Native American title character who was the son of the West Wind and the husband of Minnehaha?

-Hiawatha.

-Yeah.

Here's your math question.

If X equals -2, what is the value of Y?

-Negative 4.

-Negative 4.

-Negative 4 is right.

And now your guest questioner, "PBS NewsHour" co-anchor Amna Nawaz.

-In gratitude for his food relief work during World War I, Belgium presented a symbolic sack of flour to what man who was later elected U.S. president in 1928?

-Hoover.

Herbert Hoover.

-Herbert Hoover is right.

We've got another 25-point bonus for Georgetown Day.

465 points.

You know what's next.

It's the grab bag.

See you in a minute.

-Hello, I'm David Rubenstein.

Did you know that squirrels will chew discarded skins of rattlesnakes?

Squirrels then lick their fur to create a scent that many predators will avoid.

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

-Now, a question for our audience.

If you said Rover or Scout, you're wrong.

It seems George had a romantic streak.

He had many dogs.

Among them, True Love and Sweet Lips.

Whoa!

Now, back to the game.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is grab bag time.

Questions in this match are worth 20 points, up or down.

Here we go.

On June 14th, 1777, the Continental Congress authorized what national symbol that is -- Sandy Spring.

-The flag.

-The flag is right.

"The Weary Blues" is a collection of -- Landon.

-Odd.

Odd.

-Pardon me?

No!

Langston Hughes.

In 480 BC, the Persians lost over 200 -- Landon.

-Marathon.

-No, Salamis.

I'm sorry.

On your monitors.

Born in New Zealand, this is what Nobel Prize winning scientist?

Sandy Spring.

-Rutherford.

-Rutherford's it.

By what two-word name do we refer to the process that allows the government to take private property -- Landon.

Answer, three, two, one.

-Habeas corpus.

-No, eminent domain.

What is the square root of X if the cube root is 1/4?

Landon.

Answer in three, two, one.

-1/16.

-No, 1/8.

What 17th-century Dutch director general, known for his wooden leg -- Georgetown Day.

-Peter Stuyvesant.

-Yeah, you've got it.

On your monitors.

This was the comment of what Frenchman who later became Supreme Commander of Allied Forces -- Landon.

-De Gaulle.

-No, Ferdinand Foch.

During the Third Crusade, England's Richard the Lionheart had met his match in what Muslim -- Sandy Spring.

-Saladin.

-Yeah.

Many literary bookworms have enjoyed the novel "Maggot" by what author of "The French Lieutenant's Woman" and "The Collector"?

And the answer is John Fowles.

The average dollar bill lasts how many months, equal to one and three-quarters years?

Georgetown.

-21.

-21 is right.

On your monitors.

Ostriches are a huge attraction for visitors to what S-initialed national park?

Sandy Spring.

-Serengeti.

[ Buzzer ] -Serengeti is right.

You got it in before the buzzer, and that is the end of the game.

We'll be right back with the scores.

♪♪ -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, my name is Chloe Lee.

I'm a 15-year-old sophomore at the National Cathedral School, and I am a co-chief intern at a foundation where I work with other student musicians, and once a month, we organize a one-hour-long recital to perform at our local senior center.

I love being a part of this organization because it really makes me happy to be able to share my love and passion for music and to see the joy it brings others every month.

-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.

-The scores are now official, and we begin with Landon School from Bethesda, Maryland.

Ryan, Thomas, and Zack, 270 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] From Georgetown Day in Washington, D.C., Henry, Ben, and Haughton, 505 points.

And that was a really close game between you and Sandy Spring Friends, which is coming back for the championship match.

Diego, Greta, and Justin, 515 points.

Way to go, guys.

Hey, don't go away because we will be right back.

-Support for "It's Academic" has been provided by the following... MITRE, a not-for-profit research and development company working in the public interest.

-What happens when the right people connect?

Diversity challenges convention, mentors inspire greatness, and passions drive innovation.

From health to transportation and national security, cyber and AI to space and back, MITRE connects the power of government, academia, and industry to meet our nation's challenges together.

MITRE connects.

-Alright, everybody, let me say these are all phenomenal teams, really talented, smart students.

And we're going to have that championship match in just a little while.

So, stick around for Rockville Lake and Sandy Spring Friends.

I'm Hillary Howard.

See you then.

Bye!

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ Come here!

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪♪♪ ♪♪