-Students from Loudoun County... Sidwell Friends... Wootton meet today on "It's Academic."

♪♪ ♪♪ Hello, everybody.

I'm Hillary Howard.

Welcome to the 63rd season of "It's Academic," 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, it's so glad to have you with us as we begin this Fast Start round where questions are worth 10 points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

The contestants don't see what you do on the screens at home.

Let's do this.

All questions in this round will be about bats so see if you can identify the following.

Wootton.

-Vampire?

-Yeah.

Wootton.

-Thailand.

-Yeah.

The answer is Johann Strauss.

Sidwell.

-Lewis Carroll.

-Yes.

Bats use this E-initialed means of -- Wootton.

-Echolocation.

-Correct.

Yes, Wootton.

-Indiana.

-Indiana it is.

Yes, Wootton.

-"Macbeth."

-Yeah.

He is the millionaire who turned into -- Sidwell.

-Batman.

Bruce Wayne.

-Bruce Wayne.

Just in time.

You saved yourself.

Good job.

That's it for the Fast Start.

So quickly over.

Let's recap those scores.

Loudoun County 100 points, Sidwell Friends 120 points, and we have 150 points for Wootton.

Now it's time for the Mix and Match round.

But before we ask questions, let's get to know these students.

We begin with Loudoun County High School from Leesburg, Virginia.

Hey, Pierson, what's going on?

-Hi, I'm Pierson Lee.

I'm a 16-year-old junior at Loudoun County High School, and I would like to thank our assistant coach, Mr. Henderson.

-Wonderful.

Hello, Gracelyn.

-Hello.

I'm Gracelyn Daniel.

I'm a senior.

I'm 17 years old, and I would like to thank our principal, Dr. Luttrell, and our wonderful coach, Miss Hefty.

-Wonderful.

And Robert.

-Hello.

I'm Robert Suttie.

I'm a 17-year-old senior, and I'd like to thank our wonderful alternate Megan.

-Great.

So, I've got some questions for you guys.

You ready?

Alright, here we go.

"Install a mantle."

See if you can find hidden in this phrase what animal used as a beast of burden in South America.

-Alpaca, right?

-Mm-hmm.

-Alpaca?

-No, it's a llama.

-Oh!

-Which of these phrases is an example of a redundancy?

You have an answer?

-The second one?

-No, the first one, "a tall skyscraper."

Sorry about that.

Next question.

Truman blank.

Monroe blank.

What same word fits in these blanks to name President Truman's policy toward Greece and Turkey and President Monroe's statement on Latin America?

-Doctrine.

-Yeah, doctrine.

-Doctrine it is.

If you want to know whether a substance is an acid or a base, you would check which of these numbers?

-The pH number.

-pH.

-pH it is.

Though the title isn't exactly catchy, it does have the distinction of heading a scientific paper presented by what first man to walk the moon?

-Neil Armstrong?

-Neil Armstrong it is.

Nicely done, Loudoun County High School with a score of 160 points.

[ Applause ] Good job.

Now we get to move on to Sidwell Friends for this Mix and Match round.

Hello, guys.

How are you?

-Good.

How are you?

-Good, thank you.

-Good.

Well, here are our questions after I ask you about yourselves.

Louie, what are you up to these days?

-I'm Louie.

I'm a 14-year-old freshman, and I run cross country.

-Wonderful.

Hello, Laia.

-Hi.

I'm Laia Sarukhan.

I'm 17 and a senior, and I'm very into photography.

-Wonderful.

What do you like to take pictures of most?

-People.

-Oh, profiles.

Nice, portraits.

Great.

Hi, Daniel.

-Hi.

I'm Daniel Schwartz.

I'm a 17-year-old junior and I play football.

-Wonderful.

Here we go, guys.

"A strange minimum."

Study this strange phrase and you'll find hidden within it what sign of the zodiac symbolized by the twins Castor and Pollux?

-Gemini.

-Yeah.

The word "celestial" can best be used as a synonym for which of these words?

-Heavenly.

-Heavenly is right.

Blank corporal.

Blank giant.

To complete nicknames given to Napoleon and 19th century American Senator Stephen Douglas, fill in the blanks with what same word?

-Little.

-Little it is.

Now hear this.

Which of these makes up the firm underlying tissue of the human ear?

-Cartilage?

-Yep.

This was the misguided assumption of what British king who managed to lose the 13 American colonies?

-George III.

-Correct.

Well done, Sidwell Friends with a score of 220 points.

[ Applause ] And now on to Wootton.

Hi, Wootton.

What's going on?

This little show that you're involved in.

Jake, can you tell us about yourself?

-I'm Jake Dorfman.

I'm a 16-year-old junior at Wootton, and I'd like to thank Miss Foeckler, our club sponsor and coach.

And I guess a few hobbies -- I like playing video games.

-Ah.

What's your favorite?

-Probably Mario Kart.

-Are you good?

-Maybe.

-[ Laughs ] Maybe.

Alright.

Hello, Adam.

-Hello.

I'm Adam.

I'm a junior, 17 years old.

I'd like to thank our alternate Rayan for coming all the way here.

And a personal hobby I have is playing the bass trombone.

-Oh, very nice.

I like that.

Hi, Anika.

-Hi.

I'm Anika.

I'm 15 and a sophomore, and I'd like to thank our parents, and I'd like to thank you, Hillary.

-[ Gasps ] Thank you so much.

I appreciate that.

Here we go.

"Universal empire" -- hidden in this phrase you can find the name of what Massachusetts town famous for its witchcraft trials?

-Salem.

-Correct.

A person who is very healthy and vigorous can best be described by which of these words?

-Robust?

-Robust, yeah.

-Robust.

-Yes.

Blank and Dixon, blank and Slidell.

Fill in the blanks here with what same name to identify the surveyors who established a famous boundary line and the Confederate envoys involved in the Trent Affair?

-Mason?

-Mason.

-Mason.

-Mason it is.

Which of these terms identifies the subphylum that includes mammals and refers to animals with spinal columns?

-Vertebrata?

-Yeah.

-Vertebrata?

-Yes.

This was the observation of what man who served as England's prime minister during most of World War II?

-Churchill.

-Churchill it is.

Well done, Wootton, 250 points.

And that is the end of the Mix and Match round.

Stay with us.

The Picture Perfect round is coming at you 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.

-Now here's a question for you, our viewing audience...

The answer is we both like fast food.

In fact, the star-nosed mole can locate prey and then eat it in less than a quarter of a second.

And like a lot of us, they store fat in their tails.

Now back to the game.

♪♪ How about we check out some pictures in this Picture Perfect round where questions are worth 20 points up or down.

Your clues are on your screens.

Here we go.

This is what majestic North American mountain, the highest on the continent?

Sidwell.

-Denali.

-Yeah.

This music by French composer Jacques Offenbach is known by the name of what Native American tribe?

-Wootton.

-Cancan?

-Apache.

The Orion Nebula was named for the mythical Orion, who was known for what work that involves tracking animals?

Yes, Wootton.

-Hunting?

-Correct.

Simplify this expression giving your answer -- Sidwell.

-Four.

-Four it is, nicely done.

Painted here in full judicial regalia, this is what First Chief Justice of the United -- Wootton.

-John Jay.

-John Jay is right.

"The second wonder in nature."

Renaissance author Edward Topsell wrote this about what large African animal whose name comes from a Greek -- Wootton.

[ Indistinct whispering ] Answer?

In three.

-Hippo?

-No, close.

Rhinoceros.

Everything has to start somewhere.

And this is the beginning of what main tributary of the Mississippi River?

Yes, Loudoun.

-Ohio?

-Missouri.

It's the Missouri River.

And that is it for the Picture Perfect round.

Let's recap the scores.

Loudoun County 140, Sidwell 260, Wootton 250.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, we get to meet the coaches who help prepare these kids for "It's Academic."

We begin -- sorry for the frog in my throat.

[ Chuckles ] Happens.

We begin with Loudoun County.

Gracelyn, tell us about your coach.

-Our coach is Miss Hefty.

She is a calculus teacher and she is all kinds of awesome.

-[ Laughs ] Wonderful.

Great to have you.

Over to Sidwell Friends.

Laia, who's with you?

-Our coach is Miss Jordan and she's a history teacher and we love her.

-Aw, that's lovely.

And Wootton.

Hi, Adam.

-Our coach is Mrs. Foeckler.

She's a Spanish and French teacher, and she's amazing.

-[ Laughs ] Amazing, wonderful.

You guys getting the love.

Okay, now we begin the Packet round.

You know how this works, right?

We have these three green packets.

Loudoun County, you will answer questions for one of them first.

Sidwell, you get to choose which packet it's going to be.

-2?

-2?

-2.

-2.

Alright.

See, that should be the easiest question of the day.

It's like, "I don't know, 2?"

Okay, here we go.

If you get all of the questions right, there's a 25-point bonus, which is always very, very nice.

First question, Loudoun County.

In 1885, New York established a state park adjoining what large waterfall on the border between the U.S. and Canada?

-Niagara Falls.

-Niagara Falls is right.

There are several Asian mountain ranges higher than what 4,300-mile-long mountain chain that stretches the length of South America?

-Andes?

-Andes.

-Andes.

-Andes is right.

Here's your science question...

Which of these is a membrane-bound cavity inside a cell used for excretion of fluids?

-The vacuole, vacuole.

-It is contractile vacuole.

Correct.

Next question.

Monks usually lived secluded lives, but what Russian monk led a very public life at the court of the last czar over whom he had great influence?

-Rasputin.

-Rasputin it is.

It was back in 1949 that what author published his grim, futuristic novel titled "1984"?

-George Orwell.

-George Orwell.

Yeah.

Here is your math question.

Evaluate this expression, giving your answer as a positive integer.

-714.

-Yes, 714.

In 1911, Booth Conway became the first movie actor to portray what Lord Protector who ruled England following the execution of King Charles I in 1649?

-Cromwell.

-Cromwell.

-Cromwell it is.

Nicely done, Loudoun County High School, 280 points and a 25-point bonus!

Whoo!

Confetti, bells, whistles.

Nicely done.

[ Applause ] Alright, Sidwell, your chance to play.

Which means, Wootton, packet 1 or 3?

-I think has to be 1.

-Yeah.

We'll send them 1.

-Alright, 1.

The so-called diamond ring effect appears during an eclipse of what heavenly body approximately 93 million miles from Earth?

-Sun.

-Sun it is.

"Snug as a bug in a rug" might have been one way to describe what Egyptian queen who allegedly arranged to have herself unrolled from a carpet at the feet of Julius Caesar?

-Cleopatra.

-Yes.

Here's your science question...

Which of these terms refers to a cloud of gas and dust in space?

-Nebula.

-Nebula is right.

"They learned nothing and forgotten nothing," said one historian about what royal French dynasty with an alcoholic name?

-Bourbon.

-Bourbon is right.

Wars tend to be noisy, but it's all quiet on what front in the title of a World War I novel by Erich Maria Remarque?

-"All Quiet on the Western Front."

-Yeah, that's right.

Here's your math question.

Which of these numbers is evenly divisible by 9?

-That's 99... -990.

Er, 9990.

-9990 is right.

One of the portraits in the National Portrait Gallery is of what explorer who, with Matthew Henson, was the first to reach the North Pole?

Answer in 3, 2, 1.

Robert E. Peary.

Nicely done, Sidwell Friends, 380 points.

Good job.

[ Applause ] And now, Wootton, you've got packet number 3.

Let's see what's inside.

Questions.

Ancient Greeks seeking favors from the goddess Hecate made offerings of what sweet substance beloved by Winnie the Pooh?

-Honey?

-Yeah.

From 1800 to 1809, the state of Illinois was under the jurisdiction of what 1787 ordinance with a directional name?

-Northwest.

-Northwest it is.

Here's your science question...

Which of these terms refers to a pore in the epidermis of a plant?

-Stoma.

Yeah.

-Stoma?

-Stoma.

-Stoma it is.

"Mighty lord" is a translation of the name of what Viking with a fiery colored beard who discovered and colonized Greenland?

-Erik the Red.

-Answer?

-Yeah, Erik the Red.

It is Erik the Red.

Yeah.

You got there.

A number of small hills on Saturn's moon Titan are named for the small hobbits created by what author of "The Lord of the Rings"?

-Tolkien.

-That's it.

Here's your math question.

Evaluate this expression, giving your answer as a positive integer.

-10.

-10.

-Yeah, you got it.

In 1829, Spain tried recapturing a rebellious Mexico but was defeated by what Mexican general later victorious at the Alamo?

-Santa Ana.

-That's it.

My gosh, Wootton, you got a 25-point bonus.

Well done with a score of 415 points.

Hey, listen, don't go anywhere because the all-important Grab Bag round is coming at you next.

-Hello.

I'm David Rubenstein.

Did you know that astronaut Alan Shepard played golf on the moon in 1971?

The ball that he used can be seen at the Golf Museum in Liberty Corner, New Jersey.

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

[ Applause ] -It is time for the Grab Bag round.

And in this round, really anything can happen.

It's really fast-paced.

I think you guys are going to have a lot of fun.

Questions are worth 20 points up and down in this round, so let's get at it, huh?

First question.

Not only are there no more dodo birds on Mauritius, but the island also lacks what sort of places explored by spelunkers?

Wootton.

-Caves.

-Caves it is.

The one-word title of what Michael Crichton novel names two African countries and Africa's second longest river?

Yes, Loudoun.

-Congo?

Congo.

-Congo.

Yes.

Nicely done.

To help local apple growers, apple pie was served nightly for over a century at what Ivy League University in New Haven, Connecticut?

Yes, Wootton.

-Yale.

-Yale it is.

On your screens, the white stripe on this flag is said to symbolize the white cloth -- Loudoun County.

-Latvia.

-Yeah, you know your flags.

In addition to Father's Day in June, Massachusetts celebrates Forefathers Day in what other month which includes the winter solstice?

Yes, Loudoun County.

-December.

-December is right.

20 decimeters equals how many meters?

Loudoun County.

[ Indistinct whispering ] Answer.

-Two.

-Two, yes.

A big tourist attraction in Austin, Minnesota, is a museum dedicated to what meat product with the same name as -- Wootton.

-Spam.

-Spam.

Yeah.

Blech.

Sorry, makers of Spam.

On your screens...

This observation was made by Abraham Lincoln in a letter to what Secretary of War?

The answer is Edwin Stanton.

Due to its status as a self-governing territory, Puerto Rico is described with what term that officially designates four U.S. states?

Yes, Loudoun County.

-Organized unincorporated.

-Answer.

-Organized unincorporated territory.

-Commonwealth like Virginia.

You should have gotten that one.

Is ionization energy greatest in transition elements, alkali metals, or noble gases?

Yes.

-Noble gases.

-Noble gases, nicely done.

What was the one-word name given the deformed bell ringer in Victor Hugo's -- Wootton.

-Quasimodo.

-Quasimodo.

Yeah.

On your screens, this painting, "Still Life with Three Puppies," is by what French artist better known for his paintings of Tahiti?

Yes, Sidwell.

-Gauguin.

-Yes.

Nice.

How many quart bottles can be filled from three seven-gallon cans of milk?

The answer is -- Yes, Loudoun County.

-20.

-No.

84 courts.

And that is the end of the game.

Nice job, everybody.

Hey, stick around.

The judges are tabulating the scores, and we will let you know the results in just a moment.

-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.

-Hello.

I'm Justin Rosentover.

-Hi.

I'm Yasi Solomon.

-I'm Nate Bingenheimer.

-And I'm John Morsberger.

The four of us are current and former senior patrol leaders from Scout Troop 255 in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

So in order to get the highest rank in scouts, which is Eagle, a scout has to plan and carry out their own unique service project.

So every few months, a lot of people from our troop are able to participate in a new service project, and one that the four of us all participated in recently was at Chevy Chase Circle, where we cleaned and stained the benches and we dug out the dirt and weeds from the walkways, and we filled them in and we just made it look a whole lot nicer.

And I just think the four of us are all super happy to be able to serve our community like that.

-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.

We begin with Loudoun County High School from Leesburg, Virginia, Pierson, Gracelyn, Robert, 365 points and you got that 25-point bonus.

Great job, guys.

Congratulations also to Sidwell Friends from here in Washington, Louie, Laia, and Daniel, 400 points.

Way to go.

And coming back for the playoffs, Wootton High School from Rockville, Jake, Adam, Anika, 495 points.

Also scoring that bonus.

You must feel pretty good.

Yeah?

Alright.

We want to thank all of you guys for being here on our first show of the season.

Now, here's something kind of interesting.

♪♪ Hey, we've got a question for you, audience...

It was Ralph Waldo Emerson.

He got five bucks and oats for his horse.

Now back to the game.

-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.

-We want to thank you, our incredible viewers, for being here today.

And of course, all of you guys, our incredible students.

Make sure you tune in next time for "It's Academic," the world's longest running TV quiz show.

I'm Hillary Howard.

See you then.

Bye!

Coaches, come on up.

Let me get some selfies.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪