-Students from... ...meet today on "It's Academic."

♪♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] -Hello, everybody.

I'm Hillary Howard, host of "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.

-All right, we are so happy that you're with us today for this Fast Start round where questions are worth 10 points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer, and the contestants do not see what you do on the screens at home.

Here we go.

Glasses on.

Forty, Forty.

40 is the number that comes up frequently in history and literature.

Please identify the following, all associated in some way with the number 40.

Yes.

Montgomery Blair.

-Ali Baba.

-Yeah.

Freed US slaves hoped for 40 of these land units -- Blair.

-Acres.

-Acres.

-Acres is right.

40 is the square root of this four digit -- Meridian.

Answer?

In three, two, one.

1,600!

Yes.

Blair?

-Zirconium.

-Zirconium.

-Yeah.

-Blair.

-Ford.

-Ford is right.

Yes.

Meridian.

-2,400.

-Yeah.

You got that one.

Yes.

Blair.

-Fight, fight.

-Fight.

-Fight's right.

-Yes, Blair.

-Tennis.

-Tennis is right.

And that is the end of our Fast Start.

Let's recap the scores, everybody.

Montgomery Blair, 160.

Wheaton, 100.

And Meridian, 100 points.

Well done, everybody.

[ Cheers and applause ] Lots of cheering.

Okay, this is the Mix & Match round.

And in this round, questions are going to be worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

But before we dive in, we're going to meet the teams.

And we begin with Montgomery Blair from Silver Spring.

Hey, Justin, what's going on?

Tell us about yourself.

-Hello.

I'm a 10th grade magnet student at Montgomery Blair High School, and I'd like to thank the rest of Quizbowl Club for all their support as we've practiced for today.

-Wonderful.

Hi-ya, Sophia.

-Hi.

I'm a 15-year-old sophomore in the Blair CAP program, and I'd like to thank our coaches and sponsors, Mr. Hammond, Mr. Schafer, Miss Parchan, and Mr. Rada for their support.

-Wonderful.

-And, Uriel, you reminded me when we met again today that we've met before.

You want to tell people where?

-Yeah, it was -- well, I'm Uriel Frumkin.

I'm a 17-year-old senior, and I met Hillary before at G.O.B.

five years ago.

And I would like to thank Miss Johnson, our principal.

And also, I'd like to thank you, Hillary, for being here today.

-Thank you very much.

I deeply appreciate that.

And in response to that, I've got some questions for you.

So here's the first one.

Eric entered college.

Hidden in this sentence is the name of what crop grown in paddies throughout Asia.

-Rice.

-Rice.

-Yeah.

Halt a jam.

Instead of halting, rearrange these letters to name what building erected in the Indian city of Agra by Shah Jahan as a tomb for his wife?

-Taj Mahal.

-Yes, the beautiful Taj Mahal.

No.

Please fix it by changing one word.

-"Luggage to Paradise."

-Yeah.

-Eugenics.

Hydraulics.

Statics.

Which of these fields of science is best described as the study of the equilibrium of material bodies?

-Statics.

-Statics.

-Statics.

-Statics it is.

You can complete this description of the Sydney Opera House by adding what massive triangular structures built by the ancient Egyptian pharaohs.

-Pyramids.

-That is right.

Nicely done, Montgomery Blair.

260 points.

And now we get to meet team two, Wheaton High School from Wheaton, Maryland.

Hey-ya, Solomon.

Tell us about yourself.

-I'm Solomon, I'm a sophomore, and I would like to thank family and friends.

-Wonderful.

Hello, Asher.

-Hi.

I'm Asher.

I'm a sophomore in the Wheaton BioMed program, and I would like to thank Mr. O'Neil for teaching us AP physics and for supporting our group.

And I would like to thank you for allowing us to be on the show.

-Thank you very much.

I like that.

You all are making me feel very good today.

Hi, Cooper.

-Hi.

I'm a 15-year-old sophomore in the engineering magnet at Wheaton.

I would like to thank Pari and Victoria, who unfortunately couldn't make it.

But they have been great role models for us.

And I'd also like to thank Ben, who was on the team and is standing by and supporting us today.

-Awesome.

All right guys, here we go.

NASCAR Verses.

Poetry is nice, but see if you can find here the last name of what African American scientist who did agricultural research at Tuskegee Institute.

-Carver.

-Yeah.

I am hall vice.

No matter what you are, see if you can rearrange these letters to name the Italian political thinker who wrote "The Prince."

-Oh, Machiavelli.

-Correct.

[ Laughs ] No, he didn't.

Please fix it by changing one word.

[ Indistinct whispering ] Dink, dink, dink, dink.

The answer is roof.

"Cat On a Hot Tin Roof."

-Oh, yeah.

-Yeah.

Vinegar.

Table salt.

Ammonia.

Of these three common household items, which one contains nitrogen?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Answer.

-Ammonia.

-Yes.

"It's hard to feel morally blank to someone who gets up earlier than you do."

to complete this quotation, add what word that names the largest -- -Superior.

-Yeah, Superior.

That is right.

Nicely done, Wheaton High School, 180 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] And now, last but certainly not least, Meridian High School from Falls Church.

Hi, guys.

-Hi.

-Hey.

Simone, what should we know about you?

-I'm a senior at Meridian.

I just moved to Falls Church, and I'd like to thank our coach, Mr. Pepper over here for training us up for the last few weeks.

-Wonderful.

That's great.

Hello, Riley.

-Hi!

My name is Riley.

I'm a 17 year old senior at Meridian.

And I'd like to thank all the admin at our school for allowing us to be here today.

-Yeah, we're really happy you're here.

And, Avery, tell us about yourself.

-Hi.

I'm Avery.

I'm also a senior.

And I'd like to thank the rest of our team and just everyone else who has supported us.

-Wonderful.

Here's your first question A gala moment.

You can have a gala moment if you find the hidden name of what San Antonio mission, the site of a historic battle in 1836.

-Alamo?

-Yep, it's the Alamo.

Tie point.

You can get ahead on points if you rearrange these letters to name what First Amendment right listed, along with speech, press, religion, and assembly.

-Press.

Press.

-Petition is what we're looking for.

-Oh, right.

Alexandre Dumas wrote "The Three Pigs."

No, he didn't.

Please change one word and make the sentence correct.

-Musketeers becomes -- Pigs becomes musketeers.

-Yeah.

That's it.

Much better.

Thank you.

Fluorine.

Toluene.

Bromine.

Which of these is not a halogen element?

-Fluorine is not.

-The answer is?

-Answer.

-Toluene.

-Toluene, yes.

You may have said that and I misheard.

Thank you so much.

"A sense of humor means looking at things from an offbeat..." To complete this quote, place in the space what geometric term for a two line figure that can be obtuse, acute, or right.

-Angle?

-Angle.

Angle it is.

Meridian High School, 180 points.

Nice job, everybody.

[ Cheers and applause ] Don't go anyplace because coming up next, we have the Picture Perfect round.

Stay where you are.

[ Cheers and applause ] -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... -Now, a question for you, our audience.

The answer is Thomas Hardy.

Unfortunately, his sister Mary left his heart on the kitchen table.

Then the cat grabbed it and ran out the door.

Let's get back to our teams.

♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] That's a lot of love in that room.

All right, it's time for the Picture Perfect round.

Guys, in this round, questions are worth 20 points up or down.

All of the clues are on your screens.

Here we go.

Photographed from space, this is what country, whose capital is Nassau?

-Yes, Blair.

-Bahamas?

-Yes.

The sarus is the tallest of what type of bird?

Whose swooping variety is on the endangered -- Blair?

-Crane.

-Crane is it.

This is the Santa Catalina Convent, built over 400 years ago in what South American country, once the center of the Inca Empire?

Blair.

-Peru.

-Peru?

-Yes.

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

-Yeah.

Blair.

-2 -2 it is.

This is Frederic Remington's painting of pioneers on their way through what M-initialed desert of the American Southwest.

Blair.

-Mojave.

-Mojave.

-Yeah.

"It's nice to be right sometimes."

These were the words of what modern physicist whose name was given to a subatomic particle or boson?

Yes, Blair.

-Higgs.

-Yeah.

A red star was removed from this flag after the fall of -- Wheaton?

Answer.

-Romania?

-Yeah.

Romania.

Very nice.

And that is it for the Picture Perfect round.

-We got one.

-Let's recap the scores.

Montgomery Blair, 380.

Wheaton, 200.

Meridian, 180.

Let's hear it for those guys, huh?

Yeah.

So now we have a chance to meet the coaches.

[ Cheers and applause ] -There's that love.

Now we're going to meet the coaches who prepare the teams for competition.

We begin with Montgomery Blair.

Sophia, who came with you today?

-Our coach Mr. Rada is joining us today.

-All right.

Great to have you here, Mr. Rada.

Wheaton, who's with you, Asher?

-Mr. O'Neil.

-All right.

Anything special about Mr. O'Neil?

-He teaches AP physics 1 at our school and also heads the April Fool's tournament, which is kind of like "It's Ac" and the "It's Ac" Club after school.

-Great.

So you have to get physics and jokes, right?

Meridian.

Riley, who's with you?

Mr. Pepper and his luxurious hair is with us today.

-His luxurious hair?

Would you like to describe his luxurious hair?

-Just really flowy.

And you can tell he puts a lot of effort into it.

-Yeah, people can check that out.

It's nice.

All right.

We are going to dive into this Packet round.

You know how that works, right?

We have these three lovely packets.

I'll display them for you, one, two, and three.

Blair, you get to go first, and, Wheaton, you get to choose which of these packets it will be.

-Two.

-Two.

-Packet number two it is.

By the way, as you probably know, if you get all of these questions right, there's a 25 point bonus, which is lovely.

Here we go.

In 2011, after a series of flybys, a spacecraft named Messenger entered into orbit around what small planet closest to the sun?

-Mercury.

-Mercury.

-Mercury.

-Yeah.

One of the founders of Amherst College was what American, better known for compiling the first major American dictionary.

-Webster.

-Webster is right.

Here's your science question.

Ginseng ring.

Greenhouse effect.

Globular occurrence.

Which of these phrases identifies the phenomenon in which infrared radiation is trapped by the Earth's atmosphere and reflected back toward Earth's surface?

-Greenhouse effect.

-That is right.

When the first transatlantic cable was laid in 1858, President Buchanan exchanged cordial greetings with what British Queen?

-Victoria.

-Queen Victoria.

Yeah.

Hopefully your teenage years are proceeding more smoothly than those of Holden Caulfield, the main character in what novel by J.D.

Salinger?

-"Catcher in the Rye."

-"Catcher in the Rye" is right.

Here's your math question.

What is the value of this expression?

Giving your answer as a fraction and taking all roots to be positive.

-1/6 -1/6.

Yes.

Nothing he could do enabled what 13th president to win again in 1856 as the candidate of the Know Nothing party?

-Millard Fillmore.

-Millard Fillmore.

And with that answer, Montgomery Blair gets a 25 point bonus!

[ Cheers and applause ] Well done.

And a score of 545 points.

Wheaton High school high, hi.

You get to answer one of these.

Meridian, what's it going to be?

-One.

-One.

Packet number one.

I always feel like it's one of the old game shows.

"Behind door number one, we have these questions for you."

Okay.

Because of his naval victory at Egypt's Abu Qir Bay, Horatio Nelson was hailed as the hero of what very long African river?

-The Nile -Yep, the Nile is right.

As a citizen of Maine advocating for statehood, you would have urged Congress to vote for the 1820 compromise named for what other state?

-Missouri.

-Missouri is correct.

Here's your science question.

Endocrine.

Endorphin.

Endotoxin.

Which of these terms refers to a gland such as the pituitary or adrenal, that secretes hormones into the bloodstream?

-Endocrine.

-Endocrine is right.

Though she is known as a leader in the fight for women's suffrage, Susan B. Anthony also worked hard to generate support for what amendment that outlawed slavery?

-13th.

-13th.

-13th is right.

Here's your math question.

Evaluate this expression, giving your answer as an integer.

-5.

-5.

-Yeah.

-After leaving the presidency, what 27th chief executive taught at Yale Law School before being appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?

-27.

-Grover Cleveland?

-No, it's William Howard Taft.

And here's one more question for you.

In 1789, a mutiny took place on what English ship, where the crew overthrew Captain Bligh?

Answer in three, two, one.

The HMS Bounty.

Nice job, Wheaton High School.

A score of 300 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] All right, packet number three.

-All right.

-For Meridian.

Matthew Webb could have used webbed feet when he became the first man to swim what body of water between Great Britain and France?

-English Channel.

-English channel?

-Yes, it is.

For 10 years, African-American mathematician Benjamin Banneker published what type of book similar to one called "Poor Richard" by Ben Franklin.

-Almanac.

-Almanac.

-Almanac it is.

Here is your science question.

Cecropia moth.

Honeybee.

Housefly.

All three of these insects can fly, but which one can also live through the winter in its cocoon stage?

-Cecropia moth?

-Correct.

Though the White House has always been dealt with hot issues, it was really burned only once by the British during what 19th century war?

-The War of 1812.

-War of 1812.

-And your laughter made our writers very happy, by the way.

$81,000 was the magic number as the price of a first edition of what first Harry Potter book?

-"The Philosopher's Stone."

-"The Philosopher's Stone."

-You are right.

Here's your math question.

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

-6.

-Yeah.

The phrase "Turn the rascals out" made a catchy headline, but it failed to help Horace Greeley beat what Civil War hero in the 1872 election?

-Oh, Ulysses Grant, right?

-Grant.

-Yeah.

Ulysses Grant.

Very well done.

Meridian High School, 320 points.

Wonderful round.

Stay with us, because we have the Grab Bag next.

[ Cheers and applause ] -Hello.

I'm David Rubenstein.

Did you know that Edwin Booth, whose brother, John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln, had earlier saved the life of Abraham Lincoln's son Robert when Robert accidentally fell on to train tracks in 1864?

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

-Now a question for you, our audience.

Human babies suck their thumbs, and baby elephants like to suck their trunks.

But they're all cute.

Back to the game.

[ Cheers and applause ] -You know, it's time for the Grab Bag round.

And anything can happen because it's fast, it's furious.

We have a lot of questions, but first, let's recap the scores.

Montgomery Blair, 545, Wheaton, 300.

And shame on me.

I neglected to say that Meridian won a 25 point bonus in that Packet round, and has a score of 345 points.

Awesome.

[ Cheers and applause ] And now the questions for the Grab Bag.

They're worth 20 points up or down.

There are some visual questions too.

Here we go.

Although remembered primarily as a president and former general, President Eisenhower also headed what Ivy League University in -- Blair?

-Columbia.

-Yep, it's Columbia.

By a curious coincidence, both Disneyland in California and Disney World in Florida are located in counties named for what citrus -- Blair.

-Orange.

-Orange?

-Orange it is.

If you went berry picking on Strawberry Mountain, you'd be in what West Coast state Whose highest peak is Mount Hood?

Yes, Blair.

-Oregon.

-Oregon is right.

On your screens...

The corpse flower, the world's biggest and stinkiest comes from what S-initialed island, Indonesia's largest?

-Yes, Meridian?

-Sumatra.

-Yeah.

Choice.

When an active metal reacts with water, hydrogen is liberated and which of these is formed?

A salt, an acid, or a base?

-Yeah, Meridian?

-Acid?

-No, it's a base.

Since he himself once owned a saloon, it's doubtful Abraham Lincoln would have supported what number Constitutional amendment that mandated prohibition?

Yeah, Wheaton?

-18th.

-Yeah, you've got it.

You'd go to what European country to plead a case at The Hague before the International -- Meridian?

-Netherlands.

-Yeah.

On your screens.

"A good newspaper is a nation talking to itself."

The man who said this was not a newspaper reporter, but what playwright who wrote "Death of a Salesman"?

Yes, Meridian.

-Arthur Miller.

-Correct.

How many sides does a regular polygon have if the measure of one exterior angle is 36 degrees?

Yeah, Meridian.

-It has -- -Answer.

-Five.

-No, 10.

Sports arenas in both Los Angeles and Montreal have what name that also identified the area in ancient Rome where business and politics were -- Blair.

-Forum.

-Forum is right.

By studying fossilized bulbs, archeologists learn that gardeners in ancient Crete cultivated what flower named for the Greek goddess of the rainbow?

Wheaton -Iris.

-Iris it is.

In 1983, there were fireworks to mark the centennial of what bridge that spans the East River in New York?

Yeah, Blair.

-Brooklyn.

-Yes.

Choice.

Which of the following devices is capable of converting heat energy into electrical energy?

-Electric -- -[ Buzzer ] And that's the buzzer and the end of the game.

Nice job, everybody.

The judges are busy tabulating scores, and we will have the official 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 many important ways.

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

-Hello.

I'm Avery -And I'm Riley, -And we go to Meridian High School.

-And one of our favorite ways to get involved in our community is through the Mustang Mystery Club.

We do all sorts of things, from field trips to case discussions.

But our favorite thing to do is an annual murder mystery night put on by our own actors from our own school, which the community can come in and purchase tickets for the night.

At the end of the night, all the proceeds go towards the Innocence Project.

-Last year, we were able to contribute $2,700 to the Innocence Project, and this year we hope to donate even more.

-Mm-hmm, it feels really good to be able to help people get their lives back on track after they've been wrongfully accused.

-And it's really great to be able to contribute to such a charity and feel like you're really making a difference.

-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.

-Okay, it's time for an audience question.

For 20 points, what does this word mean?

Well, it means "a fear of long words."

Another 20 points if you can pronounce it.

I clearly did not.

Back to the teams.

[ Cheers and applause ] And the scores are now official.

We begin with Wheaton High School from Wheaton, Maryland.

Solomon, Asher Cooper, 340 points.

Thanks for playing, guys.

[ Cheers and applause ] From Falls Churches, Meridian High School, Simone, Riley, Avery winning a 25 point bonus, everybody.

365 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] And the team that totally blew it out of the water, Montgomery Blair from Silver Spring.

Justin, Sophia, Uriel, 645 points, including the 25 point bonus.

It was a really exciting game.

Don't go away because we have a couple of things to say in just a minute.

♪♪ -Hello.

I'm David Rubenstein.

Did you know NASA is planning to send a submarine to explore the liquid methane seas on Titan, Saturn's largest moon?

Launch date is scheduled for some time after 2030.

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

-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 studio audience and our incredible students who competed today right here on "It's Academic."

We look forward to seeing you next time.

Bye, everybody.

Hey, let's get some selfies.

Come on up, coaches.

[ Applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪