-Students from Oakton, Wootton, and Thomas Jefferson 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.

-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 ] -Well, hello.

We are so glad you've joined us today, for it promises to be a good competition here on "It's Academic."

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

Hello, teams.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Thank you very much for that.

All right, listen, in Fast Start, as you know, questions are worth ten points up or down.

And here we go.

All your answers here must contain somewhere a double N. That's N as in "nanny."

This is one of the nine divisions of a regular baseball game.

Yep, Colonials.

-An inning.

-That's right.

Every year, this company publishes a book of world records.

Yes, Jefferson.

-Guinness.

-Yeah.

This is South Africa's largest city.

Yes, Wootton Answer?

-Johannesburg.

-Yeah.

This phylum includes earthworms and leeches -- Yeah, Thomas Jefferson.

-Annelids.

-Correct.

It's in this sport that Coco Gauff and Serena Williams -- Jefferson.

-Tennis.

-Yeah.

It was in this forest that the Battle of the Bulge took place.

Jefferson.

-Ardennes.

-Correct.

This is the largest city in Minnesota.

Wootton.

-Minneapolis.

-That's right, Minneapolis is the correct answer.

This is the US coin with the lowest-- Yep, Jefferson?

-Penny.

-The penny is correct.

And that does it for our Fast Start.

Let's take a look at those scores.

[ Applause ] Oakton, 100 points.

Wootton, 120 points.

Thomas Jefferson, 160 points.

[ Applause ] Well, now that we have the Fast Start past us, let's introduce the teams.

We begin with Oakton from Vienna, Virginia.

Hey, Spencer, tell us something about yourself.

Hi.

-Am I allowed to mention an organization?

-Sure.

-Well, I'm currently the regional director for American Regional Biology competition, and it's a free competition to all high school students in North America.

-Wow.

That's fabulous.

And what are you working on?

-I'm basically, like, a competition runner and helping with, like, sponsors and getting people to, like, support us and then outreach and stuff.

-Wow.

That's fabulous.

It's really nice to have you, Spencer.

Hello, Adrian.

-Hello, I am a 17-year-old senior at Oakton High School, and I'd also like to thank our coach and assistant principal for being with us today.

-All right.

And we'll get to meet them a little later.

And then.

Karen.

Hi.

-Hi, my name is Karen.

I'm a senior at Oakton High School, and I would like to thank our family for supporting us.

-And what should we know about you, Karen?

-I like biology and like listening to music.

-Oh, okay, and what biology specialty?

Anything?

-Like general microbiology.

Yeah.

-Nice.

All right, guys.

In this round, questions are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

Here we go.

Black ore and metal.

Dig deep, and you'll find hidden in this phrase the name of what 1950s Asian war?

-Korean.

-That's it.

Hesitatingly, sweetly, harshly.

If someone speaks to you in a strident manner, he or she is talking to you in which of these ways?

-Harshly.

-Harshly, it is.

Parks to Python.

This volume of an old encyclopedia would have information about what mythical Greek Titan who gave fire to mankind?

-Prometheus.

-Prometheus is right.

Coffee, wool, machinery.

Which of the products here is a leading export of Nicaragua?

-Coffee.

-Coffee's right.

-"Ignorance is the starless, moonless night of the mind."

This proverb comes from what Asian country where many knowledgeable people live and work in cities like Yokohama and Osaka?

-Japan.

-Correct, Oakton.

Nice job.

200 points.

[ Applause ] All right, let's meet the team from Wootton, the Patriots from Rockville, Maryland.

Hiya, Jake.

Tell us something about yourself.

-I'm Jake, I'm a senior, and I like playing word games like Boggle and Scrabble.

-Oh, me, too.

I used to have, like, knock down drag outs with my grandmother.

Are you good at Scrabble?

-A little bit, maybe.

-Yeah?

You gotta know how to use those triple words and triple letters and maximize them to your benefit.

Well, we should play, Jake.

Hello, Adam.

How ya doing?

-Hi, I'm Adam, I'm a senior at Wootton.

When I first I'd like to thank the whole production team here and you, Hillary, for running the show.

-Thank you.

-And this summer, I got to learn how to march the bass drum for my marching band.

-Oh, and how's that going?

-Pretty well.

We got second in state.

-Oh.

That's fabulous.

Congratulations.

-Thank you.

-Hey, Rayan, tell us something about yourself.

-Hi, I'm Rayan, I'm a senior in high school.

And just something about me, something I've done recently is this summer, I went to my cousin's wedding in India.

And it was a good time meeting everyone again.

-Wow.

How many days did that wedding last?

-I think it was around three days.

-[ Laughs ] And where was it?

-In India, so in Delhi.

-In Delhi?

I've been to a wedding party in Delhi, but not the actual wedding.

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

Did Cain jab Abel?

Hidden in this biblical question is the name of what Biblical tower that was intended to reach the heavens?

-Babel.

-Babel.

Babel.

-Yes.

Phony, unblemished, irrelevant.

If someone had impeccable credentials, you would know that his or her credentials were which of these?

-Unblemished.

-Unblemished.

-Yes.

David to Dysprosium.

You'd check out this volume of an old encyclopedia to read about what Roman goddess of the hunt associated with the Greek Artemis?

-I think Diana.

-Yeah.

-Right?

Diana.

-Yeah, it's Diana.

Anthracite, quartz, graphite.

The writing material found in a so-called lead pencil is not lead at all, but which of these materials, a form of carbon.

-Graphite.

-Yeah.

"Eating my last words has never given me indigestion."

This was the comment of what World War II British Prime Minister, who later won the Nobel Prize for Literature?

-Churchill.

Churchill.

-It is Churchill.

Nice job, Wootton, 220 points.

[ Applause ] And on to team three -- Thomas Jefferson School of Science and Technology from Fairfax County.

Abigail, hi.

How ya doing?

-Hi.

I'm doing well.

-Good.

-Outside of "It's Academic," I like to play basketball.

-How long have you been doing that?

-A long time, like, since elementary school.

-And are you playing competitively?

-I play for my school's varsity team.

-Are you guys good?

-Um, we hope to be good.

-You hope to be.

Okay.

Very good to have you, Abigail.

Hiya, Deven.

-Hi.

-Tell us something about yourself.

-Well, outside of doing Quiz Bowl and "It's Academic," I'm also the captain of my school's baseball team.

-Oh, nice.

And how were you guys -- How did you do this year?

-Well, the season's going to be in the spring, but last year, um, it could have gone better.

But we expect to do better this year.

-All right.

Great.

I get my seasons mixed up.

You get to be a certain age, and it all sorts of, you know, it all comes together.

And finally, Arya, hello.

-Hi, I'm Arya, I'm a senior at TJ, and in my free time I like to play badminton.

-Badminton.

Wow.

Do a lot of people play badminton?

-Uh, no, not really, but all my friends do.

-All right.

Great.

Here are your questions.

I have today.

You have to act today to find hidden in this sentence what word that names the action a president takes to block legislation passed by Congress?

-Veto.

Veto.

-Veto is right.

A politician, a clown, a hermit.

Which of these persons could best be described as reclusive?

-Hermit.

-A hermit.

-A hermit.

-Hermit, it is.

Arc to Bandit.

You'd look in this volume of an old encyclopedia to learn about what mythical Titan, condemned to forever hold the heavens on his shoulders?

-Atlas.

-Yes.

Caiman, mole, burro.

Which of these creatures is not a mammal?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -A Caiman.

-Caiman is right.

"A memorandum is written not to inform the reader, but to protect the writer."

This is a quote from Dean Acheson, who wrote a lot of memos as head of what senior cabinet department that oversees our relations with foreign countries?

-State.

-You are right.

Nice, TJ.

260 points.

[ Applause ] That does it for the mix and match round.

Stay where you are because Picture Perfect is next.

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

-Now, a question for you, our audience.

Who invented the Popsicle?

Well, it was an 11 year old boy named Frank Epperson.

He apparently left a fruit drink with a stirrer in it outside overnight, and it froze.

When he grew up, he got a patent and Popsicle history was made.

Back to the game.

♪♪ [ Applause ] Hey, we're back and it's time for the Picture Perfect round.

But before we dive in, let's recap those scores.

Oakton, 200 points.

Wootton, 220 points.

Thomas Jefferson, 260 points.

[ Applause ] So for the Picture Perfect round questions, guys, are worth 20 points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

Here we go.

These ruins of an ancient fortress are in Sri Lanka, an island country located in which ocean?

Yeah, TJ.

-Indian Ocean.

-Correct.

"This presumptuous mediocrity."

This was Pyotr Tchaikovsky's opinion of what German composer who wrote four symphonies and -- Yes, Wootton.

-Brahms.

-Brahms is right.

Mangrove trees with aerial roots like these are important ecologically in what African country where Libreville -- TJ.

-Gabon.

-Yeah.

Which of these figures has the least -- TJ.

-Four to the negative two.

-Correct.

These cowberries, which grow on the Russian steppes, are a favorite food of what large ursine animals that symbolize -- TJ.

-Bears.

-Bears that symbolize Russia, yeah.

This may have been the scene in 1513 when what explorer -- TJ.

-Ponce de Leon?

-No, Balboa.

When what explorer in the Americas first sighted the Pacific Ocean and claimed it for Spain.

Force, power, mass, choice.

The slug is a unit of which of these?

Wootton.

-Force, think.

-Force?

-No, it's mass.

This Peruvian child is from Cusco, the oldest inhabited -- Wootton.

Answer in three -- two -- -Inca.

-Oh, you got it, Inca.

Nice jump.

And that does it for Picture Perfect.

[ Applause ] You know, we always talk about the fact that these students don't do it alone.

They've got a lot of people behind them who cheer them on and prepare them for competition.

So, let's meet them.

We'll begin with Oakton, and the captain of the team is Adrian.

Adrian, who's with you?

-Today we have our coach, Mrs. Vargas, and our assistant principal, Mrs. Landis.

-Wonderful.

And Wootton.

Adam, tell us who's here.

-Today we have Mrs. Foeckler, our coach and sponsor.

-Hi.

[ Laughs ] And finally, from Thomas Jefferson, who is with you, Deven?

-We have our coach, Coach Fu, and we have our wonderful parents.

-All right.

Yay, it's very nice to see all of you.

[ Applause ] So once we do those introductions, we always jump into the packet round.

And I know you know how this works.

Oakton will answer questions first.

Wootton gets to choose which packet they will answer questions from, 1, 2 or 3.

-One.

-One.

Questions are worth 20 points, nothing off for a wrong answer.

And what happens if you get all the questions right?

Anybody?

25 point bonus, yeah.

Here we go, Oakton.

Front teeth covered in orange enamel, are featured by what large dam-building rodents that gnaw down trees?

-Beavers.

-Yes.

In 2003, the U.S. Mint issued specially designed nickels to honor the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition that explored what 1803 land acquisition?

-Louisiana Purchase.

-That's right.

Any list of the world's large deserts would include the Taklamakan Desert in what most populous country in the world?

-China.

-China.

-That's it.

Here's your science question.

Diplopia, myopia, vitreous humour.

Which of these three eye-related terms refers to a condition commonly referred to as double vision?

-Diplopia.

-That's right.

Had George Washington sought aid from Russia during the American Revolution, he would have written what powerful czarina, a woman called "The Great?"

-Catherine.

Catherine.

Catherine is correct.

It's often said if Shakespeare had never written a single play, he would have gained immortality on the basis of his sonnets, which are verses of how many lines?

-14.

-14 is right.

Here's your math question.

Perform the indicated operation.

-50?

-No.

It's 20.

Finally, there were 501 jurors at the trial of what ancient Greek philosopher found guilty of impiety and sentenced to drink poisonous hemlock?

-Socrates.

-Socrates is right.

Really nice job, Oakton, 340 points.

[ Applause ] It's time for Wootton to play.

TJ, which packet should they answer questions from, 2 or 3?

-Two.

-Two.

Wootton, writer Nathaniel Hawthorne had mixed feelings about his ancestor, Judge Hawthorne, who was involved with the notorious witch trials in what Massachusetts town?

-Salem?

-Yeah.

The famous star of the East is not a star, but the name of what fabulous gemstone, the hardest on the Mohs scale?

-Diamond.

-Correct.

After the Civil War, northern adventurers who poured into the South were given what nickname, referring to the luggage they carried?

-Carpetbaggers.

-Yeah.

-Carpetbaggers.

-That's it.

Here's your science question.

Nitrous oxide, ozone, carbon monoxide.

Which of these is an upper atmospheric layer of gas that protects us by absorbing ultraviolet light?

-Ozone?

-Yes.

At age 14, Mike Perham became the youngest person to cross the Atlantic alone after setting sail from what rocky British colony on the edge of Spain?

-Gibraltar.

-Yeah.

Dysfunctional families are nothing new.

What Russian author wrote about family problems in "The Brothers Karamazov"?

-Dostoevsky.

-Dostoevsky.

-Correct.

Here's your math question.

What is the greatest common divisor of these two expressions?

-4xb.

-Correct.

According to Napoleon, the greatest of all military commanders was what Carthaginian general, the son of Hamilcar Barca?

-Hannibal.

-That is it.

And you guys have a 25 point bonus!

Well done, Wootton.

[ Applause ] I love when that happens.

Okay, over to Jefferson with packet number three.

At an 1884 medical conference in Copenhagen, Louis Pasteur announced he had found a vaccine for what disease transmitted by mad dogs?

-Rabies.

-Rabies is right.

A complete chess set has 32 pieces, including 16 pieces of what lowest rank?

-Pawns?

-Yeah.

In 2024, what 19th century Black woman, once the conductor on the Underground Railroad, was posthumously awarded the rank of general for her military work in the Civil War?

-Harriet Tubman.

-Yes.

Here's your science question.

Anabolism, catabolism, anaerobic process.

Which of these terms refers to destructive metabolism in which living tissue is transformed to waste products?

-Metabolism.

-Yeah, that's it.

It is probably no accident that professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter books shares what first name with the Roman goddess of wisdom?

-Minerva.

-Minerva is right.

George Bernard Shaw took the title of his drama "Arms and the Man" from the opening line of what epic work by Virgil?

-Aeneid.

-Aeneid is right.

Here's your math question.

Solve for X.

[ Indistinct whispering ] -250.

-250 is correct.

In 1914, the Germans were stopped just 15 miles from Paris at a battle named for what French River, where a second battle was fought almost four years later?

-Marne.

-Marne is right.

We have another 25 point bonus for Thomas Jefferson.

Well done.

[ Applause ] Don't go away, because we have the Grab Bag coming at you next.

[ Applause ] -Hello, I'm David Rubenstein.

Did you know suffragette leader Susan B. Anthony was convicted of illegally voting in the 1872 election?

She was fined $100, said she wouldn't pay, and she never did.

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

-This is for you, our viewing audience.

What French leader was nicknamed "The Great Asparagus"?

It was World War II general and later president Charles de Gaulle.

He was six foot five inches tall, which explains the "great," but not the "asparagus."

Back to the teams.

♪♪ [ Applause ] Here we are in the last segment, the Grab Bag round.

Anything can happen.

And before we jump in, let's take a look at these scores.

We begin with Oakton, 340 points, Wootton, 425 points, and Thomas Jefferson 505 points.

[ Applause ] So guys, this is the Grab Bag.

Questions are worth 20 points up or down.

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

Here we go.

In Waverly, Virginia, there's a museum dedicated to what goober crop for which George Washington Carver found -- Wootton.

-Peanut.

-Peanut, it is.

According to one study, by standing slightly off center, a goalie can influence a kicker's aim in what sport in which -- Wootton?

-In soccer.

-Soccer's right.

What three Latin words appear on all U.S. coins?

TJ.

-E pluribus unum -You are right.

On your screens.

Native to the South Pacific, this species of crab shares its name with what Marine polyps whose skeletons -- Wootton.

Answer.

Three, two, one.

Coral -- whose skeletons make up many reefs and atolls.

The Spanish governors allowed land grants up to 167,000 acres in what Western colony, now the most populous US -- TJ?

-California.

-Yeah.

How many grams are there in 3,000 kilograms?

Yep, TJ.

Answer?

-3 million.

-3 million is right.

Though born in the South, what naval officer sided with the Union during the Civil War?

Yep, Wootton.

-Farragut.

-Yep, that's right.

On your screens.

"Solving big problems is easier than solving little problems."

You won't have any problems if you can identify what man who said this, a computer specialist, who, with Larry Page, founded -- TJ.

-Brin?

Brin.

-Yeah, Sergey Brin.

The title of a horror story by W.W. Jacobs included "The Paw".

Yep, TJ?

-Monkey.

-Monkey is right.

The atomic clock used to measure time at the Naval Observatory utilizes what -- TJ.

-Cesium.

-Cesium is right.

That's the element it uses.

On your screens.

These messages to the Virgin Mary were left near her home in Ephesus, a Turkish city near what sea separating Turkey from -- TJ.

-Aegean?

-Yeah, that's it.

Various insects make their home in the fur of what slow moving mammal?

Yes, TJ.

-Sloth.

-Sloth is right.

They come two-toed and three-toed.

One short musical composition by Rimsky-Korsakov is based on the flight -- TJ.

-Bumblebee.

-Bumblebee.

Yes.

In 2012, NASA launched a pair of heavily armored spacecraft to explore what radiation belts that encircle-- -Yes, TJ.

-Van Allen -Van Allen belts is right.

One base angle of an isosceles triangle is 75 degrees.

What is the size of the vertex angle?

TJ.

[ Buzzer ] -30.

-30 is right.

And that is the end of the game.

[ Applause ] Stay with us.

The judges are tallying the scores and we will bring them to you in just one minute.

♪♪ -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 Matthew.

I'm a sophomore in high school, and how I like to give back to my community is I like to help a lot of the younger people in my community.

For instance, I've been in scouting for about eight years now, and I like to help out with a lot of the younger scouts, easing their way up on the path through scouting and helping them to generally be better people through scouting.

I'm also a part of my robotics team for about two years now, and how we help out with that is we help out a lot of younger kids with getting interested in STEM and getting ideas within STEM, and honestly, how it all helps me is it all just helps me learn what I need to do and it helps me to just in general, learn to be a better person.

-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 ] -All right, the scores are now official.

But before I read the scores, I just want to say, sometimes when you're up against a really fast team, the other teams don't get to showcase how much they know.

And they were good teams.

These guys won their bonuses and Oakton, you just missed it by one.

It was wonderful.

So we begin with Oakton from Vienna, Virginia.

Spencer, Adrian, and Karen.

340 points.

Good job.

[ Applause ] From Rockville, Maryland, Wootton High School, Jake, Adam, and Rayan, 465 points.

[ Applause ] And let's talk about Thomas Jefferson from Fairfax County.

Abigail, Deven, Arya, coming back for the playoffs.

725 points.

[ Applause ] Really glad you were with us today.

And tune in next week and we'll do it all over again.

I'm Hillary Howard and remember everybody -- -It's Academic!

-Bye-bye.

See you.

[ 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.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪