-Students from Osbourn, South Lakes, Bishop O'Connell meet today on "It's Academic."

♪♪ ♪♪ 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.

♪♪ -We are so glad you're with us today as we jump into the Fast Start, where questions are worth 10 points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

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

Let's do this.

All your answers must have exactly five -- that's five -- letters.

Dolly was the first cloned example of this -- South Lakes.

-Sheep?

-Yes.

This mythical Titan held up the heavens on his -- Osbourn.

-Atlas.

-Yeah.

The answer is Albert Sabin.

South Lakes.

-Trout?

-Yes.

Osbourn.

-Lungs.

-Yeah.

Lungs.

The treaty signed in this city ended -- Bishop O'Connell.

-Paris.

-Very good.

Ended the Revolutionary War.

The answer is William Bligh.

Yes, Osbourn.

-Raven.

-Raven, it is.

Osbourn.

-Grant.

-Ye-- Pardon me?

-Grant?

-No, it was Meade.

Yes, South Lakes.

-Bezos?

-Yes, you are right.

And that's it for the Fast Start round.

Let's recap those scores.

Osbourn 120, South Lakes 130, Bishop O'Connell 110 points.

And now we get to meet the teams.

So let's begin with Osbourn High School from Manassas City.

Patrick, what's going on with you?

-Uh, nothing much.

I'm 16.

I play baseball.

I'm really good at it.

Uh, I go to Osbourn.

#OneOsbourn.

-Whoo-hoo!

Now, what position do you play?

-I'm usually in the outfield, but sometimes I play third base.

-Are you catching everything?

-Everything.

-Who's your favorite team?

-Nationals.

-Whoo!

Go, Nats!

Great to have you, Patrick.

Hello, Osbaldo.

Tell us about yourself.

-I'm 17.

I go to Osbourn High School.

I enjoy building robots from -- in our FRC team.

And I play the marimba in marching band.

-So talk about the robots, because I'm always so fascinated by that.

What are you building?

And do they have a purpose?

What purpose do they have?

-And we're building robots that are, like, around like 16x16.

And the purpose is that they are meant to solve engineering problems in the real world.

-Wow.

Very cool.

Well, it's good to have you.

And hello, Benjamin.

-I'm 17, I go to Osbourn, and I spend most of my free time -- well, not really free -- uh, working at Domino's Pizza.

-How do you like it?

-In the beginning, it was pretty rough, but I've been liking it, really, lately.

-So, okay, you've got to learn how to do that fancy stuff with the pizza dough.

How many of them did you kill before you -- -At least like 200.

Like 200 in the first two months, probably.

-All right, well, we've cooked up some questions for you.

Not pizza, but we do have these.

Here's the first one.

Within this phrase, you can find the name of what noble gas that makes up almost 1% of our atmosphere?

-Argon.

-Yes.

Which of these words is the best synonym for tenacity?

-Perseverance.

-Perseverance.

-Yeah.

That's it.

Here you have the subtitle of a book about what Naval hero of the American Revolution, the captain of the Bonhomme Richard?

Answer?

-John Paul Jones.

-Yeah, you've got it.

When Aphrodite won the mythical beauty contest that led to the Trojan War, she was awarded which of these?

-A golden apple.

-You are right.

These were the mistaken words of Crispus Attucks, who led an attack on British soldiers in what deadly 1770 Massachusetts event?

Answer is the Boston Massacre.

Nicely done, Osbourn.

200 points.

[ Applause ] Now to the team from Reston, Virginia -- South Lakes High School.

Hello, Eric.

How are you?

-I'm doing good.

-Good.

-My name's Eric.

I'm from South Lakes High School.

I'm a sophomore, 15, and surprisingly enough, I also play the marimba.

-Really?

Tell me about that.

-Um... -[ Laughs ] -What do you want to know?

-Yeah.

So what was it that inspired you to play it?

-Um, they just needed someone to do it.

And I was the first person that said, "Sure."

-All right.

Was your answer similar, Osbaldo?

Is that... [ Laughs ] -Um, no.

We had plenty of marimba players.

I just enjoy playing because it's one of the bigger mallet instruments.

-Two marimba players.

I think this is the first time we've had two marimba players, but that's awesome.

Nice to have you, Eric.

Hello, Daniel.

-Hello.

I'm a 17 year old senior at South Lakes High School, and I'm a part of our Model U.N. team.

-Beautiful.

How long have you been doing that?

-For about two years now.

-And what is it that participating in the Model U.N. inspires you or gives meaning to you?

-I feel like it allows me to be more caught up with current events and have a greater understanding of the world, and also seeing how the actual U.N. functions as well.

It's really interesting to me.

[ Upbeat music playing ] -Beautiful.

Great to have you.

We're even playing music for you.

Hello, Kevin.

-Hi.

I'm Kevin, I'm a 16-year-old junior at South Lakes, and I like to play the violin in my free time.

-What kind of works do you play on the violin?

-Um, some classical music, but also some traditional Irish fiddle tunes.

-Oh, that must be fun.

Does it really get you going when you start playing that fast?

-I suppose so.

-Yeah, I mean, I would.

I love it.

I think it's just very energizing.

Great to have you guys.

Here is your first question.

You won't cry either if you find in this sentence the name of what allotrope of oxygen that forms an important layer in our atmosphere.

-Ozone?

-Ozone, it is.

If you were being complimented on your ingenuity, someone would be praising you.

On which of these qualities?

-Cleverness.

-Yes.

These words subtitle one of the biographies of what 19th century British queen who had a very successful 64-year reign?

-Queen Victoria?

-It was.

The Mohs Scale classifies minerals according to which of these characteristics?

-Hardness?

-Hardness, it is.

English sea captains used this slogan to justify impressment of U.S. sailors, a practice that was one cause of what early 19th century war?

-The War of 1812?

-You've got it.

Right.

Nice job, South Lakes.

230 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] And now to Bishop O'Connell from Arlington.

Hey, Miles, tell us about yourself.

-I'm 17.

I play golf at Bishop O'Connell.

-How long have you been playing golf?

-Since I was, like, 7, but I only started taking it seriously once I joined Coach O's golf team.

-So, are you good?

-Uh, I'm decent.

-Yeah?

I'm, like, third best on the team.

-Oh, that's all right.

Well, it's really good to have you, Miles.

Hello, Jacob.

-Hi.

I'm Jacob.

I'm 15-year-old sophomore, and I play football, wrestling, and run track.

-Which do you prefer?

-I like football the best.

-Why?

-Because I'm the best at it.

-[ Laughs ] Okay.

Lots of folks who are top of their game here today.

Nice to have you, Jacob.

And hello, Nicholas.

-Hi.

I'm Nicholas.

I'm a sophomore at Bishop O'Connell High School, and I play golf and swim.

-Um, okay.

Swimming, golf -- which one?

Tough?

-I can't choose.

-[ Laughs ] All right, guys, I have some questions that have been chosen specifically for you.

Here's the first one.

Instead of getting angry, see if you can find in this phrase what element, a nonmetal with atomic number 16?

-Sulfur.

-Yes.

This is a meaning of the last name of what New Zealander who was overjoyed when he and Tenzing Norgay became the first men to summit Mount Everest in 1953?

The answer is Sir Edmund Hillary.

If a general ordered his troops to capitulate, he'd be commanding them to take which of these actions?

-Surrender?

-Yeah.

That's it.

Before it's ejected from a volcano, lava is known as which of these?

-Magma?

-Yeah.

This was the observation of Neil Armstrong after he stepped on the moon as part of what number Apollo mission?

-11.

-That is right.

Nice.

Bishop O'Connell -- 190 points.

That does it for the Mix & Match round.

We have Picture Perfect coming up for you 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.

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

In this round, as you undoubtedly know, questions are worth 20 points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

This 1905 photograph shows a ship anchored near Seattle in what inlet of the Pacific Ocean that's called a sound?

Bishop O'Connell.

-Puget Sound?

-Yes.

The red square on this chart covers what metallic element named for a Greek word meaning color?

Its symbol.

Osbourn.

-Cobalt.

-No.

Chromium.

The world's leading source of cinnamon is what small island country in the Indian Ocean whose largest city is Colombo?

Yes, South Lakes.

-Sri Lanka?

-Yes, it is.

Perform the indicated operation, giving your answer as a positive fraction.

Yes, South Lakes.

-Root 2 over 9?

-It's 2/3.

Though dying of cancer, what 18th president worked diligently -- Osbourn.

-Grant.

-Yeah.

Nice.

"Learn on, devils."

The letters in this phrase can be rearranged to name what notorious Civil War prison camp in Georgia where captured Union soldiers were held?

And that one is Andersonville.

This massive necklace was designed by a tribesman from what East African country whose largest city is Dar es Salaam?

Yes, O'Connell.

-Tanzania?

-Yeah.

Nice.

The New Horizons space probe confirmed the existence of what gas wall at the edge of the solar system that has atomic number 1?

South Lakes.

-Hydrogen?

-Yeah, and that does it for the Picture Perfect round.

Let's recap the scores.

Osbourn 200 points, South Lakes 250 points, Bishop O'Connell 230 points.

[ Applause ] Now, we always talk about -- oh, I like when they applaud for you, so I'll let you hear the applause.

We always talk about the fact that these teams don't do it alone here on "It's Academic."

They've got their coaches and administrators who are always supporting them to be a part of this competition, kind of supporting education in the televised hour here.

So let's start with Osbourn.

Osbaldo, who's with you?

-We have our superintendent, Mr. Newman, and our two city council members, the chair, Miss Seaberg, and Miss Barlow.

And we have our coach, Ms. Jennifer Cook.

-Wow.

That's beautiful.

It's great having everybody here.

Thanks for coming.

South Lakes.

Daniel, who's with you?

-We have our coach, Ms. Frantz, with us, who's a librarian at our school.

She's wonderful.

And she's always helping us out both in and outside the -- and outside practice.

We also have our families here, and additionally, our mascot, Seymour the Seahawk.

-[ Laughs ] Seymour the Seahawk?

Yeah, we're seeing Seymour holding up signs in -- in the crowd there.

Thank you very much, Daniel.

And over to Jacob from Bishop O'Connell.

-Our coach, Coach Owens, is here.

He's also a golf coach at O'Connell and a retired religion teacher.

-And a nice guy.

-Yeah, he's a great guy.

-Hey, before we jump into the Packet round, just a little bit of housekeeping.

We had a problem with one question for South Lakes.

The score has been adjusted.

It is 270 points.

And now we begin the Packet round in earnest.

Osbourn gets to answer questions first from one of these fine three packets.

South Lakes, which one will it be?

One, two, or three?

-Uh, two.

-Two.

If you get all of the questions right, there's a 25-point bonus.

It was in 1861 that an astronomer discovered Asteroid 67, a space object named for what largest of Earth's continents?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -[ Speaks indistinctly ] -Oh.

-Answer?

-Haley?

-No, what largest of Earth's continents?

Asia.

-Yeah.

-One of the first widespread computer viruses was named for what Italian artist who painted the ceiling of Sistine Chapel?

-Michelangelo?

-Yeah.

-That's it.

The huge wildfires that have burned through thousands of acres in California greatly increased the emission of what gas whose formula is CO2?

-Carbon dioxide?

-Yes.

Here's your science question.

Which of these minerals is used to make plaster of Paris?

-Pumice?

-Nah.

Gypsum.

In 1933, Japan withdrew its support from what international peacekeeping organization that the United States had never joined.

-United Nations.

-No.

The League of Nations.

In 1788, a strong anti-slavery essay was written by an abolitionist who chose what pen name identifying the husband of Shakespeare's Desdemona?

The answer is Othello.

Here's your math question.

Solve for "X."

-2.

-Yeah, you've got it.

Though Spartacus gained fame as a gladiator in Rome,4 he was born in Thrace, a region that now lies partly in what country where Sofia is capital?

-Bulgaria.

-Yeah.

You got it.

Nice, Osbourn.

280 points.

[ Applause ] South Lakes is up.

Bishop O'Connell, packet one or three?

-We'll go one.

-One.

Here we go.

"A Bondswoman of Olden Time" was the subtitle of a narrative by what Black woman abolitionist who took the word Truth as her last name?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Sojourner Truth.

-That is it.

People aren't the only ones who can recognize themselves in a mirror.

So can what largest pachyderms?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Elephants.

-Elephants.

They're so smart.

Today future naval personnel attend Annapolis.

But in the 15th century, sailors attended a school set up by what Portuguese prince called "the Navigator"?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Henry?

-Henry the Navigator is right.

Here's your science question.

Which of these types of muscle accounts for over 75% of your muscle weight?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Skeletal muscle?

-You've got it.

The first woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross was what American pilot who disappeared in a flight over the Pacific in 1937?

-Earhart?

-Yes.

Not all brothers live together happily, and certainly not what Russian brothers named in the title of a Dostoyevsky novel?

-Brothers Karamazov.

-You've got it.

Here's your math question.

Perform the indicated operation, giving your answer as an integer.

-25.

26.

-26?

-26 is right.

Charged with embezzlement after working as a bank teller, author O. Henry fled to what Central American country whose capital is Tegucigalpa?

-Honduras?

-Honduras is right.

And with that answer, South Lakes, a 25-point bonus, and 455 points.

Well done.

Okay, Bishop O'Connell, you're up with packet number three.

Had they continued down the Mississippi River in 1673, explorers Marquette and Joliet would have come to what body of water that the Mississippi empties into?

-The Gulf of Mexico?

-Yes.

And speak up so we can hear you.

In 1967, the world's first heart transplant took place in what country that later elected Nelson Mandela as its first Black president?

-South Africa?

-You've got it.

Thanks to new technology, we now know that what small rodents such as the fictional Stuart Little like to sing?

-Mouse.

-The mouse?

-Yeah, isn't that something?

Here's your science question.

The joule is a unit of which of these?

-Energy?

-Yes.

Although he had the Greek word for "many" in his name, the mythical Polyphemus was of what race of creatures with only one eye?

-Cyclops?

-Cyclops?

That would have been scary.

A hyena, an orangutan, a zebra, and a tiger named Richard -- A hyena, an orangutan, a zebra, and a tiger named Richard Parker all end up in a lifeboat with a 16-year-old boy in what novel by Yann Martel?

The answer is "The Life of Pi."

Here's your math question.

Solve for "X."

-6?

-Yes.

-In the book "Breakfast with Buddha," we don't meet Buddha, but we do meet a monk from what Asian country whose capital is Ulaanbaatar?

-Mongolia.

-Mongolia?

-Mongolia is right.

Bishop O'Connell -- 370 points.

That does it for the Packet round.

The Grab Bag round is next, and anything can happen.

See you in a minute.

[ Applause ] -Hello.

I'm David Rubenstein.

Did you know that President Ronald Reagan and Queen Elizabeth once went horseback riding together?

The Secret Service, also on horseback, followed behind.

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

♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] -It is time for... -The Grab Bag round!

-Yes!

Questions are worth 20 points up or down in this round.

Let's quickly recap the scores.

Osbourn 280, South Lakes 455, Bishop O'Connell 370.

All right, guys, let's dive in.

The National Zoo has four scrapbooks filled with newspaper articles published in 1976 after the death of what bear, still a symbol in the campaign to prevent wildfires -- South Lakes.

-Smokey.

-Smokey the Bear, yeah.

All organic compounds contain which of the following elements?

Nitro-- Osbourn.

-Carbon?

-Yes, carbon is right.

Restaurant waitstaff earned the most tips on what day of the week that names a major character from "Robinson Crusoe"?

♪ Dink, dink, dink, dink ♪ The answer is Friday.

On your monitors.

This was the observation of what German astronomer who formulated the laws of planetary motion that bear his -- South Lakes.

-Kepler?

-Yes.

It wasn't until 1861 that newspapers coined what word to describe a person so rich he has $1,000 million?

Yes, Osbourn?

-Billionaire.

-Billionaire is right.

What is the area of a square that has a diagonal of 2 inches?

The answer is 2.

Critics showered Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" with praise after reading his prologue about the wife of what English city?

Yes, Bishop O'Connell?

-Bath?

-Yes.

That's it.

On your monitors.

This is what Native American chief who led his tribe in the Second Seminole War but was later captured -- oh, um -- I'm so sorry.

Osbourn.

-Pocahontas?

-No, it was Osceola.

-Yeah.

-There probably aren't many hosts that serve what wine that titles a work by Ray Bradbury?

The answer is dandelion wine.

President Harry Truman must have been somewhat gratified that the Japanese surrender ending World War II took place on what ship named for his home state?

Yes, Osbourn, -Missouri?

-Missouri is right.

Choice.

The process of burning is primarily which of the following -- oxidation, reduction, or transmogrification?

Yes, O'Connell.

-Oxidation?

-Pardon me?

-Oxidation?

-Yes, it is.

On your monitors.

Though he was born on the 4th of July in 1807 and at one time planned to become an American citizen, what Italian revolutionary instead -- Osbourn?

-Garibaldi.

-Yeah.

Many medical historians think it was a form of typhus that in 430 B.C.

devastated what Greek city state once ruled by Pericles?

Yes, South Lakes.

-Athens?

-Yes.

According to the constitution... [ Buzzer ] ...what is the -- that is the end of the game.

[ Cheers and applause ] Keep it here.

We're going to go through the scores and have the official numbers for you in just a 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.

-I'm Miranda Baxter, and I'm a junior at Woodson High School.

The organization that I volunteer at is called Comunidad VA.

It's in Falls Church.

And what we do is we primarily help young students with their reading comprehension skills and writing comprehension skills.

And I'd really encourage people to help out in organizations like these, because you get to see students improve on a day-to-day basis.

They really enjoy and they really need the help that we can give them.

And it's also just a great way to give back to your community, because you see just how much one person can do.

-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.

[ Cheers and applause ] -All right.

The scores are now official, so let's look at them.

We begin with Osbourn High School from Manassas City, Patrick, Osbaldo, Benjamin -- 340 points!

From Bishop O'Connell in Arlington, Miles, Jacob, Nicholas -- 410 points!

And coming back for the playoffs, South Lakes High School from Reston, Virginia, Eric, Daniel, Kevin -- 516 points, taking that 25-point bonus.

Way to go, guys.

Keep it here 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.

Hey, thanks for being here, viewers, because we appreciate you.

I'm Hillary Howard.

See you next time.

Bye, everybody.

Say bye.

[ Laughs ] Here we go.

Let's get some... ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪