-From the KC studio at WETA, students from Poolesville... ...St.

Paul VI... ...and Washington-Liberty meet today on... "It's Academic"!

[ Applause ] ♪♪ [ Applause ] Hello, everybody.

Welcome to the first playoff match on "It's Academic" this season, our 65th season of the world's longest-running TV quiz show produced by Altman Productions and the great 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 ] -Hi guys, we are so happy you are with us for this first playoff match and we will begin it as we always do, teams, with the Fast Start where questions are worth 10 points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

Ready?

-Yeah.

-Good.

Thank you.

[ Laughter ] That's what I was looking for.

The "I's" Have It -- All answers must begin with the letter "I."

This type of triangle has two equal -- Paul.

-Isosceles.

-Correct.

This was the major Native American confederation -- Washington-Liberty.

-Iroquois.

-You've got it.

This type of red is outside the visible -- Washington-Liberty.

-Infrared.

-Correct.

A sideways figure eight is the symbol for -- Liberty.

-Infinity.

-Yeah.

St.

Paul.

-Io.

-Correct.

"IN" is the chemical symbol -- Poolesville.

-Indium.

-Yeah.

FDR said the date of the Pearl Harbor attack would -- Poolesville.

-"Infamy."

-Correct.

Paul.

-Internal.

-That's it.

Julius Caesar was killed on -- Paul.

-Ides of March.

-Yes.

Poolesville.

-Iowa.

-Iowa is right.

Ooh, that was fast!

Wonderful.

Good job!

Let's recap those scores.

Poolesville, 130 points.

St.

Paul VI, 140 points.

Washington-Liberty 130 points.

[ Theme music plays ] [ Applause ] [ Applause ] And now let's learn more about these students who are really smart and really fast this morning.

We begin with Poolesville from Montgomery County.

And Ahilan, how are you doing?

-Hi, I'm Ahilan.

I am a 17-year-old senior in the Global Ecology Program.

And one cool thing that I recently done was in November, I went to see Saw-whet owls being banded in the Rocky Mountains.

-Oh, very cool!

What a great experience.

Good to see you again.

Hello, Alex.

-Hi, I'm Alex, I'm a 17-year-old senior in the SPARX program.

And I like studying linguistics.

-Nice!

Nicholas, hello.

-Hi.

I'm Nicholas.

I'm a 17-year-old senior at Poolesville as well, and I recently got back into reading.

I just finished "The Stranger."

-Did you like it?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Alright, alright.

[ Laughter ] Okay.

Here we go, Poolesville.

Questions are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

The Fair Is Today -- Study this statement and see if you can find the hidden term for what part of the eye that surrounds the pupil.

-Iris.

-Yes.

Cheerfully noisy, sadly subdued, long overdue -- If a soldier were given a boisterous reception, it would best be described by which of these phrases?

-Cheerfully noisy.

-That is right.

Gen.

Winfield, blank.

Sir Walter... What same last name was shared by these two 19th century men, The American General nicknamed Old Fuss and Feathers, and the author of Ivanhoe?

-Scott.

-Yeah, I heard that earlier.

But I thought people should hear the question.

[ Laughter ] Skouria, Pas -- Here are the Greek and Turkish words for what same reddish substance that's formed by the oxidation of iron?

-Rust.

-That's it.

Iodine, Lead, Uranium -- Which of these elements is a halogen?

-Iodine.

-Iodine is right.

These words title a book about one amateur's experience in what star-gazing science whose professionals included William Herschel?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Astronomy.

-Astronomy is right.

And I just saw his house, including the yard where he found Uranus.

It was pretty amazing.

Great job!

250 points, Poolesville.

[ Applause ] Let's meet the team from St.

Paul VI home of the Panthers in Chantilly, Virginia.

Indra, how are you doing?

-I'm good, thank you.

My name is Indra.

I'm a 17-year-old junior at Paul VI, and I am the co-president of our model UN club.

-Oh, fabulous.

Ethan, hello.

-Hi.

My name is Ethan.

I'm a 17-year-old senior at St.

Paul VI, and I'm co-head of marketing in my school's robotics club.

-Marketing?

-Mm-hmm.

Wow.

Who do you tell?

-Um, we've gone to sponsors in the area.

We've done STEM professionals and things like that to try to get the word out and get funding for our team.

-Cool.

And finally, Finn.

Hi.

-Hi.

My name is Finn.

I'm a 18-year-old senior at Paul VI, and I'm the co-president of my school science club.

-Alright, guys, here we go.

Watch Lori Next -- Watch this sentence and see if you can find hidden within it what halogen element, a constituent of table salt.

-Chlorine.

-Yes.

Nervous, Educated, Calm -- Which of these words best applies to a person who's described as serene?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Calm.

-Calm it is.

Cy, blank.

Brigham, blank.

What same last name was shared by these two men?

One a renowned baseball pitcher and the other a Mormon leader.

-Young.

-That's it.

Peristera, Columba -- Here we see the Greek and Latin words for what bird known as a symbol of peace?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Dove.

-Dove is right.

Plasma cells, embryonic stem cells, hepatic cells -- Salamanders are able to regenerate lost limbs by recreating which of these kinds of cells at the point of amputation?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -The second option.

-You're right, embryonic stem cells.

"All children except one, want to grow up."

This is the opening line of James Barrie's story about what boy who lived in Never-Never Land and refused to ever get older?

-Peter Pan.

-Peter Pan, yeah.

Nicely done, St.

Paul VI, 260 points.

[ Applause ] And now to Washington-Liberty High School from Arlington, Virginia.

Alex, how are you?

-I'm good.

-Good.

-So I'm Alex.

I'm a 16-year-old junior at Washington-Liberty.

And one fun fact about me is that my favorite molecule is isoamyl acetate.

-And that is because?

-It smells like bananas.

[ Laughter ] -[ Laughing ] Very good!

Hello, Kedar.

Hi, I'm Kedar, I'm a senior at W and L, and I really enjoy baking.

-Baking?

Favorite thing to bake?

-Still biscuits.

-Alright.

Robert, hello.

-Hello.

I'm Robert.

I'm a 16-year-old junior at Washington-Liberty.

And I like fencing.

-Fencing, cool.

I remember that.

Guys.

A Café Mural -- Look carefully here and you can find the name of what large bone in the thigh.

-Femur?

-Yes.

Trajectory, Synthesis, Conundrum -- Which of these words refers to the path taken by a projectile?

-Trajectory.

-Yeah.

Moses, blank.

Stephen, blank.

This father and son who are associated with early Texas history, shared what last name given to the capital of Texas?

-Houston.

-No, Austin, Austin.

Sataranji, Satranc -- These words are used in Hindi and Turkish to name what board game involving knights and bishops?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Chess.

-Yeah.

Calciferol, Retinol, Thiamin -- Here are the scientific names of three important vitamins.

Which one is also called vitamin B1?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Thiamin.

-Yeah, it's on the side of all those cereal boxes, right?

[ Laughter ] "I been there before."

This is the ungrammatical last sentence of what classic Mark Twain novel about Tom Sawyer's friend?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -"Huckleberry Finn."

-You've got it.

Nice, Washington-Liberty, 230 points.

[ Applause ] [ Applause ] That's it for the Mix & Match round.

We have Picture Perfect next.

Stay with us.

♪♪ In 1961, nine high school students walked walked into a TV studio in Washington, D.C.

to film the very first episode of "It's Academic."

-Good evening, and welcome to "It's Academic."

The weekly program... -Little did they know that over the course of the next 65 years, thousands of high school students would follow them onto the set and into broadcast history.

-I think what has kept "It's Academic" on the air for so long, you had strong support from the schools and we've had a strong community support.

-There aren't a ton of outlets to, like, be competitive in an academic setting.

-It teaches composure, knowledge, wisdom.

-And it's like an engaging, fun quiz show.

But it also teaches you so much about the world and so many different facets.

-Today, "It's Academic," is celebrating 65 years, and is the world's longest-running TV quiz show.

Thank you students, schools, viewers, and fans.

And remember... "It's Academic."

[ Applause ] Well, we're off to a strong start here on "It's Academic," and I believe we'll continue it in this Picture Perfect round where questions are worth 20 points up or down.

Once again, the first team that buzzes in gets to answer.

Teams.

It's red bands must have reminded its discoverer of military insignia, because this butterfly is named for what highest naval rank?

St.

Paul.

-Admiral.

-Admiral, it is.

The serpentine column behind this fence was brought to Turkey by what Roman emperor who issued the Edict of Milan?

Poolesville.

-Constantine the Great.

-Yeah.

Nice.

This figurine of a sleeping Cupid is thought to have been crafted on what Greek island better known for its ancient colossus?

Poolesville.

-Rhodes.

-Rhodes is right.

Evaluate this expression.

Yes, Poolesville.

-One fourth.

-One fourth, it is.

This mollusk shell is named for its apparent resemblance to what stringed musical instrument that angel's -- Liberty.

-Harp.

-Harp is right.

Claiming descent from two Japanese emperors, the Minamoto family established itself as what militaristic feudal rulers of -- Poolesville.

-Shogun.

-Yes, it is shogun.

Good.

Choice.

Jellyfish stings which can be deadly, emanate from flagella, cilia, or nematocysts?

Liberty.

-Nematocysts.

-You've got it.

The New York state legislature meets in this building in what New York -- Yes, Poolesville.

-Albany.

-Albany is right.

And now an esteemed "It's Academic" alum and Maine Senator Angus King has a question for you.

-Bangor, Maine has a statue of a tall lumberjack without his blue ox.

Who's the lumberjack?

-Yep, Liberty.

-Bunyan.

-Bunyan is right.

Well done.

That does it for Picture Perfect.

Let's recap the scores.

Poolesville, 350 points.

St.

Paul VI, 280 points.

Washington-Liberty, 290 points.

[ Applause ] [ Applause ] So you already know all of these students are good, which usually means they've got pretty good coaches too.

Let's meet the team behind the team.

And we begin with Poolesville.

Who's with you, Alex?

-I'll take this, sorry.

Over here we have Ms.

Snaveley, our sponsor and the AP world history teacher for the Global Ecology Studies program.

And then over here we have Mr.

Carothers, our principal.

Also with us, Liam is our alternate in the audience.

And we also like to thank our friends and especially our parents who woke up at 6:00 in the morning to schlep us down here.

[ Laughter ] -[ Laughs ] Very good.

Good to see you guys.

Over to St.

Paul VI.

Ethan, who's the gentleman behind you?

-So today is our coach, Dr.

Campbell.

I'd also like to thank our alternate Gus, and our principal Dr.

Opfer, and our head of school, Mrs.

Swenson.

They've all been excellent help preparing us for this competition.

-Awesome.

Really good to see you.

And over to Washington-Liberty.

Kedar, who's with you?

-We have one of our coaches, Ms.

Sotomayor, and our administrator, Ms.

Shivers.

We also have our alternate, Benjamin, in the audience, and we'd like to thank our other coach, Ms.

Scher, who was unable to make it today.

-Alright, beautiful.

It's so good to have all of you with us.

Thanks so much.

[ Applause ] And now that we've met everybody, we can begin the Packet round.

You all know how this works.

You've been here before.

We start with Poolesville.

St.

Paul, which packet should they answer questions from?

One, two, or three?

-Three.

-Three.

♪ Ding-diddle-ling, diddle-ling, ding-ding ♪ Packet three for Poolesville.

As you know, questions are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

And if you get all the questions right, 25-point bonus.

Poolesville.

After a successful test with a beaver named Geronimo, a 1948 program to relocate beavers using parachutes was instituted in what state where Boise is the Capitol?

-Idaho.

-Yeah, Idaho.

That's hilarious.

The letters "A" and "Z" are at either side of the alphabet, but they are side by side in the name of what Mexican civilization that flourished in the 15th and 16th centuries?

-Aztec.

-Yes.

Coin collectors owe a lot to William Remington, who found a method for plating coins using what metal with atomic number 28 and symbol NI?

-Nickel.

-Nickel's it.

Here's your science question.

Stomata, Synapses, Ribosomes -- Which of these terms identifies the location of protein synthesis in the cytoplasm of a cell?

-Ribosomes.

-You've got it.

Russian author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was sent to prison for describing as "the man with the mustache" what world War II Soviet dictator?

-Stalin.

-Stalin, is it.

Having wishes come true leads to disaster in a horror story by W.W.

Jacobs about the paw of what animal?

-Monkey.

-Monkey is right.

Here's your math question.

Give one of the two equal factors of this expression.

[ Indistinct whispering ] -X plus 7.

-X plus 7 is right.

And now we have an esteemed guest for you, a guest questioner, "PBS NewsHour" co-anchor Jeff Bennett.

-Considered by some historians to have been the wealthiest man who ever lived, Mansa Musa was the ruler of what medieval African Empire, which shares its name with the modern country whose capital is Bamako?

-Mali.

-Mali.

-With that answer, Poolesville, you've got a 25-point bonus.

[ Applause ] Awesome.

[ Applause ] Alright, St.

Paul, you're up.

Washington-Liberty, packet one or two?

-One, please.

-One.

In 1772, George Washington helped pay for a celebration after colonial merchants burned a British ship off the coast of what smallest of our states?

-Rhode Island.

-Yes.

In 1923, Sir Frederick Banting and John MacLeod won the Nobel Prize for isolating what hormone used in the treatment of diabetes?

-Insulin.

-Insulin.

It is.

Captain Robert Gray was the first American to sail around the world, but he's better known as the discoverer of what river that separates Oregon and Washington?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Columbia.

-Yep.

You've got it.

Here's your science question.

Pyrolysis, Oxidation, Reduction -- If we pass a stream of dry hydrogen over hot copper oxide in a Pyrex tube, water is formed.

The hydrogen has undergone which of these?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Oxidation.

-Yeah.

That's it.

Had France's Louis XIV found time to visit England.

During his 17-year reign, he might have met with what ruling couple who name a university in Virginia?

-William III and Mary II.

-Very specific and very right.

[ Laughter ] What woman who once worked as a calypso singer later wrote "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings"?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Angelou.

-Yeah, here's your math question.

Simplify this expression, giving your answer as an integer.

-Four.

-Four it is.

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

-Wisconsin has its Oshkosh, but the city of Osh is in which Central Asian country whose capital is Bishkek?

[ Indistinct whispering ] Kyrgyzstan.

-Yeah.

Another 25-point bonus.

Way to go, St.

Paul.

[ Applause ] And now that leaves packet number two for Washington-Liberty.

The ghosts of St.

Peter and St.

Paul supposedly threatened to kill Attila the Hun if he refused to call off an invasion of what Current Italian capital city?

-Rome.

-It is Rome.

Ronald Ross was quoting the Bible when he said, "O death, where is thy sting?," after discovering that malaria is carried by what insect?

-Mosquitoes.

-Yeah.

Though their hulls had been reinforced to withstand ice Two British ships disappeared in 1845 during their search.

for what Arctic passage?

[ Indistinct whispering ] Northwest.

-Northwest.

-Yes.

Here's your science question.

Thicker, Thinner, Unchanged in width -- The Lorentz contraction describes this phenomenon, where a moving object approaching the speed of light will appear as which of these, thicker, thinner, or unchanged to a stationary observer?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Thinner.

-Thinner, it is.

Nice.

Author Lawrence Durrell is best known for his novels set in what Egyptian Port noted in ancient times for its fabulous library?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Alexandria.

-Yeah, Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" is one of the key sections of what Major Whitman work published in 1955?

-"Leaves of Grass."

-"Leaves of Grass" it is.

Here's your math question.

Evaluate this expression.

[ Indistinct whispering ] -90.

-90.

Yeah.

And now a guest questioner, another esteemed "It's Academic" alum, Minority Senate Leader Chuck Schumer.

-In July of 1776, a British fleet and troops occupied what what New York Island, now the least populated of New York City's five boroughs and the only one with Island in its name?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Staten Island.

-It is Staten Island.

We've got a third 25-point bonus!

Way to go, Washington-Liberty.

[ Applause ] Don't go anywhere because we have the all important Grab Bag round next.

See you in a minute.

"It's Academic" has been on the air for 65 years.

And over the decades we've showcased thousands of high school students from all over the DC area.

Today, "It's Academic," continues to celebrate education and remains a critical part of WETA's mission-focused programming.

With the recent loss of federal funding for public media, we need your help now more than ever to support "It's Academic."

Please make a donation and become a friend of "It's Academic" today, and help keep "It's Academic" on the air and streaming for our students and their futures.

[ Applause ] This is going to be an exciting Grab Bag because it is a close game.

Guys, questions are worth 20 points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

Here we go.

In 2018, Illinois police had to block traffic while they fished out a 4-foot alligator From what Great Lake?

Paul.

-Answer, three -- Michigan.

-Yeah.

Nice!

Lucky.

In an unusual fashion statement, Madame Defarge knits the names of doomed aristocrats into a scarf in what Charles Dickens novel?

Yep, Paul.

Answer, 3, 2, 1... -"Great Expectations."

-No, "A Tale of Two Cities."

Pittsburgh lost to the Boston Red Sox in the first modern World Series in what same year that saw the Wright brothers first flight?

Washington-Liberty.

Answer, 3 -- -1903.

-Yeah.

Nicely done.

"Nobody was ever meant to remember or invent what he did with every cent" -- These lines come from a poem called "The Hardship of Accounting" by what popular American poet?

The winner of four Pulitzer Prizes.

[ Indistinct whispering ] -And the answer is...?

You know him, you love him, Robert Frost.

President Franklin Pierce was criticized for his failure to deal with slavery in what future state described as "bleeding"?

-Paul.

-Kansas.

-Kansas it is.

A floor has an area of 270 feet.

How many square yards of carpet are needed?

Paul?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Answer, 3, 2, 1 -- -30.

-Yeah, it's 30.

Canine gastric juice was sold as a cure for human indigestion by what Russian scientist whose most famous work was on conditioned reflexes?

Liberty.

-Pavlov.

-Pavlov.

Yeah.

Lone, Peep -- Don't make a sound.

Just rearrange these letters to name what Legendary Greek -- Liberty.

-Penelope.

-Yes.

The Supreme Court's 1954 Brown decision was based on which number Constitutional amendment?

Paul.

[ Indistinct whispering ] -14.

-Yes.

Choice.

A beam of neutrons passes through a magnetic field.

Would you expect it to be deflected to the right, the left, or not at all by -- Poolesville.

-Not at all.

Correct.

Fish species can be spread to isolated bodies of water when their eggs are eaten, remain alive, and are excreted by what creatures of the class Aves?

Washington-Liberty.

-Birds.

-Yeah.

Expelled at age 17 from Norwich University for herding sheep into the dorm.

What man won the Battle of Manila Bay in 18-- St.

Paul.

-George Dewey.

-You're right.

The first intercollegiate basketball game was held in 1897 between the University of Pennsylvania and what, Ivy League college in New Haven?

Yup, Poolesville.

-Yale.

-It is Yale.

In a soul-searching story, Jabez Stone sold his soul to Satan in what short story by Stephen Vincent Benét?

The answer is "The Devil and Daniel Webster."

The city of Hiroshima is located on what largest Japanese -- Liberty.

Answer.

-Hokkaido.

-No.

Honshu.

This 17th century engraving shows an experiment being conducted by which of Galileo's -- [ Buzzer ] St.

Paul.

Answer, 3, 2 -- -Milliken.

-No, Torricelli.

Which scientist who invented the barometer?

But well done.

That does it.

It's the end of the game.

We will be right back with the score.

Stay with us.

I'm Hillary Howard, host of "It's Academic."

And I've got a question for you.

The answer is... WETA+!

That's right.

WETA+ is a free and easy to use streaming service created specifically for DC area viewers like you.

With WETA+ you can watch local shows like "It's Academic" or PBS hits like "Masterpiece," wherever and wherever you want on your TV or on the go.

WETA+ is free and available to download on all major streaming devices and smart TVs.

For more information, go to... [ Applause ] Now that was a playoff!

I've already told these guys each and every one of them was fabulous.

I didn't tell them because they won.

Let's do the scores.

Although you were, of course.

We begin with St.

Paul VI from Chantilly, Virginia, home of the Panthers.

Indra, Ethan, Finn, 525 points.

[ Applause ] From Washington-Liberty High School in Arlington, home of the generals, Alex, Kedar, and Robert, 535 points.

[ Applause ] And coming back for the championship Poolesville High School from Montgomery County, Ahilan, Alex, Nicholas, 575 points, well done!

[ Applause ] That does it for us.

We are so happy you were here for the first playoff match of the season.

Can't wait to see you next time.

And remember, everybody... All: "It's Academic"!

Bye!

[ 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.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪