-Students from Sandy Spring Friends, Bishop Ireton, Westfield meet today on "It's Academic."

[ Crowd cheering ] ♪♪ ♪♪ 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.

And, of course, we begin, as we always do, with a Fast Start, where questions are worth 10 points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

The contestants do not see what you do on the screens at home.

Let’s do this.

All answers will begin with the letter "B," as in "boy."

This root vegetable is a major source -- Sandy Spring?

Answer?

-Beet.

-Beet.

-Yes.

"Go Tell It on the Mountain" is a novel by this 20th -- Sandy Spring.

-Baldwin.

-Baldwin.

-Yeah.

Ireton.

Sergey Brin.

-Yeah, you got it.

Sandy Spring.

-Bantu.

-Correct.

These marine crustaceans attach themselves to submerged -- Sandy Spring.

-Barnacles.

-Yeah.

This is the time for a whale’s thick layer of -- -Baleen.

-No, blubber is what we’re looking for.

This metallic element has atomic number 4 and symbol -- Yes, Ireton.

-Boron.

-Beryllium.

Sandy Spring.

-Bagpipes.

-It is.

Sandy Spring.

-Bat?

-Bat it is.

Sandy spring.

-Bamboo.

-Bamboo is right.

And that was a very quick Fast Start.

Let’s recap those scores.

Sandy Spring Friends -- 160.

Bishop Ireton -- 100.

Westfield -- 100.

Now, we get to meet these teams before we dive into the Mix & Match round.

And we begin with Sandy Spring Friends.

from Sandy Spring, Maryland.

Hey, Diego, what’s going on with you?

-Hi, Hillary.

My name is Diego.

I’m a 17-year-old junior at Sandy Spring Friends School.

In addition to doing "It’s Academic," I’m also -- I also do Model UN.

And I’m also the captain of the school’s chess team.

-Are you getting that kind of vision, where you can see so much happening?

-I hope so, yeah.

-Okay.

Very good.

Hello, Greta.

-Hi, Hillary.

I’m Greta, I’m a 16-year-old senior at Sandy Spring, and I participate in the school’s speech and debate team, as well as I am involved in student government.

-Wonderful.

And is politics something that kind of stokes you?

-Yeah.

Actually, so it’s college app season right now, and I’m hoping to go into political science in the future.

-Do you want to be a leader?

-I’d like to, yeah.

I really -- I enjoy leadership.

I have an incredible team here, and it’s often -- it’s awesome to be the captain.

-Good leaders are hard to come by.

So we welcome you.

-Thank you.

-Hello, Justin.

What’s up with you?

-Oh, hi, Hillary.

My name is Justin.

I am a 15-year-old sophomore, and I'm a photographer, and I run cross-country.

-Tell me about your photography.

-It’s -- I’ve been a photographer for two years now, and I definitely feel like I’m getting better.

I really like landscape photography.

-All right, I like that, too.

Here we go, guys.

First question.

They’re worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

Guests, wed, enjoy -- We hope you’ll enjoy this question by finding hidden here the name of what Scandinavian country whose capital is Stockholm.

-Sweden.

-Yes.

Mendel was the Austrian monk who founded the science of genetics.

But if you fill in the blanks, you’ll name what Russian chemist who developed the periodic table.

-Mendeleev.

-Mendeleev is correct.

These are the Arabic and Hebrew words for which day of the week with the longest English name?

-Wednesday.

-Wednesday?

Wednesday it is.

Saigon, Abyssinia, Panmunjom -- Which of these places was renamed Ho Chi Minh City after its capture by the North Vietnamese in 1975?

-Saigon.

-Yeah.

"This is not peace."

These prophetic words were spoken by French Marshal Foch at the signing of what peace treaty that ended the First World War and is named for a French palace?

-Versailles.

-Versailles.

-Versailles is right.

Nicely done, Sandy Spring Friends.

260 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] Now we get to meet the team from Bishop Ireton, from Alexandria, Virginia.

Hello, Dallas.

-Hi, Hillary.

My name is Dallas, and I’m currently a 15-year-old sophomore at Bishop Ireton.

In my free time, I enjoy doing many STEM things such as physics, chemistry, and computer science, and I also sometimes read news articles in my free time.

-Hello, Daniel.

-Hi.

I’m Daniel.

I’m a 15-year-old sophomore at Bishop Ireton, and aside from doing "It's Academic," I'm part of the math club, and I do stuff for engineering, as well.

-Kind of the idea that math is the perfect language.

It goes where words cannot, right?

-Yes.

Right.

-Yeah.

Really cool.

Hiya, Newman.

-Hi.

Hi, Hillary.

I’m Newman.

I’m a 15-year-old sophomore at Bishop Ireton High School, and aside from "It's Academic," I enjoy Model UN and theater.

-Tell me what play you guys are working on.

-"Clue."

It’s a great show.

And I think it’s going to go great.

-Was it Colonel Mustard?

-Yes.

-In the dining room?

-No.

-Okay, I got one.

-You got one.

Here we go, guys.

Two mad riders -- Instead of riding away mad, see if you can find hidden in this phrase the name of what capital city of Spain.

-Madrid.

-Yes.

Fill in the blanks here with a two-letter pronoun, and you’ll have the name of what inert gas, the second-lightest element?

-Helium.

-Yes.

If you studied human anatomy in Finland and Portugal, you would recognize these names for what joint that adjoins the humerus and ulna.

-Fibia?

Well, fibia.

We'll try fibia.

-Elbow.

Elbow.

Hanover, Hohenzollern, Hapsburg -- Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm was called many impolite names during World War I, but when called by his family name, he was referred to as which of these?

-Hohenzollern.

-Yeah.

You said that better than me.

"I never cease to be thrilled by the beauty of his prose."

This tribute to Abraham Lincoln was written by what 37th president whose own prose included a letter of resignation?

-Nixon.

-Yes.

And that’s it.

Nicely done.

Bishop Ireton -- 180 points.

And now to Westfield High School from Chantilly, Virginia.

Zoe, what’s up?

-Hi.

I’m Zoe.

I’m a 17-year-old senior.

And in my free time, I love theater, and I’m an avid bird watcher.

-Oh, tell me about the bird watching.

-Oh, it’s been so good lately, with all the migrations happening.

The other week, I saw a yellow-billed cuckoo, and that was one of the most exciting moments of my month.

-Thank you.

Zoe.

Hi, Nevaeh.

-Hi, Hillary.

-I am Nevaeh.

I am a 16-year-old senior.

And in my free time, I enjoy reading, crochet, and working with my computer.

-So reading.

What books are you reading now?

Or what’s one of your favorite reads?

-One of my favorite reads is "Cemetery Boys" by Aiden Thomas.

It’s a wonderful book, and I was just able to pick up another one of his inspired by Mexican mythology called "The Sunbearer Trials."

I love anything related to mythology, so I’m very much so looking forward to it.

-Beautiful viewers, you’ve got some recommendations.

-Yes.

-Hello, Yushak.

-Hi.

My name is Yushak.

I am an almost 18-year-old senior from Westfield High School, and one of the things I do in my free time is play a lot of soccer, so... -So have you been playing soccer since you were a kid?

-Yeah, since about fifth grade, but I’ve just been playing almost every day since.

-What is it when you’re in the game that kind of -- Where’s your head when you’re playing?

-Honestly, I’m really just focusing about -- focusing on scoring goals.

Like, it’s my favorite part about the game.

-Oh, that's good.

-So I just -- I just try to shoot whenever I get the ball.

-And do you get into that zone?

-Oh, yeah, all the time.

-All right.

Well, good.

Let’s see if you’re in the zone for this.

Here’s your first question.

A nap lesson -- Forget kid napping and see if you can find in this phrase the name of what third-largest Italian city.

-Naples.

-Yeah.

You’ll find this icon not on your computer screen but in the name of what nonmetallic element found extensively in the Earth’s crust?

-Silicon.

-Correct.

Monkey's Eyebrow, Mouthcard -- Not many tourists visit these small towns located in what state whose capital is Frankfurt?

[ Laughs ] It’s going to come to you, Nevaeh?

The... -Idaho?

-No.

Kentucky.

Kentucky.

-Mm.

-The Beagle, the Lusitania, the Exxon Valdez -- In 1915, the sinking of which of these ships by a German U-boat helped draw the United States into World War I two years later?

-The Lusitania.

-Yes.

Ooh, in triplets.

"Let us now relieve the Romans of their fears."

Spoken when he was about to commit suicide, these were the words of what Carthaginian general who had brought elephants across the Alps during the Punic Wars.

-Hannibal.

-Hannibal, is it.

Very nicely done.

Westfield -- 180 points.

We’re done with the Mix & Match.

Coming up next, the Picture Perfect round.

And we know you want to see that, so stay with us.

-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.

♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] -I love you guys are laughing, you see everybody cheering for you.

It feels good, doesn’t it?

Yeah, it really does.

This is the Picture Perfect round.

In this round, guys, questions are worth 20 points up and down.

Before we get into the questions, let’s recap the scores.

Sandy Spring Friends -- 260.

Bishop Ireton -- 180.

Westfield -- 180.

And now the questions.

What first major land battle of the Civil War in 18-- Yes, Bishop Ireton.

-Bull Run.

-Yeah, you got it.

The Dogon people of Africa were the first to realize that what star, the brightest in the night sky -- Westfield.

-Sirius.

-Sirius is right.

Who answered?

Good job, Yushak.

This newspaper page was written in the dialect of what "K"-initialed ethnic group which today is concentrated in Turkey, Iran -- Sandy Spring.

-Kurds.

-Kurds is correct.

This expression equals what positive integer?

Math heads?

Anybody?

The answer is -- West-- -88?

-Nope.

66.

Choice -- Xian, China, is noted for its life-size army of soldiers made from -- Yes, Sandy Spring?

-Terracotta.

-Terracotta is right.

"Un?

prnCpul g%d 2 go" might have been a text from what Nobel Prize-winning German physicist who also created matrix mechanics?

Anybody?

Heisenberg.

-Oh!

-This is what first African-American -- Westfield.

-Thurgood Marshall.

-Thurgood Marshall.

Very well done.

America’s only native marsupial -- Westfield.

-Possum.

-Possum is right.

And that’s it for the Picture Perfect round.

Now we get to meet about the coaches who get these kids ready for competition.

And we begin with Sandy Spring Friends.

Greta, tell us about who’s here with you.

-So today we have with us our wonderful coach, Eduardo Polón.

He’s also the head of our global languages department.

And he’s been so supportive in helping us develop as a team.

And we also have our amazing mascot, Oscar.

Our mascot is the wildebeest.

So he is Oscar Wilde, the wildebeest.

-Very good.

And do you feel the strength of the wildebeest?

-Absolutely.

Every day.

-All right.

Beautiful.

Daniel, tell us about who’s with you from Bishop Ireton.

-So we’re with our head of school, Mrs. McNutt, our coach, Mr. Cogliano, who’s -- he’s a math teacher, and one of our principals, Dr. Hannon.

-Nice.

A whole team.

Well, it’s great to have everybody.

And Westfield’s Nevaeh.

Tell us who’s with you.

-We have our wonderful principal, Mr. DiBari.

-We would like to thank our alternate Jacob Garcia... -And our fantastic coach, Mr. Baranowski!

-Yay!

All right, well, now that we’ve met the teams, behind the teams, it is time for the Packet round.

So in this Packet round, of course, questions are worth 20 points, nothing off for a wrong answer.

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

Now, Sandy Spring Friends gets to answer questions first.

Bishop Ireton gets to choose [laughs] what position -- I’m only laughing because that was quite a yawn.

I’m tired, too, believe me.

All right.

So packet one, two, or three for Sandy Spring Friends?

-Two.

-Two.

It wasn’t until 1991 that Connecticut required dogs and cats to get shots for what infectious disease sometimes called hydrophobia?

-Rabies.

-Rabies.

-Rabies it is.

When William Penn founded Pennsylvania, it became a haven for members of what specific religious group of which Penn belonged?

-Is it Quakers?

-Yeah.

-Quakers.

-[ Laughing ] Very good.

That was an easy one for you guys.

Mercenaries are not a new idea.

During the American Revolution, the British hired what German soldiers named for their home province?

-Hessians.

-Correct.

Here’s your science question.

Demagnetized, charged, magnetized -- When strands of hair are attached to a hard rubber comb, that means the comb is in which of these conditions?

-Charged?

'Cause it's static.

Charged?

-Charged is right.

Here are over 100 chemical elements, but the only one with a three-letter name is what metal whose symbol is SN?

-Tin.

-Tin.

-Tin is correct.

If you decide to attend Ursinus College, you might be assigned the same dorm room once occupied by what author of "Catcher in the Rye"?

-Salinger.

-Salinger.

Salinger.

-Yeah.

Here’s your math question.

When simplified, this expression equals X to what power?

-11.

-Yeah.

-It's 20 minus 9.

-Yeah.

11.

-Yes, it is.

Last year, a giant stingray weighing 661 pounds was pulled from the Mekong River in what country where Phnom Penh is capital?

-Cambodia.

-Cambodia.

Cambodia.

-And with that answer, you have a 25-point bonus.

Well done, Sandy Spring Friends.

[ Cheers and applause ] Now it’s Bishop Ireton's turn.

Westfield, packet one or packet three?

-Three.

-Titan, the largest moon orbiting Saturn, is bigger than what planet closest to the sun?

-Mercury.

-Yes.

Measured at 188 decibels, the loudest sounds made by any animal are in the calls of what largest aquatic mammal?

-Blue whale.

-Blue whale.

-Blue whale is right.

A graduate astronomy student named an asteroid after what state, where he got his degree and whose capital is Bismarck?

-North Dakota.

-That’s right.

Here’s your science question.

Is polarized, is focused, has the same frequency -- A laser emits essentially monochromatic light.

The term "monochromatic" means that all the light coming from the laser is which of these?

-At the same frequency.

-Yes, as a matter of fact.

The Boston Tea Party was an early tax protest, as was the 1794 Pennsylvania Rebellion named for what stronger drink?

-Whiskey.

-Whiskey?

-Whiskey it is.

A London publication called "Monthly Magazine" was the first to print stories by what English author who later wrote "Great Expectations"?

-Dickens.

-Dickens.

-Yes.

Here’s your math question.

What is the positive value of this expression?

-Hold on.

So three... 10.

-10 is right.

Scientists were richly rewarded when the remains of a nine-foot-long gigantic rodent were found in a fossil-rich area of what South American country whose capital is Caracas?

-Venezuela.

-Venezuela is right.

Well done.

Bishop Ireton getting a 25-point bonus and 385 points.

Beautiful.

And now to Westfield.

Here’s the first question.

Back in 1928, a young Mexican actor was chosen as the model for what small statues given to Academy Award winners?

-Oscars.

-Yeah.

Made up mainly of dark matter, the Dragonfly 44 galaxy is considered a dark twin of what galaxy which includes our solar system?

-The Milky Way?

-Milky Way.

-The Milky Way?

-Yep.

That’s it.

The ancient Egyptians claimed their gods had bones made of what precious metal whose symbol is AG?

-Gold?

-Silver.

-Silver.

Silver.

-Silver.

Nice save.

Here’s your science question.

Electrons, neutrons, protons -- The number of which of these determines the valence of an atom?

-Electrons.

-Electrons is right.

Oliver Hazard Perry’s famous message, "We have met the enemy, and they are ours," referred to a naval battle fought in 1813 on which of the Great Lakes?

-Um... Champlain?

-No.

Lake Erie.

The phrase the British Homer was used to describe what 17th-century British poet who wrote the epic "Paradise Lost"?

Answer?

In 3, 2, 1... -Dante?

-John Milton.

Here’s your math question.

Evaluate this expression, giving your answer as an integer.

-49?

-Yep.

You can find the Latin word for "free" in the name of what African country settled by freed American slaves?

-Liberia?

-Liberia is right.

Westfield -- 340 points.

That does it for the Packet round, everybody.

But don’t worry, we’ve got another one coming up.

It’s the Grabbag.

Stick around.

-Hello.

I’m David Rubenstein.

Did you know that Alaska's state flag was the work of a 13-year-old boy named Benny Benson, who, at the time, was living in an orphanage?

He won a contest to determine its design and won a $1,000 scholarship.

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

♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] -All right.

It is time for the... -Grabbag round!

-Yes!

As you undoubtedly know, questions are worth 20 points up or down.

Some questions will be on your monitors.

Let’s go.

Which of our first three presidents did not sign the Declaration of Independence?

Sandy Spring.

-Adams?

Adams?

-George Washington.

It takes approximately 4.6 years for light to reach Earth from what -- Westfield.

-The sun?

-Alpha Centauri.

One family feud took an unpleasant turn when England’s Elizabeth I ordered the beheading of what cousin?

Westfield.

-Mary, Queen of Scots.

-Yes, that’s right.

On your monitors.

In 1982, the Galunggung volcano erupted on what Indonesian island where Jakarta -- Ireton.

-Bali.

-Java.

Sorry.

Apple sauce squeezed from a tube was the only food eaten during the 1962 space flight of what U.S. Astronaut?

Sandy Spring.

-Glenn.

-Glenn.

Glenn?

-John Glenn is right.

30 is what percent of 24?

-120?

-125, Bishop Ireton.

Close.

Through what English town does zero degrees longitude or the prime -- Westfield.

-Greenwich.

Greenwich it is.

On your monitors.

"Adventures are to the adventurous."

This thought was expressed by what 19th-century British prime Minister who was -- Westfield.

Answer?

3, 2, 1.

-Churchill.

-Disraeli.

It is thought that a Native American word meaning "large" was the origin of the name of what largest city in Southern Florida?

Sandy Spring.

-Miami?

-Miami?

-Miami it is.

Does an ammeter measure current, capacity, or wattage?

The answer is current.

Pittsburgh lost to the Red Sox in the first modern World Series in what same year in which the Wright brothers scored a hit with -- Sandy Spring -1903.

-Answer?

-1903.

-Yes, it is.

On your monitors.

Also known as Robin Goodfellow, this is what -- Sandy Spring.

-Puck.

-Puck.

Correct.

Though it took 18 years to complete, Emperor Shah Jahan must have been pleased with -- Ireton.

-Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal it is.

What is the common logarithm for 10 million?

Sandy Spring.

-Seven?

-Yeah, seven.

Nice.

Laurence Dunbar wrote many of his poems while employed as an operator of what Elisha Otis device used in multistory -- Ireton.

-Telegraph.

-Pardon me?

-Telegraph.

-No.

Elevator.

The Ten Commandments were first listed in what second book of the Bible?

Sandy Spring.

-Yes.

Exodus.

-Exodus it is.

The Minotaur wasn’t the only thing that lived in a maze.

So do the Grievers in "The Maze Runner" by what author?

Sandy Spring.

-James Dashner.

-Yeah, that’s it.

Oceanographer Jacques Cousteau explored the seas in what ship named for the nymph -- Sandy Spring?

-Calypso.

-Calypso is correct.

A strategy devised by the Athenian statesman Themistocles enabled the Greeks to defeat the Persians in -- Ireton.

-Salamis.

-Yes.

Very well done.

And just in time for the buzzer.

That’s the end of the game.

Keep it here, because we’re going to tabulate these scores and have the results for you 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.

My name is Gavin Smith.

I attend Independence High School.

For volunteer experience, I work at my school’s coffee shop, and the goal of the coffee shop is to help special- education students work in a controlled environment to help build their people and working skills that they can use in the real world.

And I find this job very rewarding.

As I get to interact with these kids, I’m more open-minded, and I get to build some more people skills alongside these special- education students.

-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 ] -Well, the scores are now official.

And we begin with Westfield High School from Chantilly, Virginia.

Zoe, Nevaeh, and Yushak, 340 points.

Nicely done, guys.

And from Bishop Ireton in Alexandria, Dallas, Daniel, Newman, 365 points.

Nice.

And coming back for the playoffs, Sandy Spring Friends blowing it up.

Diego, Greta, Justin, and the wildebeest, 625 points.

Well done.

Hey, stay with us because we are going to be back in just one moment, so please stay where you are.

-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.

-Thanks so much for being with us today, because we wouldn’t be here without you.

See you next time on "It’s Academic."

I’m Hillary Howard.

Say bye, everybody.

Bye!

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪