>> JOE HANSON: Coming up on High School Quiz Show, it's the wild card match with Saint John's High School... (cheers and applause) ...taking on Maynard High School.

(cheers and applause) Coming up next on High School Quiz Show.

(cheers and applause) ♪ ♪ Major funding for High School Quiz Show is provided by Safety Insurance.

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You can ask an independent agent about Safety Insurance.

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>> HANSON: Additional funding is provided by UMass Amherst.

>> At the University of Massachusetts Amherst... >> ...a revolutionary spirit runs through our veins.

>> As pioneers... >> Builders... >> Unconventional doers... >> We dream bigger... >> ...reach higher... >> ...and commit ourselves to the relentless pursuit of progress.

(cheers and applause) >> HANSON: Hi, everybody, and welcome to the 15th season of High School Quiz Show.

I'm Joe Hanson, your host.

This is my first season and my first episode with High School Quiz Show.

I could not be more excited to be here.

Before we get started, I want to welcome our teams and our audience back to the studio.

Give yourselves a round of applause.

(cheers and applause) So, as they do every year, teams from across the commonwealth competed in our Super Sunday qualifying event.

Seventeen teams earned a spot in this year's competition, and are hoping to become the next High School Quiz Show state champion.

In today's wildcard match, Maynard High School and Saint John's High School from Shrewsbury make their High School Quiz Show debut and are competing for the final spot in the tournament bracket.

On the Maynard team we have: Sean, Megan, Harry, and Elise with alternates Luke and Gavin and coach Douglas Luther.

(cheers and applause) Competing for Saint John's we have: Lawson, Rohil, Andrew, and Rushil with alternate Ryan and coach Michael Curran.

(cheers and applause) The competition has four rounds: a toss-up, head-to-head, category, and the lightning round.

We start with the toss-up round.

All answers are worth ten points.

There are no point deductions for wrong answers and players may confer.

So teams, if you're ready, good luck and here we go.

According to folklore, you will have bad luck if you say the title of what Shakespeare play while inside a theater?

Elise.

>> Macbeth.

>> HANSON: That's right.

Because they're neither too hot nor too cold, planets that could potentially support life are nicknamed after what fairy tale character?

Rohil.

>> Goldilocks.

>> HANSON: That's right.

In August 2023, which Hawaiian island was the site of a deadly wildfire that destroyed the historic town of Lahaina?

Lawson.

>> Maui.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

The television series The Summer I Turned Pretty is based on the young adult romance trilogy by what author?

Megan.

>> Jenny Han.

>> HANSON: Correct.

Now take a look at your screens.

Of all of ancient Rome's great buildings, only one remains intact: what landmark in Rome, seen here, was built about 2,000 years ago as a pagan temple and is still in use today as a Catholic church?

Andrew.

>> Pantheon.

>> HANSON: That's right.

The Thames barrier is a large movable barrier built to prevent flooding of what European city?

Rohil.

>> London.

>> HANSON: Yes.

The Calypso songs "Day-O" and "Jump in the Line" were recorded by what trailblazing performer and civil rights activist who passed away in 2023 at age 96?

Megan.

>> Belafonte.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Harry Belafonte.

In Homer's Odyssey, what faithful wife of Odysseus resists the many suitors who take up residence in her house and vie for her hand in marriage?

Rushil.

>> Penelope.

>> HANSON: Yes, that's right.

Which planet has a Great Red Spot, a giant, oval-shaped anticyclone that's been raging for centuries and is believed to be the most powerful storm in our solar system?

Andrew.

>> Jupiter.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

For our next question, now take a look at your screens.

We have our question from a very special guest.

>> Hi, everybody, I'm Billy Costa, long-time and former host of High School Quiz Show.

First and foremost, I want to congratulate GBH on this, the 15th anniversary season of High School Quiz Show.

Q15 is what we call it behind the scenes.

And by the way, good luck to all of the teams competing, and congratulations to all of the teams for making it to High School Quiz Show.

It is not an easy task.

Anyway, here's my question: In 1991, who sent a memo to MTV requesting that VJs refer to him as the King of Pop?

>> HANSON: Rohil.

>> Michael Jackson.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

Moving on to our next question.

In 2023, part of a highway that runs past Paisley Park recording studios in Minnesota was renamed after what late pop superstar?

Andrew.

>> Prince.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Which letter of the Greek alphabet is used to represent a change in quantity in math and science?

Is it: alpha, sigma, or delta?

Sean.

>> Delta.

>> HANSON: Yes, that's right.

Once known as Ceylon, what island nation is located about 40 miles off the southeast coast India?

Megan.

>> Sri Lanka.

>> HANSON: Correct.

Who played for UNC Chapel Hill before leading the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships in the 1990s?

Rushil.

>> Michael Jordan.

>> HANSON: Yes.

John Proctor confesses to witchcraft but refuses to accuse others in what Arthur Miller play that is an allegory for McCarthyism?

Lawson.

>> The Crucible.

>> HANSON: Correct.

Which of Newton's Laws of Motion states that "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction"?

Lawson.

>> Third.

>> HANSON: Yes, that's correct.

The longest-serving female senator in U.S. history, what California Democrat passed away in 2023 at age 90?

Andrew.

>> Dianne Feinstein.

>> HANSON: Correct.

Which of the following measurements is the longest?

Is it: a mile, a hectometer, or a kilometer?

Lawson.

>> A mile.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

What dessert, made up of ice cream, sponge cake, and meringue and placed briefly in a hot oven, was named in honor of a purchase the United States made from Russia in 1867?

Rushil.

>> Crème brûlée.

>> HANSON: No, Maynard?

Megan?

>> Baked Alaska.

>> HANSON: Correct.

Baked Alaska.

In November 2022, what Kentucky Republican became the longest-serving party leader in Senate history when he was reelected as minority leader?

Andrew.

>> Mitch McConnell.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

Stars on Mars is a reality show that suits up and prepares celebrities to live in a colony that's been created to look like Mars.

It's hosted by what actor who originated the role of Star Trek's Captain Kirk?

Rohil.

>> William Shatner.

>> HANSON: Correct.

What major Canadian city is located on a 30-mile-long island at the confluence of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers?

Lawson.

>> Québec.

>> HANSON: No.

Maynard, you have the opportunity.

Sean.

>> Québec City.

>> HANSON: No, the answer's Montréal.

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice famously begins, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man "in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a..." what?

Rohil.

>> Love.

>> HANSON: No.

Maynard, you have the opportunity to answer.

Megan.

>> Wife.

>> HANSON: Correct, wife.

In 2022, Dina Boluarte became the first female president of which South American country?

Is it: Peru, Chile, or Bolivia?

Rohil.

>> Bolivia.

>> HANSON: No.

Maynard, you have the opportunity to answer.

Sean.

>> Peru.

>> HANSON: That's correct, Peru.

Scientists predict that in about 15 million years, Los Angeles and San Francisco will be neighbors because plate tectonics is pushing the earth along what 800-mile fault line in California?

Lawson.

>> San Andreas.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

Best known for starring in the '90s sitcom The Nanny, in July 2023 what SAG-AFTRA union president announced that Hollywood actors were going on strike?

Elise.

>> Fran Drescher.

>> HANSON: Yes.

In 1984, Ronald Reagan was re-elected president by a landslide 525 electoral votes.

He beat the previous record of 523 votes set by what president in 1936?

Lawson.

>> Franklin Roosevelt.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

Beetlejuice 2 is set to be released in September 2024.

The new film is said to feature the return of Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz, and what young star of the Netflix series Wednesday as Lydia's daughter?

Lawson.

>> Jenna Ortega.

>> HANSON: Correct.

What state constitution was the primary model for the United States Constitution?

Rohil.

>> Massachusetts.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Found throughout the American West and Southwest, what flat-topped mountain or hill is named for the Spanish word for "table"?

Rohil.

>> Mesa.

>> HANSON: Correct.

(bell rings) That's the end of the toss-up round.

And the score is: Maynard 90 points and Saint John's 200 points.

Still a lot of game to play.

Let's hear it for both teams.

(cheers and applause) The head-to-head round is next, but first, we're going to take a few minutes to get to know our players.

And, as always, we do that with a question.

Maynard, we'll start with you.

Sean, what punctuation mark best matches your personality, and why?

>> You know, I have to say I'm a quotation mark, because my family says I talk too much.

>> HANSON (chuckling): All right.

Well that's a good thing today.

Megan?

>> I'd say I'm a question mark.

I like to think I'm pretty curious.

I'm always asking questions and trying to learn.

>> HANSON: That's why you're up here today.

Harry.

>> I would say I'm a period because I'm pretty matter of fact most of the time.

Either a yes or no, black and white, that kind of thing.

>> HANSON: Period.

Elise.

>> I think it's gotta be an ellipses, because no matter what happens, I'm always going to keep going.

>> HANSON: Right, leave people wanting more.

Suspense, I like it.

All right, Lawson, what about you?

Saint John's?

>> If I were to pick a punctuation mark I'd have to say probably a question mark 'cause I find myself to be a curious person.

>> HANSON: I think we have a theme up here today, there's a lot of curious people.

Rohil?

>> I'd say I'm an apostrophe because I could serve many different functions.

>> HANSON: I like that.

Jack of all trades.

Andrew.

>> I'd have to say that I'm an exclamation point.

I think it's always important to bring the energy.

>> HANSON: All right, let's see that today.

Rushil.

>> I'd say I'm a hyphen because I try my best to bring people and communities together.

>> HANSON: The glue for the team, I like that.

All right, teams, it is time to go head to head.

(cheers and applause) In this round, correct answers add ten points to the team total, and wrong answers result in a ten-point deduction.

The clock is set at 90 seconds.

Handshake before we begin.

And here we go.

In 2005, approximately 80% of New Orleans was flooded after the city was hit by-- >> Hurricane Katrina.

>> HANSON: Correct.

Name the Roman counterpart to the Greek goddess Aphrodite.

>> Uh, Venus.

>> HANSON: Yes.

On the periodic table of elements, what is the chemical symbol for mercury?

>> Hg.

>> HANSON: Yes.

United States senators are elected to a term of how many years?

>> Four.

>> HANSON: No, six.

Climate crises, authoritarianism, and cultish power grabs appear in what 1965 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert?

(buzzer) Dune.

In 1781, what young French aristocrat led approximately 4,500 American troops at the Battle of Yorktown?

>> Lafayette.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Roughly 40 years, beginning in the 1890s, four Massachusetts towns were intentionally flooded and destroyed to create what reservoir?

(buzzer) Quabbin Reservoir.

In 2023, what Canadian-American actor won an Oscar for Best Actor for his lead role in the film The Whale?

(buzzer) Brendan Fraser.

Who won the popular vote in the 2016 U.S. presidential-- >> Hillary Clinton.

>> HANSON: Yes.

The largest synagogue in Europe is located in what capital city of Hungary?

>> Budapest.

>> HANSON: Yes.

The James Webb Space Telescope has identified clouds on Titan, the largest moon of which pl-- >> Mercury.

>> HANSON: No, Saturn.

The Mississippi River begins in Minnesota and ends in what Southern state?

(buzzer) Louisiana.

In the United States-- (bell rings) Ooh, and that's all the time.

That's the end of the round.

(cheers and applause) Let's take a look at the score.

Maynard has 100 points and Saint John's has 230 points.

Let's have a round of applause for both teams.

(cheers and applause) Up next, the category round with the following categories: Fade to Black, Born to Be Wild, Acropolis Now, Hansel Culture, Leave Only Footprints, and My Hero, Zero.

All categories have five questions with increasing point value.

Teams will choose two five-question categories each and have the option to toss one question per category to the other team that the other team must answer.

Players are able to confer.

Maynard, who's your spokesperson going to be?

Sean.

Saint John's, who's your spokesperson?

Rohil.

All right.

Now, Maynard, you've got a little bit of ground to make up.

We're going to let you pick the first category.

>> We're gonna go with My Hero, Zero.

>> HANSON: My Hero, Zero.

Questions in this category are about math.

For ten points: the three internal angles of a triangle always add up to how many degrees?

>> 180.

>> HANSON: That's right.

For 15 points: if two legs of a right triangle are six feet and eight feet, what is the length of the hypotenuse?

>> (whispering): Ten?

>> (whispering): Yeah, ten, ten.

>> We're gonna go with ten.

>> HANSON: Ten is correct.

Next in My Hero, Zero for 20 points: a boy is 17 years old and his sister is twice as old.

When the boy is 23 years old, what will be the age of his sister?

>> 40.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

40.

For 25 points: a stock room contains 2,400 test tubes.

200 are defective.

In a random sample of 12 tubes, how many would you expect to be defective?

>> (indistinct whispering) >> HANSON: We'll need an answer.

>> (whispering): Two.

>> Two.

>> HANSON: No, the answer is one.

And for 30 points in My Hero, Zero: you have 15 yards of string for your 20 bakery boxes, and each box gets the same amount of string.

In lowest terms, how much string will each box get, in yards?

Please give your answer as a fraction.

>> (whispering): Should we toss it?

>> (whispering): No, they're going to know what it is.

>> (whispering): Should we pass?

Should we pass?

>> HANSON: We'll need an answer.

>> We're gonna pass.

>> HANSON: Pass the question, yes.

The answer is three-fourths.

And that's all for My Hero, Zero.

Saint John's, what's your first category?

>> We're gonna say Acropolis Now.

>> HANSON: Acropolis Now.

In this category, all the questions are about Ancient Greece.

For ten points: in Greek mythology, what mountain was regarded as the home of the gods and the site of the throne of Zeus?

>> Olympus.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

For 15 points: in Homer's Odyssey, what Greek island in the Ionian Sea is the home of Odysseus's palace?

>> (whispering): Ithaca.

>> Are you sure?

>> Yes.

Ithaca.

>> HANSON: Yes.

For 20 points in Acropolis Now: what Greek philosopher taught the children of Macedonian nobles, including a 13-year-old Alexander the Great?

>> Aristotle.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

For 25 points: All free Greek males-- from farmers to royal heirs-- were allowed to compete in the Olympic Games.

Winners received a kotinos, a crown made from the branches of what tree?

>> (whispering): Olive.

Olive.

>> (whispering): It's olive.

>> It's olive, right?

You sure?

>> Yeah.

>> Olive.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

For 30 points: widely depicted in art and literature, the Battle of Marathon was a defining moment in the history of Greece.

What Persian king was defeated in his attempt to invade Greece?

>> (whispering): Pass?

>> (whispering): Toss it?

>> (whispering): Pass.

>> (whispering): We can toss it.

>> (whispering): No, pass.

>> (whispering): Why?

>> HANSON: We'll need an answer.

>> (whispering) >> Darius.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

>> HANSON: Maynard, back over to you for the next category.

>> We're gonna choose Born to Be Wild.

>> HANSON: Born to Be Wild.

Questions in this category are about animals.

For ten points: along with the bonobo, what species of ape is genetically the closest living relative to humans?

(whispering) >> Chimpanzee.

>> HANSON: Correct.

For 15 points: also known as caribou, what deer species found in the Arctic tundra is one of the few mammals that can see ultraviolet light?

>> Elk.

>> HANSON: No, reindeer.

For 20 points: sometimes called a sea cow, what animal is the official state marine mammal of Florida?

>> A manatee.

>> HANSON: Yes.

For 25 points in Born to Be Wild: what fish in the Hippocampus genus is one of the few animals in which the males become pregnant and give birth?

(whispering) >> Seahorse.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

For 30 points: what small, colorful bird is the only bird that can truly fly backwards, with precision, and without the assistance of wind?

>> (whispering): Hummingbird?

A hummingbird.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Saint John's, next category to you.

>> We're gonna go with Hansel Culture.

>> HANSON: Hansel Culture.

All the questions in this round are about fairy tales.

For ten points: what menacing figure from Nordic folklore lives under the bridge in "The Three Billy Goats Gruff"?

>> (whispering): Troll?

>> Uh, we're gonna pass.

>> HANSON: Pass.

The answer's a troll.

For 15 points: Dame Gothel is a sorceress in what Brothers Grimm story that's a classic example of "the Maiden in the Tower" fairy tale?

>> (whispering): "Rapunzel."

>> (whispering): "Rapunzel."

>> "Rapunzel."

>> HANSON: Yes.

For 20 points: The Fairy with Turquoise Hair, often simply referred to as the Blue Fairy, appears in what 1883 novel by Carlo Collodi?

>> (whispering): Pass.

(indistinct whispering) >> Toss.

>> HANSON: Toss it to you, Maynard.

>> (whispering): Pinocchio.

>> Pinocchio.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

For 25 points in Hansel Culture, back to you, Saint John's.

What original fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen inspired the Disney film Frozen?

>> (whispering): Pass.

>> Pass.

>> HANSON: The answer is "The Snow Queen."

And for 30 points in Hansel Culture: in Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga is a witch who dwells deep in the forest in a magical hut usually described as standing on what type of animal's legs?

>> Chicken.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

(bell rings) And that's the end of the category round.

The score is Maynard 210 points, Saint John's in the lead with 375 points.

Let's hear it for both teams.

(cheers and applause) Okay, we are heading into the final round of play, the lightning round.

Correct answers add 20 points to the team total, and there is a 20-point deduction for incorrect answers.

The clock is set.

Here we go.

In 2023, what captain announced his retirement after a 19-year career-- Andrew.

>> Patrice Bergeron.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

What country is the world's largest exporter of conventional weapons?

Sean.

>> The U.S.A. >> HANSON: That's correct.

The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of what larger sea?

(buzzer) Mediterranean Sea.

In the film Maestro, Bradley Cooper plays what famous conductor-- Rohil.

>> Leonard Bernstein.

>> HANSON: Correct.

The 18th-century English scientist Joseph Priestley is generally credited with the discovery of what chemical element?

(buzzer) Oxygen.

The first women's collegiate basketball game took place in 1893 at what women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts?

Lawson.

>> Wellesley.

>> HANSON: No, Smith College.

In U.S. cooking measurements, how many teaspoons are in one tablespoon?

Megan.

>> Three.

>> HANSON: Correct.

What Shakespeare title character describes himself as "one that loved not wisely but too well"?

Elise.

>> Romeo.

>> HANSON: No, Othello.

What is the only chemical element that cannot be solidified by cooling at normal atmospheric pressure?

(buzzer) Helium.

What bestselling 2022 novel by Bonnie Garmus is about a research chemist who becomes-- Megan.

>> Lessons in Chemistry.

>> HANSON: Yes.

"The invisible hand of the market" is a metaphor conceived by what economist in his 17-- Andrew.

>> Adam Smith.

>> HANSON: Yes.

In 1827, the capital of Maine was changed from Portland-- (bell rings) Ooh, the answer is Augusta.

That is the end of the lightning round.

And the winning team this week is Saint John's with a final score of 415 points.

Maynard finishes with 250 points.

Congratulations to both teams for a great game.

Saint John's has earned a spot in this year's tournament bracket and moves on to play returning champions Buckingham Browne & Nichols.

Join us next week for the match between Commonwealth and South High.

We'll see you next week, right here on High School Quiz Show.

(cheers and applause) ♪ ♪ Major funding for High School Quiz Show is provided by Safety Insurance.

>> Boston traffic is the worst.

Safety Insurance offers auto insurance policies designed to help for when the worst happens.

You can ask an independent agent about Safety Insurance.

Safety Insurance, we'll help you manage life's storms.

>> HANSON: Additional funding is provided by the Museum of Science.

♪ ♪ (cheers and applause) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (cheers and applause) ♪ ♪