-Students from Sherwood -- Montgomery Blair -- and Holton-Arms meet today on "It's Academic!"

[ Applause ] ♪♪♪ ♪♪ Hello, everybody.

I'm Hillary Howard.

So happy you're with us on "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 ] -Hello, there.

We are so happy you've joined us today for another "It's Academic" competition.

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

I know you guys know how it works.

Questions are worth 10 points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

Here we go.

Along with oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers, there are bays of all sizes, so this round will be all about bays and things related to them.

-Blair.

-Hudson.

-Yeah.

In 1961, the U.S. backed an unsuccessful raid -- Holton-Arms, answer.

Three, two, one.

-Bay of Pigs.

-Just got it.

-Sherwood.

-Bengal.

-Yes.

Holton.

Answer.

-Uh -- -The answer is Ireland.

-U.K. -Montego Bay is in this country, where -- -Jamaica.

-Sherwood.

Yes, it's Jamaica.

This Alabama Bay was the site of a -- -Yes, Blair.

-Mobile.

-Mobile is right.

-Bay of Fundy.

-Bay of Fundy is right.

That is nice, Blair.

This large Florida bay names a major league -- Holton.

Answer.

-Miami?

-No, it's Tampa Bay.

And that does it for our Fast Start.

Let's check out those scores.

Sherwood, home of the Warriors, 120 points.

Montgomery Blair, home of the Blazers, 130 points.

Holton-Arms, home of the Panthers, 90 points.

[ Applause ] All right.

It is time to meet the teams before we dive into the Mix & Match round.

We begin with Sherwood from Sandy spring, Maryland.

Hey, Ziv, tell us something about yourself.

-Hi.

I'm on my school newspaper, and I'm the managing online editor.

-And what do you get from doing that?

-So I get to run the website.

I really enjoy writing and interviewing people.

It's really fun.

-That's great.

Well, it's good to see you again, Ziv.

Hello, Catherine.

-Hello.

I am an avid murder mystery reader.

[ Laughter ] -Who's your favorite author?

-Agatha Christie.

-Ooh, Agatha Christie!

Oldie but a goodie.

Best book of hers?

-Mm, that's hard, but I'd say "Murder on the Orient Express."

-Oh, yeah.

And when you're reading those books, I mean, you just can't turn the pages fast enough, can you?

-No, you absolutely cannot.

-Think you could write one?

-I'd like to try someday.

-All right.

I look forward to seeing that.

-Thank you.

-Hello, Nattie.

How ya doing?

-Hi, I'm Nattie, I'm a junior at Sherwood High School.

In my free time, I like to watch historical movies.

-Really?

Which historical movies do you like?

-Mostly World War II.

"Tora!

Tora!

Tora!"

is my favorite.

-Oh, you know what, I remember, you told me that last time.

You have a second favorite that you didn't tell me about last time?

-"Chernobyl" just came out.

That was really good.

-Oh, yeah, that was something.

All right, guys, I have questions for you.

They're worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

Look beyond the hippo and see if you can find here the hidden word for what measure of weight?

-Pound.

-Pound.

-Yes.

Unruly.

Dishonest.

Lethargic.

If people complained that you were obstreperous, they would be saying you're which of these?

-Oh, sure.

Dishonest.

-No.

Unruly.

On this date, thousands of Chinese students rallied for democracy in Tiananmen Square in what Chinese capital city?

-Beijing.

-That's it.

Horsed -- even if you're on foot, you can rearrange these letters to name what Greek island that in ancient times boasted a huge statue called the Colossus?

-Rhodes.

-Rhodes, it is.

We've eliminated the vowels from the name of what kind of celestial body that's like a very small planet?

-Asteroid?

-Yes.

This was the lament of what 31st president in office through the 1929 stock market crash and the beginning of the Great Depression?

-Hoover.

-Hoover is right.

Nice, Sherwood 220 points.

[ Applause ] And now off we go to Montgomery Blair from Silver Spring, Maryland.

Justin, good to see you again.

-Good to see you.

I'd really like to thank the rest of our quiz bowl club at Montgomery Blair, who helps us practice and who we have so much fun with during the school year.

-Yeah.

So what should we know about you?

-Well, I am also a writer on our school newspaper, Silver Chips.

-And we're very happy that you do.

Interesting article, most interesting article you've written.

-We recently wrote one where we went to various pubs in our area and wrote about their pub trivia games there.

That was a lot of fun to do.

-That's great.

Good to see you again.

Hello, Sophia.

-Hello.

Apart from doing quiz bowl, I participate in theater and band at our school, and I would like to thank our coaches for all of their support and help with our club.

-Are you working on the current production?

-We are currently in between productions, so I've just wrapped with the fall play.

-Which was?

-It was an adaptation of a PG Wodehouse novel called "Leave It to Psmith."

-Oh, wonderful.

How was it?

-It was fun.

It was quite fun to work on.

-Great.

Well, good to have you, and hello, Gugan.

-Hi.

I'm Gugan.

I'm a junior at Montgomery Blair High School, and I'd like to shout out our principal, Mr. Yates.

-Tell me something about you we should know.

-I have a website where I code stuff.

I simulate math.

Math stuff like the Mandelbrot set.

-That's really cool.

And what inspired you to do that?

-Not really sure.

[ Hillary laughs ] -That's okay.

That's good.

Listen, we've got some questions.

Here is your first one.

Even the Grinch can't keep you for 20 points if you find in this phrase the name of what long, narrow South American country?

-Chile.

-Chile.

-Chile.

-Yes.

Bulky Parcel.

Cupcake.

Spring Day.

Which of these words would best be described as cumbersome?

-Bulky parcel.

Bulky parcel?

-Yeah.

That's it.

July 27, 1953.

Over three years of fighting ended on this day when an armistice of what Asian war was signed in Panmunjom?

-Korean War.

-Yes.

-Reach Ruin.

Rearrange the letters in this phrase and you'll name what type of powerful storm sometimes called a typhoon?

-Hurricane.

-That's it.

Here you see the chemical symbol for carbon, but it appears in the name of what other element whose chemical symbol is Ca?

-Calcium.

-Calcium's right.

This quote comes from what man who did what seemed to be impossible by becoming the first Black president of South Africa, after serving 27 years in prison?

-Mandela.

-Yeah.

That's right.

Montgomery Blair Blazers, 250 points.

[ Applause ] And now to Holton-Arms School from Bethesda, Maryland.

Hello, Alex.

-Hi, I'm Alex, and I'm a 16 year old junior.

And I have a dog named Molly.

-You have a dog named Molly?

Well, tell us about Molly.

-She's a golden retriever, and she's really, really cute.

-It's a golden retriever.

I'm not sure -- dog lovers might challenge me -- I'm not sure there's a more loving dog on the planet than a golden retriever, right?

-She's really affectionate.

-I'm glad you have Molly.

-Thank you.

-Claire, hi.

-Hi.

I'm an 18 year old senior, and I enjoy creative writing.

-What are you writing on right now?

-Right now I'm working on a novel, and it's about a team in space.

They're on Mars and they're learning how to survive there.

-Wow.

Well, it's good to see you again, Claire.

And hello, Maggie.

-Hi.

I'm a 17 year old junior, and I love to bake in my free time.

-And what do you bake?

-My family has always baked homemade bread since I was really little, so I love making that.

-Well, lovely.

And I have questions.

You can help yourself by finding here the name of what American Army officer and explorer for whom a mountain peak in Colorado is named?

-Pike?

Pike.

-Yes.

Intransigent.

Ethereal.

Boisterous.

Which of these words would best describe someone who is very stubborn?

-Intransigent.

Intransigent?

That's it.

February 22nd, 1819.

The United States grew substantially on this date when Spain ceded the area that is now what southern peninsula state?

-Right?

Florida.

-That's it.

-Amused -- You'll be amused if you rearrange these letters to spell the name of what mythical gorgon who had a head full of snakes?

-Medusa.

-The terrifying Medusa.

You see the abbreviation for New York in the middle of the name of what African country whose capital is Nairobi?

-Kenya.

-That's it.

This statement is attributed to what Mormon religious leader whose name was given to a major university in Utah?

-Brigham Young.

-Nicely done.

Holton-Arms, 210 points.

[ Applause ] That does it for Mix and Match.

Picture Perfect next.

-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.

-Okay, audience, you're up.

The main ingredient of nail polish is nitrocellulose, which was developed for car paint.

Back to the game.

♪♪ [ Applause ] Well, we're going to begin the Picture Perfect round.

And in this round, questions are worth 20 points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

Teams, this is music from a Mozart symphony known by what title that identifies the chief Roman god, similar to -- Holton.

-Jupiter?

-Answer?

-Jupiter.

Yes.

Camille Pissarro, who painted this work, was born on St. Thomas in what West Indies island group that the United States -- -Blair.

-Virgin Islands.

-That's right.

This was the remark of what very competent and prolific writer?

-Asimov.

-Yeah, Asimov is right.

Nice, Blair.

What is the length of the diagonal of -- Holton?

-10.

-10.

-10 is right.

This is lingua, a language spoken by a nomadic tribe that traveled between Argentina and what other country whose capital is Asunción?

Yeah, Blair.

-Paraguay.

-That's it.

This is what man who was captain of the Bonhomme Richard and -- Yes, Holton.

Answer.

Three, two, one.

-John Paul Jones.

-Thank you.

Destructive distillation.

Fractional distillation.

Clarification.

The process of making wood into charcoal is called which -- Blair.

-Probably destructive distillation.

-Destructive -- -Yes.

Very good.

There are two miles of gold wire in this dazzling sculpture named for what celestial body 93 million miles -- Blair.

-The sun.

-The sun.

-The sun is right.

And that does it for the Picture Perfect round.

Let's take a look at these scores.

Sherwood, 220 points.

Montgomery Blair, 350 points.

Holton-Arms, 270 points.

[ Applause ] Well, we've all learned about these fabulous students already.

Now we get to learn about the people who back them up.

We begin with Sherwood.

Catherine, tell us who's with you today.

-We'd like to thank our coaches, Mr. King and Mr. Allen, who are also our lovely AP Government teachers at Sherwood, for everything they do for us.

They run the practices, they take us places, and they're always there to support us.

And we'd also like to thank our alternate, Kenzie, for being here with us today.

-Awesome.

Really glad to have you guys.

And from Montgomery Blair, Sophia, tell us about your team.

-Here with us today we have our coaches, Mr. Rada and Miss Partan, who, like they said, really support us, help us practice, you know, drive us around.

And in Miss Partan's case, bake us wonderful brownies.

And I'd also like to thank our coaches who are not here today, Mr. Schafer and Mr. Hammond, for their additional support.

-All right.

Well, it's good to have you guys again, of course.

And to Holton -- Tell us, Claire, who's with you?

-We would like to thank our coaches, Mr. Tupper, Dr. Krug, and Miss Gagne.

We would also like to thank our coach who couldn't make it, Miss Siddiqui and our lovely alternate Sasha.

-Beautiful.

Mr. Tupper, how long have you been coaching?

-I think it's 51.

-51 years!

How about that?

[ Applause ] All right.

Now that we've met everybody, we can begin the Packet round.

And in the Packet round, Sherwood, you get to answer questions first.

Montgomery Blair, which packet will they answer questions from?

-Is it like three?

-Sure.

-Three.

-Packet number three.

All right.

Questions are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

If you get all of them right, there's a 25 point bonus.

Here we go.

In the 1920s, Australian officials imported moths, hoping they'd eat the flowers off of what prickly plants found in the desert?

-Cactus.

-Cactus.

-Yes.

Tricking your enemies goes back to ancient times, when the Greeks used what large device to enter the city of Troy and end the Trojan War?

-The Trojan Horse.

-Yeah, I heard that whisper.

Yes.

You're right.

The Taymyr Peninsula, which supports the world's largest herd of reindeer, is located in what cold Russian region once known for its forced labor camps?

-Siberia.

-Yeah.

Here's your science question.

Parietal, tarsal, radius.

Which of these bones forms a portion of the human skull?

-Tarsal.

-Tarsal?

-Nope.

It's parietal.

At the time the city of Denver was named in his honor, James Denver was serving as governor, not of Colorado, but of what Great Plains territory described as Bleeding?

-Kansas.

-Kansas.

Kansas it is.

With over 3,900 lines, one of Shakespeare's longest plays is what tragedy whose lines include "To be or not to be?"

-Oh -- "Hamlet?"

-That is the question.

And you got that right.

Here's your math question.

Solve for x.

-Yeah, 4.

-Yes.

A blue stripe representing the Mekong River appears on the flag of what Southeast Asian country, whose capital is Vientiane?

-Myanmar?

-No, it's Laos.

But nicely done, Sherwood -- 340 points.

[ Applause ] Blair's up.

Holton-Arms, which packet -- 1 or 2?

-Let's give them 1.

-1.

All right.

The national flag of Saudi Arabia includes a quotation from what holy book of Islam?

-The Quran?

-Yeah.

-Some astronomers have warned of great destruction in 2126 if the Earth is hit by Swift-Tuttle, which is what type of celestial body, similar to Halley's.

-Comet.

-Yeah.

The Romans used the phrase "god of trade" to describe what messenger God corresponding to the Greek Hermes?

-Mercury.

-Yes.

Here's your science question.

A flavor not commonly recognized by the sense of taste is which of these?

-Alkaline.

Alkaline.

-Yeah, that's it.

In 1996, Congress proclaimed May 10th a special day to honor which of your five senses, referred to as olfactory?

-Smell.

-Smell is right.

One of the Italians who fought in the 13th century Battle of Campaldino was what man better known as the author of "The Divine Comedy"?

-Dante.

-Correct.

Here's your math question.

What is the positive value of this expression, giving your answer as a fraction?

-2/3.

-2/3.

-2/3, it is.

98% of the land is covered by forest in what South American country whose capital is Paramaribo?

-Suriname.

-Suriname.

-Suriname is right.

And with that, Montgomery Blair, home of the Blazers, you've got a 25-point bonus!

[ Applause ] Great.

And now to Holton-Arms.

Ladies, Walter Lord's book, "A Night to Remember," is remembered as an account of the 1912 sinking of what famous ocean liner that hit an iceberg and sank on its maiden voyage?

-The Titanic.

-The Titanic, yes.

It was during the Second World War that women in France were granted what right guaranteed to American women by the 19th amendment?

-Voting.

-Yeah.

According to the ancient Greeks, a tail made of snakes was wagged by what mythical three-headed dog that guarded the entrance to Hades?

-Cerberus.

-Correct.

Here's your science question.

Which of these terms refers to the fluid part of your blood which remains when the cells have been removed?

-Plasma.

-Yes.

Mosquitoes aren't known for dental hygiene, though they average how many teeth, the next highest prime number after 43?

-47.

-Yes.

To celebrate the marriage of President Grant's daughter, Nellie, a poem titled "A Kiss for the Bride" was written by what poet, better known for "Leaves of Grass"?

-Whitman.

-Yes.

Here's your math question.

What is the size of angle X in this isosceles triangle?

-40.

-Correct.

"How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents" is the title of Julia Alvarez's book about sisters from what Caribbean nation that shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti?

-Dominican Republic.

-Yeah, and, boy, we've got another 25-point bonus.

Way to go, Holton.

[ Applause ] Stay with us because you know what's next.

It's the Grab Bag.

See you in a minute.

[ Applause ] ♪♪ -Hello.

I'm David Rubenstein.

Did you know researchers have now decided that the chicken came before the egg?

So that's one thing we no longer have to worry about.

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

♪♪ [ Applause ] -Before we begin the Grab Bag round, of course, we're going to recap the scores, but you should know technology isn't always perfect.

As a result, we have two scores that are 5 points less than they should be.

Let's do them.

Sherwood, 340 points, Montgomery Blair, 535 points, and Holton-Arms 455 points.

[ Applause ] So, in the Grab Bag, questions are worth 20 points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

On February 22nd, George Washington's birthday -- Yes, Sherwood.

Answer 3, 2 -- -Mount Vernon.

-Ooh, yeah!

Good.

"Uncle Tom's Children" wasn't written by Harriet Beecher Stowe but by what African-American author of "Native Son"?

Yes, Holton.

-Richard Wright.

-Yes.

You would be familiar with such terms as arch, loop, and whorl if you were a police technician -- Holton.

-Fingerprints.

-Yes.

On your screens.

The Great Bed of Ware, which measures 10 by 11 feet, is mentioned in what Shakespeare comedy whose characters include Viola and Sir -- Yes, Holton.

Answer.

-"Twelfth Night."

-Yes.

In honor of which American First Lady did the initials E.R.

appear?

Yes, Holton.

-Eleanor Roosevelt.

-Yeah.

Once a popular lecturer at the University of Glasgow, what 18th century Scottish economist is known today -- Blair.

-Adam Smith.

-Adam Smith is right.

"The Invention That Changed the World" is the subtitle of a book whose title names what directional device that feature -- Sherwood.

Answer.

-Compass.

-Compass, it is.

On your screens.

These are the words of what German physicist who won -- Blair.

-Einstein.

-No, Planck.

Max Planck.

In John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" -- -Yes, Holton.

Uh-oh.

[ Chuckles ] In 3, 2, 1.

The answer is "doubting."

It's a long question.

I won't get into it.

Choice -- as the frequency of a sound wave increases -- Holton.

-Wavelength decreases.

-No, stays the same.

To highlight the threat of global warming, leaders from the Maldive Islands once held an underwater meeting in what ocean where the Maldives are located?

Blair.

Answer.

-Indian.

-Yep, it's the Indian Ocean.

On your screens.

Warri-- Sherwood.

-Mozambique.

[ Buzzer ] -No, we were going for Portugal.

This is the flag of Vanuatu, an archipelago discovered by explorers from what country associated with Prince Henry the Navigator?

Sorry.

The clue was right at the end.

That does it for us.

That's the end of the game.

We're checking out these scores, and we will have more for you in just a minute, so please stay where you are.

[ Applause ] -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 Cori Avent.

I'm a junior at McDonough, and I've been reaching out into my community through assisting students with disabilities.

I do this through unified bocce and PE Leadership.

PE Leadership is a class offered at my school where I'm allowed to assist students with disabilities in their PE class, allowing games to be more inclusive for them.

And for unified bocce, it's a sport where the McDonough general population and students with disabilities come together and we compete against other schools.

This community activity has been really rewarding for me, and I really do appreciate doing this all throughout my years in high school.

-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 ] -The scores are now official.

We begin with the Sherwood Warriors, from Sandy Spring, Maryland.

Ziv, Catherine, Natty, 380 points.

[ Applause ] From Bethesda, Maryland, Holton-Arms, home of the Panthers.

Alex, Claire, Maggie, 495 points.

And coming back for the playoffs, Montgomery Blair, home of the Blazers.

Justin, Sophia, and Gugan, 555 points.

Nice job, guys.

[ Applause ] We are so glad that you were here with us for another edition of "It's Academic."

Can't wait to see you next time.

I'm Hillary Howard, and remember, everybody... "It's Academic"!

Bye.

See you.

[ Applause ] -Support for "It's Academic" has been provided by the following... ♪♪ -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.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪