-Students from Stone Bridge, BASIS Independent McLean, and Walt Whitman meet today on "It's Academic."

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ 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 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 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.

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ -We are so happy to have you with us for the inaugural show of our 64th season.

[ Applause ] Pretty amazing.

Also amazing -- We're coming to you from this beautiful new studio here at WETA with obviously a live audience, the first time in a while.

[ Applause ] And we are so grateful to be here.

With that, let's begin.

Hello, teams.

-Hello.

-Hi.

-Hi, Hillary.

-Hi.

All right, listen, we open with the Fast Start, as we always do.

In this round, 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 your screens.

Here we go, guys.

Speak Up.

Yes, do speak up as questions in this round will relate to foreign words that have now become standard English.

Please identify the following.

Hawks.

-Mosquito.

-Yeah.

Stone Bridge.

-Camouflage.

-Yes.

"Arabic.

This branch of mathematics includes --" Yes, BASIS.

-Algebra.

-Yeah.

"Urdu.

This is the light brown color of many army uniforms."

Answer is... Yeah.

Walt Whitman.

Answer.

3, 2... -Tan.

-No.

Khaki.

Close.

-Oh.

-BASIS.

-Opossum.

-Yeah.

Yes, Walt Whitman.

-Yeah.

-Detour.

-Detour is correct.

Yeah, Walt Whitman.

Answer.

-Ketchup.

-Ketchup is right.

BASIS.

-Voyage.

-Bon voyage.

-Bon voyage is right, and that is the end of the round.

Let's hear it for the teams.

[ Applause ] And now we get to meet these fine students.

We begin with Stone Bridge High School from Ashburn, Virginia.

Hey, Christopher.

How are you doing?

-Uh, good.

Nervous.

-Nervous?

I know.

I'm a little nervous, too, truth be told.

What's going on in your life?

Who are you?

-I'm Christopher Grey, a senior at Stone Bridge, and I am a big space nerd, so... Ooh.

Me too.

-...that's me.

-What's the most interesting thing that has happened recently that's got you jazzed?

-Uh, I don't know.

That's a hard one.

[ Laughter ] -There's so much.

-The Artemis missions are cool.

-Yeah.

-I guess SpaceX Starship is neat.

-Yeah.

A lot of really amazing stuff.

Well, good to have you, Christopher.

And hello, Jonathan, captain of the team.

-Hello, Hillary.

I'm Jonathan Mallet.

I am a senior at Stone Bridge High School, and in my free time, I really enjoy reading things.

I recently read "Elantris" by Brandon Sanderson, which had been recommended to me multiple times, and it was really enjoyable.

-Wonderful.

It's very good to have you.

And hello, Aidan.

-Hello.

-Tell us about yourself.

-I'm a senior at Stone Bridge, and I love eating cheeseburgers.

-[ Laughs ] Really?

-Yes.

-Where's the best cheese-- Well, I guess you really can't say.

Never mind.

Don't give a vendor's name.

-No.

-But we'll just trust you've found your sweet spot.

-I did.

-All right.

Very good.

Guys, it is time for the Mix & Match round.

In this round, questions are worth 20 points.

Here's the good news -- nothing off for a wrong answer.

Stone Bridge.

"Look closely at this phrase and see if you can find the name of what bone, also referred to as the thighbone."

-The femur.

-Yeah.

"If you are looking for a calm, peaceful spot to rest, that place could be described by which of these adjectives?"

-Tranquil.

-Yes.

"To complete this quote from one writer, at what age?

Three years less than the minimum voting age in federal elections."

-15.

-15.

-15 is right.

"Which of these pirates was not a real person, but a fictional character in Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island'?"

-Long John Silver.

-You are right again.

"These were the words of what pacifist leader of India, known as Mahatma, and murdered in 1947."

-Gandhi.

-Gandhi is right.

Nicely done.

Stone Bridge -- 210 points.

[ Applause ] And now, obviously from McLean, Virginia, BASIS Independent McLean.

Great to see you guys.

And, Henry, we'll start our introductions with you.

Tell us about yourself.

-Hi.

My name's Henry.

I'm a senior and I like rocks.

-Rocks!

So does that mean climbing or geology or both?

-No.

Just rocks.

[ Laughter ] -And what story do rocks tell you?

-Uh, you know, I just pick them up and... [ Laughter ] ...they're really cool, so... -I have a huge collection of rocks in my house.

-Me too.

-Oh, wow.

Well, we should compare.

-Oh, yeah.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

All right.

Good to see you, Henry.

Hello.

How are you doing, Caden?

-Hi.

I'm a senior at BASIS Independent McLean, and I like cooking and fencing and rocks, too.

[ Laughter ] -This is a theme.

What do you like to cook most?

-Steak.

Yeah.

-Ooh.

I should introduce you to my husband.

He likes steak.

Not me so much.

Hello, Andrew.

-Hi.

I'm Andrew.

I'm a junior at BASIS.

I love running cross-country and playing chess.

-Ah.

And when you run cross-country, where do you put your head?

What are you thinking about?

-Um, don't fall down.

-[ Laughing ] Don't fall down.

All right.

Here's your first question, guys.

"No matter what your father likes to eat --" it could be steak -- "see if you find here what medical name for the kneecap."

-Patella.

-Patella.

-Yes.

"A person who is a calligrapher is an expert in which of these fields?"

-Handwriting.

-Yeah.

"To complete this observation by author Saint-Exupéry, add what organ of the body that has auricles and ventricles."

-Heart.

-Yeah.

Heart.

-Yes.

"Of these three literary animals created by A.A. Milne, which one is a donkey?"

-Eeyore.

-Eeyore.

Yes, it is.

"A Union Army major at Gettysburg wrote these words after witnessing what doomed Confederate charge commonly named for the general who ordered it."

-Pickett's Charge.

-Pickett's Charge is right.

Nice job, McLean.

240 points.

[ Applause ] And now to the Walt Whitman Vikings from Bethesda, Maryland.

Hi, Jack.

It's good to see you.

-Hi.

I'm Jack Pelmoter.

I'm a junior at the Walt Whitman High School, and in my free time, I like to make my own video games as a hobby.

-Really?

And what kind of video game do you create?

-I like making puzzle games, a little bit of horror.

You know, it's a lot of fun.

-"What's a video game without a little bit of horror?"

I ask.

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

Hello, Gavin.

-Hi, Hillary.

I'm Gavin Evans.

I'm a senior at Walt Whitman High School, and I'm working through my college apps right now, so I'm really excited about that.

-And where are you hoping to go?

-The University of Pennsylvania is my top choice.

-Oh, right.

Well, good luck with that, Gavin.

Good to see you.

And hello, Olivia.

-Hi, Hillary.

My name is Olivia Zhao.

I'm a junior at Whitman, and I like art.

-What kind of things do you like in art?

-I like to paint and do digital art, mostly.

-And when you paint, is it oils, acrylics?

Do you use mixed-medium?

-Acrylics.

-Acrylics.

Well, it's really nice to have you guys.

And I have questions.

Here's the first one.

"You'll acquire 20 points if you find in this phrase the name for what light-sensitive membrane that lines the inner eyeball?"

-Retina.

-Yeah.

"Which one of these experts spends his or her life studying fish?"

-Ichthyologist -Uh, ichthyo-- ichthyologist.

-Yeah.

That's it.

Ichthyologist.

Nice.

"To complete this German proverb, insert what type of common insect whose varieties include horse, fruit, and tsetse."

-Fly.

Fly.

-Yeah.

"Which of these verse forms would have the greatest number of lines?"

-Sonnet.

-Sonnet.

-Sonnet is correct.

"A sign with this motto marks the boundary of what Middle Atlantic state, the first of the original 13 colonies to ratify our Constitution?"

-Delaware.

-Delaware, it is.

Yeah.

Whitman -- 210 points.

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

Don't go anyplace because the Picture Perfect round is 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.

♪♪ [ Applause ] -Hello, everybody, and we are back with the Picture Perfect round.

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

Here we go.

"This dirt slope is all that's left of a ramp built by the Romans, who attacked Masada, an Israelite fortress near what extremely salty sea?"

Yeah, BASIS.

-Dead Sea.

-Yes.

This is the family tree of what hobbit, whose eleventy-first birthday party is described in --" -Whitman.

-Bilbo.

-Yeah.

"Among the first factories to mass-produce firearms was this complex built by what inventor of the cotton gin?"

-Yeah, Vikings.

-Whitney.

-Yes.

"Which of these numbers is rational?"

-Yes, Whitman.

Answer.

-I think the first one.

-The first one?

-Yes, that is right.

Had to think about that.

"The Lagoon Nebula is found in what constellation, whose zodiac name means the 'archer'?"

-Yep, BASIS.

-Sagittarius.

-Yes.

"One historian wrote this about what king of the Franks, crowned emperor?"

Yeah, BASIS.

-Charlemagne.

-Charlemagne's right.

"This ruined fortress is in what Central Asian country, where Tashkent is the capital?"

Yeah, Whitman.

Answer.

3, 2, 1.

-Kazakhstan.

-Kazakhstan.

-Uzbekistan.

"Police on roller skates are a common sight outside what Paris museum, where you can also see --" Whitman.

-The Louvre.

-Yes.

That is it for the Picture Perfect round.

Let's take a look at these scores.

[ Applause ] Stone Bridge -- 210 points.

BASIS Independent McLean -- 300 points.

And we've got 270 points for Walt Whitman.

Yay, guys.

Now, of course, we get to meet the coaches because these students, as exceptional as they are, do get a little bit of help.

Let's meet the first coach team from Stone Bridge.

Jonathan, who's with you?

-So we have with us our coaches, Mr. Collins and Ms. Leitz, and our supporters, Zoe and Austin, in the audience.

-Wonderful.

Great to see you guys.

From BASIS Independent McLean, Caden, who do you have?

-We have my mom and dad, uh, who are our great coaches this year, and we're very thankful for them.

-That's wonderful.

Is it pressure to have your parents as coaches?

-Absolutely.

-Absolutely.

All right.

Thanks.

And finally from Walt Whitman, the Vikings, Gavin, who's here?

-So we have our coach, Mr. Negrin, with us.

It's his second year.

He's done a great job so far.

We're super happy to have him.

We also have our principal, Mr. Miller.

It is his first year.

He's done an amazing job so far.

Um, we're really glad he could make it out today.

We have our alternate, Lucas, and we have our mascot, Hugh, so we're really glad they could all come out and support us.

-Mascot Hugh.

Whoo!

The Viking!

All right, guys, it's time for the Packet round.

I do think you know how this works.

Stone Bridge will answer questions first.

BASIS Independent McLean, you get to choose which packet they will answer questions from.

-Two.

-Two.

-Packet number two.

-Good choice.

-There are eight questions here.

And if you get all eight questions correct, there is a 25-point bonus.

Guys... "due to shifts in the Pacific Ocean floor, each year, Hawaii gets approximately 2 inches closer to what country that is also the smallest continent?"

-Australia.

-Australia is right.

"Some historians believe that a 17th-century Cossack named Dezhnev was the actual discoverer of the Bering Strait, separating Alaska from what cold, large region of Russia?"

-Siberia.

-Siberia.

-Yeah.

It's Siberia.

"Anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl theorized that what chief Norse god might originally have been a real king."

-Odin.

-Odin is correct.

Here's your science question.

"The light-year is best described as a measure of which of these?"

-Distance.

-Distance is right.

"Someone who is politically cunning and ruthless may be compared to what 16th-century Italian political philosopher who wrote 'The Prince'?"

-[ Whispering ] Machiavelli.

-Machiavelli.

-Yeah, you got it.

"A phrase "a wild-goose chase" comes from what romantic Shakespeare drama, whose characters include Mercutio and Friar Laurence?"

-"Romeo and Juliet."

-"Romeo and Juliet."

-You've got it again.

Here's your math question.

"Simplify completely this expression."

-3X squared.

-3X squared is right.

"Among Balboa's companions when he reached the Pacific Ocean was what adventurer who later became the conquistador who conquered Peru?"

-Cortés.

-No, it was Pizarro.

Oh, so close, Stone Bridge.

But a fabulous job.

350 points.

[ Applause ] And now, BASIS, it's your turn to play Walt Whitman.

What packet will BASIS answer questions from -- one or three?

-Three.

-Okay.

Packet number three for BASIS.

"In 2018, paleontologists discovered the remains of a new species of dinosaur about the size of a school bus in what largest African desert?"

-The Sahara.

-Yeah.

"One section of 'The Federalist Papers' stresses the importance of what process that involves counting the country's population every 10 years?"

-Census.

-Yes.

"Antennae are used both to pick up scents and to determine wind direction by what Lepidoptera insect, whose species include the monarch?"

-Butterflies.

-Yes.

Here's your science question.

"Which of these refers to the structures used for the transport of solutions in plant stems?"

-Vascular bundles.

-You are right.

"A few years ago, scientists developed a super accurate atomic clock using a single cooled ion of what element, whose symbol is Hg?"

-Mercury.

-Yeah.

"A children's charity received the royalties from 'The Tales of Beedle and Bard' by what author, who earned a lot of royalties from her tales about Harry Potter?"

-J.K. Rowling.

-J.K. Rowling.

-Yes.

Here's your math question.

"If X equals 2, what is the area of this right triangle?"

-6.

-6.

-6.

-6 is right.

"'Death on the Mississippi' might title a book about what Spanish explorer, who was the first European to see the Mississippi River and who was buried there in 1542?"

-Want to go Ponce de León maybe?

-Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

-Answer.

-Ponce de León.

-No, it was de Soto.

Nice job, McLean -- 440 points.

[ Applause ] -Ponce de León was Florida Keys.

-I know.

I'm like... -And now, Walt Whitman High School, you get packet number one.

"Jewelry has been made using coal found in the wreck of what ocean liner sunk after colliding with an iceberg in 1912?"

-The Titanic.

-The Titanic.

Yeah.

"In 2002, two new primate species about the size of kittens were discovered in the rainforest surrounding what longest South American river?"

-The Amazon.

-Yeah.

"Egyptian history goes back more than 4,000 years.

But it wasn't until the year 936 that what city, now Egypt's capital, was founded?"

-Cairo?

-Yes.

Here's your science question.

"Which of these three metals is the best conductor of electricity?"

-Copper.

-Copper.

-Copper is right.

"Gold coins called double eagles were first minted in what same year in which a famous compromise brought California into the Union?"

-'50.

1850.

-1850.

-Yep.

You got it.

"Just four years after the end of our Civil War, what Russian author published his classic novel, 'War and Peace'?"

-1869?

-No.

The author.

Tolstoy.

-Oh, oh.

Tolstoy.

-Yeah, yeah.

That's it.

Here's your math question.

You were making it harder than it needed to be there.

Math question.

"If X equals 2, what is the value of this expression, giving your answer as a positive integer?"

-25.

-25, it is.

"A memoir titled 'A Black Explorer at the North Pole' was written by what man, who joined Robert Peary in reaching the Pole for the first time?"

-Shackleton would be my best guess.

Shackleton.

-Nah, it was Henson.

But a really nice job, Whitman -- 410 points.

[ Applause ] That does it for the packet round.

We have the Grab Bag coming at you next.

-Hello.

I'm David Rubenstein.

Did you know that newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst offered a future president, Eisenhower, a job at three times his Army pay if he would leave the military and become a journalist?

Ike turned the offer down.

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

♪♪ [ Applause ] -Welcome back.

It is time for the Grab Bag round, where anything can happen.

This is a very close game.

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

Let's do this.

"'Just Add Water' is the best selling memoir by what champion swimmer, the most decorated U.S. --" Whitman.

-Phelps.

-No.

Katie Ledecky.

"Apple's Mac computer was introduced in what year that titles a novel by George Orwell?"

BASIS.

-1984.

-1984.

-Yeah.

"Choice -- An ester of glycerol and a fatty acid is called a fat, a protein, or a carbohydrate?"

Yeah, BASIS.

-A fat.

-Yeah.

You got it.

On your screens, "flamingos, as well as giant tortoises, make their home on what group of Ecuadorian --" Whitman.

-Galápagos.

-Correct.

"In one Sherlock Holmes story, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle mentions what mythical beast -- part eagle, part lion?"

Yeah, Whitman.

-Griffin.

-Yeah.

"What is the last digit of the fourth power of 32?"

Yeah, BASIS.

-Uh, 6.

-Yes, it is 6.

"Choice -- Oblong or rod-shaped bacteria forms are called bacillus --" -Bacillus.

-Yes, it is.

On your screens, "'Do not remain content with the surface of things.'

This advice comes from what Russian scientist who studied conditioned reflexes in dogs?"

Yeah, BASIS.

-Pavlov.

-Correct.

"'The Storied City' is a book about what African city that in medieval times was the learning and cultural center --" BASIS.

-Timbuktu.

-Yeah.

Timbuktu of the Mali Empire.

Nicely done.

"Jane Goodall's chimpanzee research material is being preserved at what North Carolina University, home of the Blue Devils?"

BASIS.

-Duke.

-Yeah.

"The year 1642 saw the founding of the North American settlement of Ville-Marie, now what largest city in Quebec Province?"

Yes, Whitman.

Answer.

3, 2, 1.

-Quebec.

-No.

Montreal.

"On your screens, the bald eagle was first used on a postage stamp during the administration of what 15th president?"

Yes, Whitman.

-Buchanan.

-Correct.

"Solar energy powers the visitor center at what Massachusetts pond, where Thoreau once lived a very simple life?"

Whitman.

-Walden.

-Yeah.

"Had you lived in 17th-century Amsterdam, you might have commissioned a portrait by what Dutch artist, who painted --" Yep, McLean.

-Van Eyck.

-Uh, no.

It was Rembrandt who painted "The Night Watch."

"Underground burrows that include bedrooms, bathrooms, and nurseries are home to what rodents that are native to --" Stone Bridge.

-Rabbits.

-No.

Prairie dogs native to the Great Plains.

"Choice -- The time rate of change of energy is called power, momentum, or --" BASIS.

-Power.

-Yes, it is power.

"Modern equipment helped Australian archaeologists discover 40,000-year-old --" [ Buzzer ] And that does it.

That is the end of the game.

Nice job, everybody.

Stick around.

We will have the judges look at these scores, tally everything up, and we'll be right back.

[ 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.

-Hello.

My name is Lorene Jackson.

And I'm a junior at Meridian High School.

I worked in a nonprofit theater group in my community as an assistant director and assistant stage manager and a language coach, encouraging kids aged elementary to middle school to love theater and how to act properly in a theater, as well as bring theater to a multilingual audience.

I did their programs as a kid, and it is really great to give back to a community that gave me so much.

-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 Stone Bridge High School from Ashburn, Virginia.

Christopher, Jonathan, Aidan -- 330 points.

[ Applause ] From Bethesda, Maryland, the Walt Whitman High School, Jack, Gavin, and Olivia -- 450 points.

Nicely done.

[ Applause ] And coming back for the play-offs, the gentlemen from BASIS Independent McLean, the Hawks, home of the Hawks, Henry, Caden, and Andrew -- 580 points.

Nice, guys.

[ Cheers and applause ] We are so thrilled that all of you were here for our inaugural show, and all of you at home, as well.

We will see you next week.

So happy to have you with us.

I'm Hillary Howard and remember... it's academic!

-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.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪