-Students from Walter Johnson, BASIS Independent McLean, and McDonough meet today on "It's Academic."

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] I like that applause.

That's a lot of enthusiasm.

Hello, everybody.

I'm Hillary Howard.

Welcome to "It's Academic," the world's longest-running TV quiz show, now in its 65th season, 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.

[ Cheers and applause ] -Hey, guys, we are so happy you're with us for another edition of "It's Academic."

So, thanks for being there.

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

Questions are worth 10 points up or down.

Teams, first team to buzz in gets to answer.

And for you guys watching, the contestants don't see what you do on the screens at home.

Here we go.

In this round, all your answers must begin with the letter E. That's E as in "egg."

Johnson.

-Everest.

-Yeah.

Johnson.

-Evolution.

-Evolution.

-Yes.

McDonough.

-Eisenhower.

-You've got it.

Yes, Johnson.

-Excalibur.

-Excalibur.

-Correct.

He and Karl Marx wrote "The Communist --" Yes, Johnson.

Answer?

-Engels.

-Yes, it is.

Yeah, McLean.

-Emirates.

-Correct.

The answer is... "Earthsea" trilogy.

Yeah, BASIS.

-Endocrine.

-Yeah.

Nicely done.

Johnson.

-Elevator.

-Correct.

This event occurs when the moon comes between the -- McLean.

-Eclipse.

-You're right.

Nicely done.

That does our Fast Start round.

Let's recap those scores.

Walter Johnson 150, BASIS Independent McLean 130, McDonough 110 points.

[ Applause ] Let's meet these teams.

We begin with Walter Johnson High School from Bethesda, Maryland, home of the Wildcats.

Milan, how you doing today?

-I'm doing good.

How are you?

-Good.

Aright.

What should we know about you?

-So, I'm a junior at Walter Johnson, and my favorite thing is geography.

-Geography.

Wow.

What part of the world do you like looking at most?

-I think I like islands, actually, because -- -Islands.

-They're so interesting 'cause they're always surrounded by water and they have no neighbors.

-[Chuckling] That's true.

Good to have you.

Hello, Alice.

Hi, I'm Alice.

I'm a junior at Walter Johnson.

And I'm also really into origami.

-How often do you do it?

And what do you make?

I do it whenever I have some free time.

Lately, I've been trying to design my own things, and I'm working on a bird.

I don't know what kind of bird yet, but it's coming along.

-Nice.

Very impressive.

Hiya, Uli.

-Hello.

I'm Uli.

I'm a senior at Walter Johnson.

And this year, I'm really enjoying participating in our school's math club.

-Wow.

You're the guy everybody turns to for math questions.

-Sometimes.

I'm also, like, really excited for one of our upcoming competitions in about, like, six to seven weeks.

I'm very hopeful that we'll do well in that, too.

Aright, here we go.

Questions are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

Cocoa hummus.

Sounds tasty, but see if you can find in this phrase what Hawaiian island where Honolulu is located.

-Oahu.

-Correct.

Rip army.

Rather than attack the military, rearrange the letters in this phrase to name what sort of election in which a political party chooses its candidate for the general election?

-Primary.

-Yeah.

July 16, 1957.

On this date, a transcontinental aircraft record was set by what Marine Corps pilot, who would later be the first U.S.

astronaut to orbit the Earth and become a U.S.

senator?

-Yeager.

-Yeager.

-No.

John Glenn.

He was a senator from Ohio.

Volstead Acts, grandfather clauses, Alien & Sedition Acts.

After Reconstruction, the Southern states tried blocking Black political power by passing what kind of legislation limiting the vote to men whose ancestors could vote?

-The grandfather clauses.

-Yeah, that's it.

These addresses in Philadelphia and Boston mark the birthplace and final residence of what author of "Little Women"?

-Louisa May Alcott.

Louisa May Alcott.

-That's it.

"I believe that professional blank is clean, and everything else is fixed."

You can complete this quote from a sportswriter by filling in the blank with what sport that can be sumo or Greco-Roman?

-Wrestling.

-That's it.

Well done, Walter Johnson.

250 points.

[ Applause ] To BASIS Independent McLean, obviously from McLean, Virginia, in Fairfax County.

Hiya, Andrew.

Tell us something about yourself.

-Hi.

I'm Andrew.

I'm a senior at BASIS, and I like painting.

-What kind of things do you paint?

-I paint buildings, people, everything.

-Everything.

Well, it's good to have you.

Hi, James.

-I'm James.

I'm a senior at BASIS Independent McLean, and my favorite painter is Johannes Vermeer.

And I've actually got "Girl with a Pearl Earring" socks on right now.

Do you want to see them?

-Do you really?

Sure.

-Yeah.

-[ Laughs ] Wow.

And you're flexible, too.

Very cool.

Good to have you.

And hello, Hera.

-Hi.

My name is Hera.

I'm a senior at BASIS Independent McLean, and I like to play the cello.

-How long?

-Since I was 6.

-Wow.

Aright, guys here are your questions.

Don't rip olive branches.

Instead of olives, see if you can find here the hidden name of what capital city of Libya?

-Tripoli?

-Yeah.

Tripoli.

-Tripoli.

-Tripoli it is.

A cool romp.

You'll gain a cool 20 points if you rearrange the letters in this phrase to name what 13th-century Italian traveler who journeyed to China?

-Marco Polo.

-That's it.

March 18, 1584.

On this date, the people of Russia were ordered to mourn the death of what Russian tsar who was called "the Terrible"?

-Ivan.

-Yeah.

Ivan.

-Ivan.

-That's it.

Spanish, Polish, French.

Which of these is not classified as a romance language?

-Polish.

-Correct again.

Tourists in Denmark who visit these addresses will find museums dedicated to what 19th-century Danish author of fairy tales?

-Hans Christian Andersen.

-You've got it.

"Blank is taxation without representation."

You can complete this observation from one economist by adding what economic phenomenon characterized by sharply rising prices?

-Inflation.

-Inflation.

-Inflation it is.

Nice.

BASIS Independent McLean, 250 points.

[ Applause ] To McDonough from Pomfret, Maryland, in Charles County, home of the Rams.

Hiya, William.

-Hi, Hilary.

My name is William Benjamin.

I've been doing "It's Academic" for three years now.

And something about me is I really enjoy playing lacrosse.

-How long have you been doing that?

-I've been doing it since my freshman year.

-Wow.

Cool.

Well, it's good to have you again.

Hi, Cori.

-Hi.

My name is Cori Avent.

I'm a senior at McDonough High School.

I've been in "It's Academic" for three years now, and I like to play cello.

-And how long have you been playing cello?

-Seven years now.

-Aright.

Nice tenure there, nice run.

And finally we get to say hello to -- Oh, my gosh, I can't remember your name.

There it is.

Alexa.

How could I forget that?

Hi.

-Hi, I'm Alexa.

I'm also a senior at McDonough, and I participate in my school's drama club.

What play are you doing?

-Currently we're doing "Peter Pan and Wendy."

-Ooh, nice.

I like that.

Here we go, guys.

A secret elevator.

Hidden within this phrase is the name of what largest Greek island, once home to the Minoan civilization?

-Crete.

-Yeah.

Poor Ted.

"Poor Ted" can become a deadly weapon if you rearrange the letters to name what kind of underwater projectile that sank the Lusitania?

-Torpedo.

-Yes.

April 20, 735 BC.

According to legend, it was on this date that Rome was founded by what man, the twin brother of Remus?

[ Indistinct whispering ] Answer is Romulus.

Remus and Romulus.

Neptunium, einsteinium, curium.

The name of which of these elements honors the two discoverers of polonium and radium?

-Curium.

-That's it.

Ketchum, Idaho.

This location was the final home of what writer who favored exotic locales in Cuba and Spain for such novels as "The Old Man and the Sea"?

The answer is Ernest Hemingway.

"More guts than a..." To complete this analogy by one author, place in the blank what sort of ancient fighter like Spartacus who fought in the Roman Colosseum?

The answer?

-Spartan?

-No.

You know this.

Gladiator.

Gladiator.

McDonough, home of the Rams, 170 points.

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

Please stay where you are.

Picture Perfect next.

In 1961, nine high school students 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 ] And now we can begin the Picture Perfect round.

Teams, questions are worth 20 points up or down.

Once again, the first team to buzz in gets to answer.

Here we go.

These massive skull -- Yes?

-Moai.

-No.

We were going for Easter Island.

But the question was, "These massive sculptures can be seen on what Pacific Island named for a spring holiday."

Though his adventures took him over much of Europe, it's his work with what Virginia settlement that Captain John Smith is remembered?

Yep.

McLean.

-Jamestown.

-That is right.

This painting shows the fighting at what Alabama bay where the forces of -- Johnson.

-Mobile.

-Yeah.

Very good.

What is the value of X in this pair of equations?

Yep, BASIS.

-1.

-1 is right.

In this lithograph, smoke is rising over what Indonesian volcano that erupted -- Johnson.

-Krakatoa.

-Krakatoa's correct.

This is an early sketch of what New England College defended by -- Johnson.

-Dartmouth.

-Dartmouth.

Right.

Very good.

Choice -- of the total amount of solar energy reaching the Earth's atmosphere, which of these is the percentage absorbed by the Earth's surface?

Yep, McDonough.

Answer?

-30.

-No.

45.

This music from Tchaikovsky's opera "Eugene Onegin" is what type of dance form usually associated with Johann Strauss?

-Waltz.

-Waltz is right.

Nicely done, McDonough.

That is the end of the Picture Perfect round.

Let's take a look at these scores.

Walter Johnson 290, BASIS Independent McLean 290, McDonough, Home of the Rams, 170 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] It's time to meet the coaches.

Let's head over to Walter Johnson.

Who's behind you, Alice?

-So, here we have Ms.

Meyer, our wonderful coach, and she's also an amazing world history teacher.

-Really?

That's amazing.

Good to have you.

James?

How about you?

-Here we have Joy Huang.

She's an amazing coach -- and Andrew's mom, actually.

-Oh, that's wonderful.

Is it a lot of pressure to have your mom as coach?

-Uh, yeah, a little bit.

-[Laughing] A little bit.

Well, it's really nice to have you.

And over to McDonough.

Cori?

-Here we have Ms.

Dempsey.

She's a part of our "framily" at McDonough, and she is an amazing coach and environmental science teacher.

-Fabulous.

Really good to have all of you.

Thanks so much for supporting your students.

Guys, it's time to begin the Packet round.

Walter Johnson, you answer questions first.

BASIS Independent McLean, you choose which packet they answer from.

-Two.

-Two.

-Two.

Questions are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

And if you win the bonus, you get...?

-A 25-point bonus.

-Whoo!

That's it!

Here we are.

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

-Quakers.

-Quakers it is.

Sugar makes up more than 80% of the nectar in the blossoms of what type of fruit tree widely planted by John Chapman?

-Um, apples.

-Yeah.

During our Civil War, the King of Siam offered to help Abraham Lincoln by sending him transports in the form of what large pachyderm animals?

-Elephants.

-Yes.

Here's your science question.

Praying mantis, scorpion, tarantula.

Of these three creatures, which one is not classified as an arachnid?

-Praying mantis.

-You've got it.

A man named T.R.

Timby put a new spin on naval warfare when he invented the revolving gun turret for what iron-clad ship that fought the Merrimac during the Civil War?

-The Monitor.

-The Monitor is right.

A sunflower-eating boy named Castle Cranshaw is the protagonist of a Jason Reynolds novel with what title referring to a spooky supernatural phenomenon?

-"The Metamorphosis."

-No.

"Ghost."

We were just looking for "Ghost."

Here's your math question.

Simplify this expression, giving your answer as an integer.

-5.

-Yes.

It's 5.

The pet parrot of what seventh president was ejected from the president's funeral when it began swearing loudly and upset the mourners?

-Jackson.

-Yep, that's right.

Andrew Jackson.

Nicely done.

Walter Johnson, 430 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] Okay, BASIS Independent McLean, your turn to play.

McDonough, packet one or packet three?

-One.

-One.

Ferdinand Mendenhall was a warm-hearted fellow, but he gave his name to one of the world's largest examples of what kind of cold, slow-moving mass of ice?

-Glacier.

-Glacier.

-Yeah.

And that one's in Juneau.

I've been on it.

One collector spent a fortune for a tooth from what 17th-to-18th-century English scientist who bit on the idea of gravity after an apple fell on his head?

-Newton.

-Yeah.

Thinning beachfront is speeding erosion of what famous white cliffs overlooking the English Channel?

-Dover Beach.

-Yep.

That's it.

Here's your science question.

DNA, SOC, RTP.

A knockout mouse is a genetically engineered mouse in which an existing gene has been activated or knocked out and replaced with an artificial piece of which of these?

-DNA.

-You are right.

What founder of the Protestant Reformation had a bowling alley built next to his home, but scored with religious dissidents when he posted 95 theses on a church door in 1517?

-Martin Luther.

-You've got it again.

What American poet who wrote "The Road Not Taken" found the road to success -- -Frost.

-Yeah.

Robert Frost.

Very good.

Here's your math question.

Simplify this expression, giving your answer as an integer.

-9.

-9 is right.

The first US president awarded the Nobel Peace Prize was what 26th chief executive honored for mediating the Russo-Japanese War in 1905?

-Theodore Roosevelt.

-Very nicely done.

BASIS Independent McLean 475.

Nice.

[ Cheers and applause ] And then there was packet number three for McDonough.

You could have quite a view from your tree house if you built it atop what kind of gigantic tree that grows in Northern California?

-Redwood.

-Redwood.

-That's right.

Can you imagine the view?

It would be amazing.

An African-American man named Jean Du Sable is considered the founder of what Illinois city, now the largest in the Midwest?

-Chicago.

-That's it.

Henry Clay learned public speaking by listening to what Virginia statesman who said, "Give me liberty or give me death"?

Answer is... Patrick Henry.

Science question.

Pumice, granite, quartz.

As it cools, volcanic lava filled with tiny gas bubbles form which of these rocks?

-Pumice.

-That's it.

Today some ships use nuclear power, but the 1807 Clermont was the first successful ship powered by what sort of engine developed by James Watt?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Steam-powered.

-Yeah.

That's right.

Steam engine.

Words from the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" supplied the title for what John Steinbeck novel about the plight of migrant workers?

Answer is "Grapes of Wrath."

Here's your math question.

Which of these three numbers is evenly divisible by seven?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -3.

-No.

It's choice number two, 1050.

What 29th president emphasized his authority in dealing with Congress by naming his dog Veto?

The 29th president was the one, the only... James Garfield.

Aright, that does it for McDonagh.

250 points.

[ Applause ] The Grab Rag round is next, so please stay where you are.

Did you know that box jellyfish have 4 parallel brains and 24 eyes, 2 of which can see color?

They're also among the most venomous creatures on Earth, so do not touch.

And now you know.

[ Cheers and applause ] It's time for the Grab Bag round.

Questions are worth 20 points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

Here we go.

It's plain the main tourist attraction on England's Salisbury Plain is what ring of huge rocks?

Yes, BASIS.

-Stonehenge.

-Correct.

The University of Pennsylvania has a mascot who represents what former Philadelphia resident still pictured on the $100 -- Johnson.

Answer?

-Benjamin Franklin.

-Correct.

Among the tallest statues in the world is a 394-foot sculpture of what religious leader?

Yes, Johnson.

Answer?

-Jesus.

-Nope.

It's Buddha.

On your screens.

This is a cormorant, a bird once so disliked that their characteristics were used to describe Satan by what author of "Paradise Lost"?

Yeah, BASIS.

-Milton.

-Correct.

The Lamb shift, named for physicist Willis Lamb, provided a new slant in our understanding of what element with atomic number 1?

Yep, BASIS.

-Hydrogen.

-Correct again.

The sum of the exterior angles of any polygon is equal to how many degrees?

Yep, Johnson.

-360.

-You're right.

A magnetic mountain that drew the nails out of approaching ships was encountered by what "Arabian Nights" sailor on his seven voyages?

Johnson.

-Sinbad.

-That's it.

On your screens.

"It is targeted bombing, and I am the target."

This was the comment of Pervez Musharraf, general and former president of what Asian country whose capital is Islamabad?

Johnson.

-Pakistan.

-Yeah.

To protect Denver's city parks, officials used bright orange robots to frighten away what birds who proverbially lay -- Johnson.

-Pigeons.

-No.

Goose.

Lay the golden eggs.

Botanists have discovered a rudimentary communication system among plants of what type of beans that traditionally end up in succotash?

No succotash eaters?

The answer is lima beans.

In 1954, five congressmen were shot and wounded in the Capitol by terrorists from what U.S.

commonwealth in the Caribbean?

Yes, Johnson.

-Puerto Rico.

-Yeah.

On your screens.

The Duchess of Alba appears here in a painting by what 18th-to-19th-century Spanish artist?

-Velázquez.

-No.

Goya.

But good shot.

Famous cowboys are honored in a hall of fame in what Sooner State?

Yeah, Johnson.

Answer?

Three, two, one.

-Oklahoma.

-Oklahoma.

Yes.

In the coordinate plane, which quadrant contains the points identified by a negative abscissa and a negative ordinate?

Yes, Johnson.

-Third.

-Yes.

That's it.

To celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal, Giuseppe Verdi was commissioned to write what opera set in Egypt?

The answer is -- Yes, McLean.

-"Aida."

-Yeah.

Very well done.

On your screens -- [ Buzzer ] And that does it.

The game has ended.

Stick around.

We're going to have these scores tallied up and share them with you in just a minute.

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 D.C.-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... [ Cheers and applause ] The scores are now official.

We begin with McDonough, home of the Rams, from Pomfret, Maryland.

William, Cori, Alexa, 250 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] From Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Milan, Alice, and Uli, 530 points.

Great job, guys.

[ Cheers and applause ] Of course you had been ahead, but then BASIS independent McLean came through with "Aida" and a score of 535 points for Andrew, James, and Hera.

Nice job!

[ Cheers and applause ] We are so glad that you were here today and believe in education the way we do.

I'm Hillary Howard.

Remember, everybody -- -It's academic!

-Bye-bye.

See you next time.

[ 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.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪