-Students from Washington-Liberty, Westfield, and Poolesville meet today on "It's Academic"!

[ Applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ 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.

[ 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.

♪♪ [ Applause ] -Well, hello, and welcome to our ninth playoff game of the season.

These students are all good.

I told them beforehand, as I've mentioned to you guys before, each of these teams is good.

They've made it to the playoffs.

And no matter who wins, you are all awesome.

And with that, I have questions.

We begin with Fast Start.

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

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

Teams, all your answers must begin with the letters B-U.

That's B as in "bubble" and U.

This flying architectural structure is seen on -- Poolesville.

-Buttresses.

-Buttress it is.

Poolesville.

-Bunsen.

-Yeah.

He killed Alexander Hamilton in a -- Washington-Liberty.

-Burr.

-Correct.

Siddhartha Gautama is called what name -- Westfield.

-Buddha.

-Yes.

Poolesville.

-Burma.

-Burma is right.

This animal names New York State's second most -- Poolesville.

Answer.

3, 2, 1.

Buffalo.

The second most-populous city.

This legendary lumberjack had a blue ox named -- Liberty -Bunyan.

-Yeah.

Any takers?

Any takers?

John Burgoyne.

In baseball, this type of hit is usually a -- Westfield.

-Bunt.

-Bunt is right.

Yep, Washington-Liberty.

-Burro.

-Burro is it.

Good job.

That's the end of the round.

Let's take a look at these scores.

Washington-Liberty 130 points, Westfield 120 points, Poolesville 120 points.

[ Applause ] So, we're going to begin the Mix & Match round, but first we get to meet these students, and we begin with Washington-Liberty from Arlington, Virginia, home of the Generals.

Begin the introductions, Alex.

Hi.

I'm Alex.

I'm a 15-year-old sophomore, and I've been doing "It's Academic" for -- well, this is my first year.

-Alright.

-I'm William.

I'm an 18-year-old senior.

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

-And we love having you on the team.

Finally, Carter.

-I'm Carter, I'm a 16-year-old sophomore.

And this is my first year on "It's Academic."

Alright, guys, here are your questions in this Mix & Match round.

They're worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

A secret name.

You can uncover the secret of this phrase by finding the hidden name.

of what volcano in Sicily?

-Aetna.

-Yeah.

-Aetna.

-Yeah.

Hateful, flirtatious, fleeting.

If someone gave you a baleful look, his glance would be described by which of these adjectives?

-Hateful?

-Hateful.

-Hateful.

-Hateful's right.

Food similar to jelly, a traffic tie-up.

What same word fits both definitions?

-Jam.

-Yeah.

"Kill one man and you're an assassin.

Kill millions, and you are a..." Complete this quote from French author Edmond Rostand with what word associated with King William I, who won the 1066 Battle of Hastings?

-Conqueror.

-Yes.

Compromise of 1820, Compromise of 1830, Compromise of 1850.

It was under the provisions of which of these that California was admitted to the Union?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Is it 1850?

-Yes, it is, William.

"I'm nobody!

Who are you?"

The nobody in this line of poetry is actually what woman, a recluse who hid her poems in a drawer in her Amherst, Massachusetts, home?

-Dickinson.

-Yeah.

That does it for your Mix & Match.

Nice, Washington-Liberty.

250 points.

[ Applause ] To Westfield High School from Chantilly, Virginia.

Hello, Justin.

-Hi.

My name is Justin Keleher, and I'm a junior at Westfield High School.

And this is my first year on "It's Academic."

Good to see you.

Ellie?

-I'm Ellie, I'm a junior at Westfield High School, and this is my first year.

-Zachary?

-Hi.

I'm Zachary.

I'm a junior at Westfield High School, and this is also my first year on "It's Academic."

-Well, it's great to have you firsties here making it to the playoffs.

That's pretty cool, right?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

Here are your questions.

A flat viaduct.

Your score won't stay flat if you can find here the hidden name of what Baltic country whose capital is Riga?

-Latvia.

-Yes.

Unilateral, partisan retroactive.

The Constitution forbids Congress from passing ex post facto laws, which can best be described by which of these adjectives?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Two.

-No.

It's three, retroactive.

To buy on credit, to power a battery.

What same word fits both these definitions?

-Charge.

-Yeah.

"Blank springs eternal in the human breast."

You can complete this line from Alexander Pope with what word naming the quality that was left in Pandora's box after all the evils escaped?

-Hope.

-That's right.

Crete, Jamaica, Aruba.

Which of these islands, which gave birth to reggae music, was also the birthplace of reggae artist Bob Marley?

-Jamaica.

-Yeah.

"The victor belongs to the spoils."

This cynical play on the proverb "To the victor belongs the spoils" is from what American author of the novel "The Great Gatsby."

-F. Scott Fitzgerald.

-Fitzgerald.

-Fitzgerald.

-Yeah.

And that does it for you, Westfield.

Nice job.

220 points.

[ Applause ] To team three, from Montgomery County's Poolesville High School.

Hey, Claire.

-Hi.

I'm Claire.

I'm an 18-year-old senior at Poolesville, and this is my first year on "It's Academic."

-Awesome.

Asher?

-I'm Asher.

I'm also an 18-year-old senior, and this is also my first year on "It's Academic."

-Alex?

-I'm Alex.

I'm a 16-year-old junior, and this is also my first year on "It's Academic."

-Wow, lots of first-timers.

Do you like being on the show, guys?

-Oh, yeah.

-[ Laughs ] Good.

We're glad you're here.

Here are your questions.

Dam many rivers.

You won't have to worry about damming rivers if you find in this phrase the name of what capital of Jordan?

-Amman.

-Yes.

Sliding metal bar lock, a streak of lightning.

What same word fits both these definitions?

-Bolt.

-Yes.

An affront, a sabbatical, a benediction.

If someone insulted you, you would have received which of these?

-An affront.

-Yes.

"How prophetic L'Enfant was to lay out Washington as a city that goes around in..." To complete this observation, add the name of what geometric figures which have a circumference and a radius?

-Circle.

-Yeah.

Black Hawk War, Mexican-American War, King Philip's War.

Henry Thoreau went to jail rather than pay taxes that would support which of these wars that began in 1846?

-Mexican-American War.

-You've got it.

"A sort of friendship recognized by the police."

This definition of marriage was offered by what author who was happily married when he wrote his novel "Treasure Island"?

-Um, um...

It's like Robertson or something.

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Answer?

-Um... -I need some-- -Robertson.

-So close.

Robert Louis Stevenson.

Poolesville, nice.

220 points.

[ Applause ] That does it for Mix & Match.

You know what's next.

It's the Picture Perfect round.

See you in a minute.

-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 ] Alright, it's time for the Picture Perfect round.

However, we will look at the scores before we begin.

Washington-Liberty 250 points, Westfield 220 points, Poolesville 220 points.

[ Applause ] Teams, as you know, questions are worth 20 points up or down in this Picture Perfect round, and the first team that buzzes in gets to answer.

Captured here is a scene from what 1805 -- Liberty.

-Trafalgar.

-Trafalgar, yeah, in which England's Lord Nelson defeated a combined French and Spanish fleet.

Nicely done.

This was the opinion of what American who wrote "Charlotte's Web"?

Westfield.

Answer.

-Dickinson.

-Nah.

E.B.

White.

Found in South America, this is a one-pound nugget of what silver-white metal whose chemical symbol is Pt?

Poolesville.

-Platinum.

-Correct.

Evaluate this expression -- Poolesville.

-X to the 44.

-No.

It's 1.

Though Van Gogh painted this picture while in France, he was born in what other country previously -- Poolesville -The Netherlands.

-Yeah.

That's it.

This type of lizard, sometimes called -- -Is it an iguana?

-[ Laughs ] No.

No.

But I could see how you got there.

This type of lizard, sometimes called a bloodsucker, can be found on what Indian Ocean island whose largest city is Colombo?

No, don't.

Don't even bother.

I'm just reading it.

The answer was Sri Lanka.

On this chart, Iberia does not refer to the Iberian Peninsula, but rather to the medieval rulers of what Black Sea country where Tbilis-- -Westfield.

-Georgia.

-Yeah.

That's it.

This moth has a scientific classification that includes the name of what Spanish queen who backed Columbus's -- Westfield.

-Isabella.

-Yeah, that's it, and that does it for our Picture Perfect round.

Whoo-hoo!

[ Applause ] Here are the scores -- Washington-Liberty 250 points, Westfield 240 points, Poolesville 240 points.

[ Applause ] So, we do the Packet round now, but before we do the packet round, we get to meet the teachers and the administrators and everybody who prepares these kids for competition.

We begin with Washington-Liberty and William.

-We would like to thank our coaches.

Ms. Scher and, in absentia, Ms. Sotomayor.

Alright, good to have you guys.

Westfield and Ellie?

-We'd like to thank Mr. Baranowski, our sponsor, and then our alternates, Jack, Nam, and Arsema.

-Alright.

Good to see you guys.

And Poolesville.

Asher?

-Yeah, we'd like to thank our wonderful coach, Ms. Snavely, and our amazing principal, Mr. Carothers, for supporting us here today.

-Really good to have you, all of you guys.

Round of applause for yourselves and your teams.

[ Applause ] So, you're well schooled in "It's Academic."

We have these three lovely packets.

One, two, three.

Washington-Liberty answers questions from one of these packets first.

Westfield gets to choose which packet it will be, so pick a packet, Westfield.

-Two.

-Two.

If you get all the questions right, 25-point bonus.

Questions are worth 20 points, nothing off for a wrong answer.

Pablo Picasso was the first 20th-century artist whose paintings were hung in the Grande Galerie of what Paris Art museum that owns the Mona Lisa?

-The Louvre.

-You've got it.

The price of real estate has gone up since 1626, when Peter Minuit is said to have bought what New York Island for 24 bucks worth of trinkets?

-It's Manhattan.

-Is it Manhattan?

-Yes, it is Manhattan.

Pennsylvania was considered enlightened in 1848, when it ruled that children could not work in factories until they reached what age, six years less than today's minimum voting age?

-12.

12.

-Yes, 12.

Here's your science question.

Protease, lignin, nephron.

Which of these three terms identifies an organic compound in wood that makes cellulose harder and more brittle?

-Lignin.

-Correct.

Because a protective barrier had been built there in 1653, a Manhattan street, now the symbol of the financial world, acquired what name?

-Wall Street.

-It is Wall Street.

The guillotine claims a lot of victims in what 1859 Charles Dickens work, a historical novel set during the French Revolution?

-"A Tale of Two Cities."

-You've got it.

Here's your math question.

Solve for X.

-Is it 24?

-It is 24.

During the 1940 Battle of Britain, Squadron 303 of the Royal Air Force was made up of pilots from what country whose 1939 invasion by Germany had begun World War II?

-Poland.

-Poland.

Whoo-hoo!

Washington-Liberty -- 435 points with a 25-point bonus.

[ Applause ] Love that.

To Westfield.

You answer questions.

Poolesville, packet one or packet three?

-We'll give them packet one.

-Packet one.

The title of a Charles Dickens story places on the hearth what type of insect, the same as Pinocchio's friend Jiminy?

-Cricket.

-Cricket.

-Cricket.

-Yes.

The title of an Alexander Dumas novel names a black variety of what flower grown from bulbs in Holland?

-Tulip.

-Yep, it is.

Ferdinand Magellan's fleet included a ship with what name that identifies a Caribbean island now joined politically with Tobago?

-Trinidad.

-Trinidad.

-Trinidad.

-You've got it.

Here's your science question.

Kilo-calorie, BTU, erg.

Which of these is the unit of thermal energy that's used in the pound-foot-second system?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -The second one.

-Yep.

BTU is right.

Whenever Louis XIV wanted to reflect, he could walk through what hall at Versailles, where a famous treaty was signed in 1919?

-You say it.

You say it.

-Hall of Mirrors.

-Yes, it was.

"The King's Arena" was the original title for Frank Stockton's classic story, whose final title offers a choice between the lady or what wild animal?

-Beast.

-Beast?

-The beast.

-No.

Tiger.

Here's your math question.

What is the value of angle X in degrees in this right triangle if the vertex angle is 43 degrees?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -57.

-47.

Sorry.

The defiant toast, "Our country, right or wrong," was made by what American hero of the Tripolitan War?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Perry?

-Nah.

Stephen Decatur.

But nice job, Westfield.

340 points.

[ Applause ] That leaves packet number three for Poolesville.

Since Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz" comes from Kansas, one Kansas town built a road of what material in honor of the road that Dorothy travels in Oz?

-Yellow brick.

-♪ Follow the yellow brick road ♪ Yes.

To prevent interference with aircraft during World War II, the British government banned what lightweight toy that Ben Franklin had flown during an electrical storm?

-Kite.

-Kite is right.

Birds announce their territory to male rivals by singing loudly at what time of day named in the first 10 words of "The Star-Spangled Banner"?

-O say, can you see, by the -- Dawn.

Dawn.

-[ Laughs ] I love how you went through that.

I would have done the same thing.

Here's your science question.

Coelom, taiga, epicotyl.

Which of these three terms identifies a body cavity surrounded by a mesoderm?

-Epicotyl.

-No.

It's coelom.

Later a symbol of pawnbrokers, three silver globes appeared on the coat of arms of what Italian family which long ruled the city of Florence?

-Medici.

-Medici.

-You've got it.

"A Play In Three Acts" is the subtitle of what groundbreaking Thornton Wilder play about life and death in the town of Grover's Corners?

-Our Town."

-Yeah.

"Our Town."

I love that play.

Here's your math question.

Assuming X equals 9, evaluate this expression, giving your answer as an integer.

-12.

Yeah.

-12.

-12 it is.

Author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn drew on his own experience when he wrote "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich," about prison life under what brutal Russian dictator?

Answer?

-Alexander III.

-A little more contemporary.

Stalin.

Joseph Stalin.

But nice job, Poolesville.

360 points.

[ Applause ] That does it for the packet round.

You know what's next.

It's the Grab Bag.

So please stay where you are.

[ Applause ] -Hello.

I'm David Rubenstein.

Did you know the $2 bill originally carried the picture of Alexander Hamilton?

Today, the $2 bill features the portrait of Thomas Jefferson.

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

♪♪ [ Applause ] -So, you know, all of these students are really interesting, doing very fun stuff.

Or maybe not.

Maybe they're just gonna hang out this summer, but let's find out what some of them are up to.

We begin with Washington-Liberty and Alex.

-I plan on probably keeping up with my summer assignments, maybe visiting a couple colleges, and trying to learn a couple new skills.

-What kind of skills?

-I want to try my hand at getting better at drawing and singing.

-Ah, very nice.

William?

-I'm planning on getting ready for college, and my family and I are planning on going to Paris for a couple of weeks.

-Oh, that's nice.

I'll tag along.

[ Laughs ] Carter?

-I'll be going to Alaska and then doing football practices.

-Where in Alaska?

-Juneau.

-Oh.

That's nice.

I've been there.

Mendenhall Glacier.

It's gorgeous.

To Westfield and Justin.

-I'll be spending a lot of time golfing this summer to get ready for the season in the fall.

-Oh, nice.

That'll be fun, huh?

Ellie?

-I'll be babysitting my friend's brother, Paxton.

-[ Laughs ] Noble work, Ellie.

Zachary?

-Me and my family are gonna go on a road trip.

-To?

-California and back.

-Ooh, now that's nice.

I like that.

Over to Poolesville and Claire.

-I'll be working as a counselor at an art camp and volunteering at an urban farm.

-Oh, how cool.

Urban farm...?

-In Silver Spring -Nice.

Asher?

-Yeah, one last hurrah before I go off to college.

My mom and I are going to go to Japan for a few weeks this summer.

-Really cool.

And Alex?

-I'm probably going to be doing, like, an internship online.

-Uh-huh.

For...?

-A college.

-Oh.

Nice.

Alright.

Well, now that we've done all that, of course, I have lots of questions in the Grab Bag round.

But first we're gonna recap those scores, huh?

Washington-Liberty 435 points, Westfield 340 points, and Poolesville 360 points.

[ Applause ] Anything can happen, ladies and gentlemen, everybody watching.

Questions are worth 20 points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

Here are the questions.

One of Shakespeare's two gentlemen of Verona was what name that suggests a love note sent on February 14th?

-Yup, Liberty.

-Valentine.

-That's it.

The year 1776 produced not only the Declaration of Independence, but also "The Wealth of Nations" -- Yep.

Westfield.

-Adam Smith.

-Adam Smith it is.

There's an old mining town in Utah named for what element whose atomic number is 51 and whose symbol is S?

Poolesville.

-It has to be tin.

-Answer?

Answer?

-Tin.

-No.

Antimony.

On your screens.

Yes, Poolesville?

-Granada.

-Ooh!

Nicely done.

Asking for the Caribbean island.

Among the various shades of gray is a color whose name identifies what sort of grotesque water spouts that decorate medieval -- Yep, Westfield.

-Gargoyle.

-Gargoyles it is.

Choice -- Which of the following functions may have a value greater than 1?

Tangent function, cosine -- Yep.

Poolesville.

-Tangent function.

-You're right.

Realizing he'd only had 20 clients in 4 years, what Englishman gave up the practice of law to collaborate with Sir Arthur Sullivan in writing operettas?

-Yup.

Liberty.

-Gilbert.

-Yeah.

That's it.

On your screens.

Whether or not you agree with this, you can identify it as a line from "The Little Prince" by what -- -Poolesville.

-Saint-Exupéry.

-Yeah.

Very nicely done.

William Penn was granted the right to establish a Pennsylvania colony by what Stuart king?

Westfield.

-James.

-No.

Charles.

Who later lost his head in the Revolution.

Choice -- a barometric pressure reading of 20 inches of mercury would indicate an atmospheric pressure of about how many pounds per square inch -- 10, 20, or 30?

Anybody?

Yep.

Poolesville.

-20.

-No.

10.

What Lewis Carroll poem opens with the words, "'Twas brillig, and the slithy --" Liberty.

-"The Jabberwocky."

-Yeah.

On your screens.

This Japanese robe was used on ceremonial occasions by firemen on what largest Japanese -- -Poolesville.

-Honshu.

-Yes.

In the early 6th century, an extensive codification of Roman law was completed and named -- Westfield.

-Justinian.

-Nicely done.

Richard Nixon put his stamp on future administrations when he abolished what cabinet department once headed by Benjamin Franklin?

Yep.

Poolesville.

[ Buzzer ] -Post office.

-Post office is right.

You've got it.

And that does it.

The buzzer has rung.

It's the end of the game.

We're gonna take a look at these scores and see what's up.

Stay with us.

[ 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 Carter, and I'm a junior at Georgetown Day School.

I'm currently engaged in a lot of community-service projects revolving around conservation and health advocacy.

One conservation project I'm currently working on is a pollinator garden at the local elementary school.

Last fall, I planted around 300 plants in a 6,000-square-foot area, and this spring, I'm working to weed and supplement the plants.

I'm really proud of this project because protecting the environment is really important to me, and I want to make sure this area is nice for generations to come.

-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 ] -That was a good game.

The scores are now official.

We begin with Westfield High School, home of the Bulldogs, Justin, Ellie, Zachary -- 380 points.

[ Applause ] From Poolesville in Montgomery County, Claire, Asher, Alex -- 420 points.

Nice, guys.

[ Applause ] And coming back for the semifinals, Washington-Liberty from Arlington, Virginia, home of the Generals, Alex, William, Carter -- 495 points.

Great, guys.

[ Applause ] That's it for us.

We are so happy that you were here.

I'm Hillary Howard.

See you next time.

And remember, everybody... -It's academic!

-Bye-bye.

-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.

-In 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.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪