-Students from Westfield, St. Anselm's, and Loudoun County meet today on "It's Academic."

♪♪ ♪♪ 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'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.

♪♪ -Hello, there.

Thank you for joining us on "It's Academic" today because we have a good competition in store with these teams.

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

Questions are worth 10 points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

Guys, 5 Letter Names.

You can count on increasing your score if you identify the following persons whose last names have only five letters.

Westfield.

-Caitlin Clark.

-Correct.

Yes, Loudoun County.

-Seuss.

-Correct.

Yes, St. Anselm's.

-Ravel?

-No.

Georges Bizet.

Yep, Loudoun.

-Truth.

-Correct.

He played Captain America in the "Avenger"-- Westfield.

-Chris Evans.

-Yeah.

He was British Prime Minister during most of the American Revo-- Westfield.

Answer.

Three, two, one.

It was Lord North.

No -- Yes, St. Anselm's.

-Monet?

-No.

It was Degas.

Yeah, Westfield.

-Obama.

-Correct.

And that does it for our Fast Start.

Let's take a look at these scores.

Westfield, 120 points.

St. Anselm's, 80 points.

Loudoun County, 120 points.

[ Applause ] All right, it's time for Mix & Match.

But first, as you know, we get to meet these students.

We begin with Westfield High School, home of the Bulldogs from Chantilly, Virginia.

Hiya, Zachary.

-Hi.

I'm Zachary.

I run cross country and track, and I also like to collect baseball cards.

-How many baseball cards do you have?

-Too many to count.

-Too many to count.

Is it a whole closet full?

-If I were that organized, it would be.

-Do you have one that you think is really worth something?

-All of them.

-All of them personally worth something to you.

Yeah.

It's really nice to have you.

Hiya, Justin.

-Hi.

-Tell us something about yourself.

-So, my name is Justin Kelleher.

I'm a junior at Westfield High School, and outside of my time on the trivia team, I play on the golf and lacrosse teams, and I'm currently working on my Eagle Scout project.

-Tell us a little about that project.

-So right now I'm working on building additional instrument storage units for my former elementary school's band and strings program.

-Beautiful.

Well, it's good to have you, Justin.

And finally, last but not least, hi, Ellie.

-Hi, I'm Ellie.

I'm a junior at Westfield High School.

I collect candles, and I signed up for a half marathon.

-Collect candles?

How many?

-I think like, over 100 at this point.

-Wow.

Are they scented?

-Yeah.

-So you walk into your room and you're overpowered by the scent of candles.

Okay, here we go, guys.

Questions are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

Study this sentence, and you can find what part of the body sometimes called the kneecap?

-Patella.

-Yes.

Yeah.

And you don't even have to buzz.

If you wrote a report that was too wordy, that report could best be described with which of these adjectives?

-Recumbent.

-No.

Verbose.

If he had known the answer to this question, what mythical Greek might not have killed his father and married his mother?

Anything?

It is... -Achilles.

-Nah.

It's Oedipus.

On this day, what two men started off on their mission to explore the new Louisiana Territory?

-Lewis and Clark.

-You've got it.

If you study American history, you will learn that which of these treaties ended our Revolutionary War?

-Treaty of Paris?

-Yeah.

This is what a NASA engineer said he felt as he nervously watched the landing of the rover Curiosity on what red planet?

-Mars.

-You've got it.

Nice, Westfield.

200 points.

Over to St. Anselm's from Washington, D.C. Hi, Graeme.

How are you doing?

-I'm fine.

I'm a ninth grader at St. Anselm's Abbey School.

I'm a member of the chess club, and I participate on the fencing team.

-The fencing team.

Fencing is something I've always wanted to take.

How hard is it to learn all those moves?

-Mm...it just takes a bit of practice, and it's mostly working on your footwork and bladework.

-Is it tough when you have an opponent?

-Hmm?

It can get a bit stressful at times, you know, given the narrowness of your playing field.

But it's fun.

-Do you get exciting watching old pirate films and stuff like that?

[ Laughter ] -I've only seen the first "Pirates of the Caribbean."

-Oh, okay.

Nice to have you.

And hello, Philip.

-Hi.

I'm a senior.

I'm the captain here at St. Anselm's.

Outside of "It's Academic" and Quiz Bowl, I'm also the student-body co-president and I'm also on the wrestling team and I'm the baseball co-captain.

-Wow.

So a lot of leadership roles.

-Yeah.

-Being in student government gives you what?

-It gives me a real sense of how strong our community is.

It gives me kind of a connection to everyone in the school.

You know, we're a pretty small school, and so being able to connect with each person, knowing their names, and getting to serve them is really awesome for me.

-And this is something you think you'll carry forward in life?

-Oh, we'll see.

You know, we'll see where I end up.

-Alright.

Alright.

Great.

Hi, Eamonn.

-Hi.

I'm a junior at St. Anselm's.

I'm also on the fencing team and I'm a violinist in our school's orchestra.

-What are you guys working on?

What piece do you like most?

-Well, we just played a concert and we played a piece by Philip Glass and a classicalized version of "Creep" by Radiohead.

-Very good.

I like Philip Glass.

I like minimalism.

Alright, guys, here are your questions.

Hidden here is what word for a woody plant tissue that is different from phloem?

-Xylem?

Go.

Xylem?

-Yep, that's it.

Someone who is altruistic would most likely take which of these actions?

-Yeah.

-Make a donation.

-That's right.

This might have been a text from what mythical figure forced to carry the heavens on his shoulders?

-Atlas.

Atlas?

-Yes.

It was on this date that representatives of many countries gathered at what French palace and signed the treaty ending the First World War?

-Versailles.

-You are right.

When John Brown raided Harpers Ferry in 1859, it was to gain control of which of these?

-Arsenal?

-You've got it.

This was newspaper editor Horace Greeley's reaction to what longest tributary of the Mississippi, a river nicknamed "The Big Muddy"?

-Missouri?

-Okay.

-The Missouri?

-You are right.

Nice, St. Anselm's.

200 points.

And now to Loudoun County High School, home of the Captains, in Leesburg, Virginia.

Hi, Nathan.

Tell us about yourself.

-Hi.

I'm Nathan.

I'm currently a 16-year-old junior at Loudoun County High School, and I am a varsity rower on our rowing team.

-You are?

What do you get from rowing?

-I get a lot of teamwork and just character because of the amount of, like, team-building skills that you need to be in sync with the rest of the rowers on your boat.

-Yeah.

And you slice through that water, don't you?

-Yeah.

-You go fast.

That's wonderful.

It's nice to have you.

How you doing, Pierson?

-Hi.

I'm Pierson.

I'm a 17-year-old senior at Loudoun County High School.

I'm the captain of the academic team.

And outside of this, I do archery and I've just got into guitar recently.

-Nice!

They both use strings, although much differently.

Do you like archery?

-It's fun.

I really like it.

-Yeah.

Alright.

And, finally, Sam, hi.

-Hi.

I'm Sam, I'm an 18-year-old senior, and I sing in the choir.

-And what are you guys singing these days?

-We're just finishing up our winter set.

We have lots of -- We sing mostly chamber music, so, like, a cappella.

-Do you find that when you're singing, you feel all of the voices reverberating through your body?

-Yeah.

-That's pretty insane, isn't it?

Yeah.

Alright, guys.

Here are your questions.

You'll get a fine score if you can find in this phrase the name of what noble gas used in advertising signs?

-Neon.

-Yeah.

A person who is unreasonably afraid of being poisoned is suffering from which of these phobias?

-Toxiphobia.

-Yeah.

This might have been a text from what mythical Greek who fell in love with his own image and was turned into a flower?

-Narcissus.

-Correct.

On this date, President Lincoln sent a naval expedition to aid what besieged fort guarding the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina?

-Sumter.

-You've got it right.

Of these three countries, which one is located in Africa?

-Angola?

Angola.

-Yes, again.

A son of John Quincy Adams wrote these unkind words about what capital of New York state?

-Albany.

-Albany?

Albany.

-Albany.

Albany is not that bad.

Nice job, Loudoun County.

240 points.

That does it for the Mix and Match round.

Picture Perfect 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 ] ♪♪ -We are entering the Picture Perfect round.

And before we begin, let's recap the scores.

Westfield -- 200 points.

St. Anselm's -- 200 points.

Loudoun County -- 240 points.

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

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

Here we go.

Cherries became an important crop in England after Henry VIII gave a cherry orchard to what daughter who became a long-reigning queen?

Yeah, Westfield?

-Elizabeth?

-That's correct.

Abraham Lincoln made this sarcastic comment about the family of his wife, what clan that did, indeed -- St. Anselm's.

-Todd?

-Yeah, that's it.

They had two D's.

Among the constellations represented on these postage stamps is one named for what mythical Greek hunter?

Yes, Loudoun County?

-Orion?

Orion.

-Yeah, that's it.

What number is halfway between negative-3 and positive-11?

Loudoun.

Answer?

-Four.

-Yeah, that's it, too.

This jewel-encrusted Fabergé egg was part of the collection of what last czar of Russia?

Yeah, Westfield?

-Nicholas II.

-Correct.

A mentor of Mozart, this is what classical composer, whose many works include his "Surprise Symphony"?

Yep, St. Anselm's.

-Haydn?

-Yeah.

You've got that.

In the 1940s, this became the flag of -- Westfield.

-Iceland?

-Iceland is right.

Nice.

Born a slave, James Armistead became a spy and obtained information leading to a critical American victory at what Virginia site in -- Westfield.

-Yorktown?

-Yorktown does it.

And that's the end of our Picture Perfect round.

Nice.

Let's check those scores.

280 for Westfield, 240 for St. Anselm's, and 280 for Loudoun County.

These guys are good.

Let's meet the people who help prepare them for "It's Academic."

We begin with Westfield.

Justin, tell us who's here with you.

-So, with us today is our wonderful coach, Mr. Baranowski, who is all of our AP Euro teachers.

And our lovely two alternates are Sema and Jack.

-Wonderful.

Really good to have you guys here.

And to St. Anselm's.

Hi, Philip.

Tell us who's here.

-We are here with our Quiz Bowl coach and librarian, Miss Dunlavey, over there.

-Good to see you.

And, Loudoun County, tell us about who's with you, Pierson.

-So, we have our amazing coach, Mr. Henderson.

He is our DECA coach.

-Alright.

Thank you all.

We really appreciate it.

And now we can dive into this Packet round.

In the Packet round, of course, Westfield, you have the honors of going first, and, St. Anselm's, you have the honor of choosing which packet they answer questions from.

-2?

2?

-Sure.

-Let's go 2.

-2.

Alright.

Definitively said.

There are a bunch of questions here.

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

Here we go.

Westfield, a homemade wind tunnel proved important in helping what brothers who made the first successful aircraft flight in 1903 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

-The Wright brothers.

-Yeah.

Though it's nicknamed "Alligator Alley," the formal name of a major east/west highway incorporates the name of what large national park in Southern Florida?

-Everglades.

-The Everglades is right.

The metal that made people rich in Leadville, Colorado, was not lead, but what precious metal whose chemical symbol is AG?

-Silver?

-Yeah.

Here's your science question.

When vegetable matter decomposes underwater to form marsh gas, the natural gas is accurately called.

which of these?

-Methane?

-Yeah.

New Hampshire's oldest newspaper shares what name with the first Union ironclad ship that fought a famous naval battle at Hampton Roads?

-The Olympia?

-No, The Monitor.

It was in 1850 that Nathaniel Hawthorne published what novel whose main character is the long-suffering Hester Prynne?

-"The Scarlet Letter"?

-Yeah.

Here's your math question.

How many square feet are there in a floor that is 5 yards by 6 yards?

-30.

-No, 270 square feet.

The United States mediated an end to what war when the Treaty of Portsmouth was signed in New Hampshire in 1905?

-Russo-Japanese.

-You've got it.

Nice.

Very good, Westfield.

400 points.

Alright, St. Anselm's, it's your turn.

Loudoun County, packet 1 or 3 for St. Anselm's?

-We'll give them 3.

-Give him 3.

Alright.

Under high temperature, sand, lime, and alkali will fuse to produce what product useful in the slipper industry of Cinderella's time?

-Glass.

-Glass.

-Can you imagine how uncomfortable that must have been, the idea of a glass slipper?

What American painter shared his surname with the Greek poet who wrote the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey"?

-Homer.

-Homer.

-You got it.

Dietitians working for the military have developed a recipe for macaroni and cheese that has a shelf life of how many years equaling 156 weeks?

-Three.

Three.

-Three.

-Three?

-Yeah, three.

Three-year-old macaroni and cheese.

I just don't know.

Here's your science question.

Plastics are among the materials produced by the process of combining small molecules into large ones.

Which of these terms describes the process?

-Polymerization.

-You've got that one, too.

The attempt of a little girl named Linda to enroll in an all-white elementary school in Topeka, Kansas, led to what 1964 Supreme Court school-desegregation ruling?

-Brown v. Board of Education.

-That's it.

Daniel Defoe was arrested for views he expressed in an early work, but he later achieved success with what novel about a man shipwrecked on a lonely island?

-"Robinson Crusoe."

-That's it.

Here's your math question.

Which of these numbers is evenly divisible by 12?

-422?

-Nope, it's 420.

Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan strongly opposed the anti-German sentiment in 1915 that followed the sinking of what British ship by a German submarine?

-The Lusitania.

-You got it.

Nice, St. Anselm's.

380 points.

And that leaves packet number 1 for Loudoun County.

Galileo was the most famous native of what Italian city whose most famous tourist attraction is a leaning tower?

-Pisa.

-Yep.

It's thought that Australia was the first country to enact labor laws that defined a workday as how many hours equaling 1/3 of a day?

-Eight.

-Eight is right.

If little Red Riding Hood had climbed Mount Hood, she'd have done her climbing in what Northwest state that names a famous 1840s pioneer trail?

-Oregon?

-Oregon.

-Oregon.

-Oregon it is.

Here's your science question.

Which of these terms describes the process of cleaning a metal with an acid?

Answer?

-The first one?

The first one.

No.

It's pickling, the second one.

Snow flavored with honey was the favorite dessert of what Ancient Macedonian conqueror known as "The Great"?

-Alexander.

-Yeah.

-According to George Bernard Shaw, no one will ever write a better tragedy than what Shakespeare play about a king and his three daughters?

-"King Lear"?

-Yeah.

The horrible, sad story of King Lear.

Here's your math question.

How much would a 15% tip be on a bill for $60?

-Yeah, yeah.

-9.

-9 is right.

"Americans have a lively faith in the perfectibility of man," wrote what 19th century French observer in his book "Democracy in America"?

Answer in three -- -Lafayette?

-No, it's Tocqueville.

Alexis de Tocqueville.

Nice job, Loudoun County.

400 points.

In case you haven't noticed, this is a very close game.

Any of these teams can win.

Stick around.

The Grab Bag is next.

-Hello.

I'm David Rubenstein.

Did you know that squirrels will chew discarded skins of rattlesnakes?

Squirrels then lick their fur to create a scent that many predators will avoid.

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

[ Applause ] ♪♪ -So, you know, a minute ago, I told you this was a very close game.

Here's how close it is.

Westfield -- 400.

St. Anselm's -- 380.

Loudoun County -- 400.

Alright.

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

And, again, the first team that buzzes in gets to answer.

Teams... you can drive along Gold Vault Road and Bullion Boulevard at what Kentucky Fort where the U.S. stores much of its gold?

Loudoun.

-Knox.

-That's it.

The oldest public library in the U.S. isn't on the East Coast.

It's the Palace of the Governors, built in 1610, in what city now the capital of New Mexico?

Westfield.

-Santa Fe.

-Yeah.

The animal with one of the most advanced vocabularies is what rodent native to the Great Plains and referred to as a dog?

Westfield.

-Prairie dog?

-You're right.

On your screens.

This swampy terrain is common in what tiny West African country whose capital is Banjul?

Any takers?

Yeah, Loudoun.

-Gambia?

-Yeah.

Very good.

What same three-syllable word names both a storage cupboard and the president's official body of advisers?

Westfield.

-Cabinet.

-Correct.

How many different planes can be tangent to a sphere at a given point on the sphere?

Yes, Loudoun?

-One?

One?

-That's it.

In the International Phonetic Alphabet used by pilots, the letter "W" is represented by what same word that names a 1794 rebellion in Pennsylvania?

Yes, Westfield?

-Whiskey?

-Yeah.

On your screens.

This might have been a text in 1909 from what explorer, who, with Matthew Henson, became the first person to reach the North Pole?

Anybody?

Yeah, Loudoun.

-Amundsen?

-No, it was Peary.

The Virginia Resolves of 1765 attacked what British parliamentary act that sounds as if it would be of particular interest to a philatelist?

The answer, anybody?

It is Stamp Act.

Choice.

When the separation between the centers of a pair of spherical masses doubles, the gravitational force becomes what fraction of its initial value?

St. Anselm's.

-1/4?

-Yeah.

Very good.

John Lange and Jeffrey Hudson were two pen names used by what author who put his real name on the cover of "Jurassic Park"?

Anybody?

It is -- St. Anselm's.

-Michael Crichton.

-Very good.

On your screens.

Lemurs -- [ Buzzer ] And that does it.

That is the end of the game.

We're going to wrap these scores up, take a look at everything, and be back with the ending in just a moment.

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.

-I'm William, I'm a senior at Washington International School, and I've been working as a volunteer tutor since I was in 11th grade.

And I've really enjoyed my time working as a tutor.

I feel quite connected to the students that I tutor and I feel that my contributions as a teacher definitely have impacts on their developments as learners.

I feel great pride in when they develop as, say, math learners or when their reading improves.

And it always makes me feel good to know that I had a hand in doing so, and I hope that my teaching will inspire them to love learning for the rest of their lives in some capacity.

-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.

-The scores are now official.

We begin with St. Anselm's from Washington, D.C., Graham, Philip, Eamonn -- 420 points.

[ Applause ] From Loudoun County High School in Leesburg, Virginia, Nathan, Pierson, Sam -- 440 points.

[ Applause ] I told you it was a close game.

Coming back for the playoffs, the Westfield Bulldogs, Zachary, Justin, Ellie -- 480 points.

Nice job.

[ Applause ] We are so glad that you were with us today.

Can't wait to see you next time.

I'm Hillary Howard, and remember, everybody... -It's academic!

-Bye-bye.

See ya.

[ 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.

-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.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪