-Students from Whitman, Lake Braddock, Osbourn Park meet today on "It's Academic."

♪♪ ♪♪ And now the host of "It's Academic," Hillary Howard.

-Hello, everybody.

Welcome to "It's Academic," produced by Altman Productions in association with David M. Rubenstein Productions.

-Support for "It's Academic" has been provided by the following.

Mitre, a not-for-profit research and development company working in the public interest.

-The world is full of challenges.

And at Mitre, we're committed to solving them.

From aviation and health to cyber and national security, our people know we are called to do more.

Mitre -- solving problems for a safer world.

-All right, let's kick this off with a "Fast Start."

All questions are worth 10 points up or down.

The first team to buzz in gets to answer.

The students do not see what you do on the screens at home.

Let's go.

"Please pass the bread."

I hope you haven't eaten yet, because these questions are all about bread.

Please identify the following.

According to Juvenal, ancient Romans demanded bread and this type of entertainment.

Lake Braddock.

-Circuses.

-Circuses.

-Yes.

This French queen allegedly said -- Whitman.

-Marie Antoinette.

-Marie Antoinette is right.

He stole a loaf of bread in -- Lake Braddock.

-Jean Valjean.

-Yeah.

Most bread is leavened with this unicellular -- Whitman.

-Yeast.

-Yes.

They left a trail of bread crumbs on their way to -- Lake Braddock.

-Hansel and Gretel.

-Correct.

He wrote about a loaf of bread and thou in the "Rubaiyat."

Whitman.

-Khayyam.

-Yeah.

Price controls on bread were enforced by this king, who signed the Magna Carta.

Whitman.

-John.

-Yeah.

Breadfruit trees were carried by this ship commanded by Captain Bligh.

Whitman.

-The Bounty.

-The Bounty it is.

Nicely done.

That is the end of "Fast Start."

Whitman's got 140 points, Lake Braddock 120 points, and Osbourn Park 110 points.

[ Applause ] All right, next up is "Mix and Match."

But before our first question, let's meet Team 1, Whitman High School from Bethesda, Maryland.

Hey, Annie, it's good to see you.

-It's good to see you, too.

-Thanks.

What have you been up to?

-Recently I've been, like, looking forward to the end of the school year as a senior.

Looking forward to graduation and just getting everything ready for college.

I'm also an EMT, and I volunteer at the hospital there.

-That is wonderful.

Well, it's really good to see you again, Annie.

Thanks for being here.

Hello, Kabir.

-Hi.

I'm Kabir.

It's nice to see you, too.

-Thank you.

-Yeah.

-And what else can you tell us?

-Oh, oh.

Okay, so, like Annie, I'm a senior.

And I'm also looking forward to graduation and just being done with high school.

I'm excited to start, like, the next part of my life.

But yeah, I've just been chilling.

I've been doing a lot of reading.

I've been doing Quizbowl, obviously.

And yeah, that's about it.

-That's wonderful.

Well, it's great to see you.

And finally, hello, Jayden.

-Hi.

Oh, I'm Jayden.

I'm also a senior at Whitman, and I've recently also been preparing for the end of high school and just making plans for the summer.

-Well, it's beautiful.

It's such an exciting time in your lives.

Right?

And we will miss you after this season, of course.

We'll see the new Whitman students come on in.

Right?

All right.

Well, let's dive into this "Mix and Match" round, huh?

Questions are worth 20 points.

No penalties for a wrong answer, so feel free to be bold.

Here's the first question.

"A fossil icon."

Look at this phrase and see if you can find the name of what non-metallic element, the second-most abundant element in the Earth's crust?

-Silicon.

-That's it.

Affable.

Phlegmatic.

Ingenious.

Someone who is very sluggish can best be described by which of these adjectives?

-Phlegmatic?

-Yes.

Nice assist, Osbourn Park.

Blank Gables.

Blank Sea.

Fill in the blanks with the name of a small marine invertebrate which forms atolls and you can identify a city in Florida and part of the Pacific, where a major naval battle took place in 1942.

-Coral?

-Correct.

Icy gases.

Lead.

Quartz.

Astronomers believe that the coma that surrounds the nucleus of a comet is made up mainly of dust and which of these?

-Icy gases?

-Yes, I think so.

Icy gases?

-Yeah.

"When good Americans die, they go to to"... To complete this quote from Oscar Wilde at what European city where you can visit the Louvre Museum?

-Paris.

-Paris it is.

Nicely done, Whitman.

You have a score of 250 points.

And now from Lake Braddock High School.

Let's introduce the team.

Caleb, tell us about yourself.

-Hi, I'm Caleb.

I'm a senior at Lake Braddock.

I'm really excited to be here.

And yeah, that's about it.

-That's about it?

All right.

Good to see you.

Hello, Sadie.

-Hi, I'm Sadie.

I'm a senior at Lake Braddock, and I'm an officer for our crochet club.

-Really?

So you crochet everything or what?

-Pretty much.

Recently, we just finished putting together a sweater that we actually attached to the bear statue outside our school, just to bring some cheer in the winter.

-So it was big?

-So it was big.

-Hello, Antonio.

-Hi, I'm Antonio.

-I'm a senior at Lake Braddock.

I'm getting started with our tennis team.

Our season starts this week, so hopefully we'll win a bunch of games, and we'll see how it goes.

-All right.

Well, good luck this season.

And now we've got some "Mix and Match" questions for you.

Here's the first one.

"Help rot Einsteinium."

Instead of Einsteinium, please find in this phrase what word that identifies a molecule built from amino acids.

-Protein?

-Protein, yeah.

-Protein.

-Yeah.

-Archipelago.

Isthmus.

Delta.

Which of these geographical terms refers to a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land masses?

-Isthmus.

-Correct.

If you have a yen for American history, you'll fill in the blanks to get what word that identifies a Native American tribe and the capital of Wyoming?

-Cheyenne.

Cheyenne.

-Yep.

USS Arizona.

USS Missouri.

USS Corry.

All three of these ships played a role in World War II, but which one took part in the Normandy invasion and was sunk by German fire?

-Either the Missouri or the Corry.

-Let's go with Missouri.

-Missouri?

The Missouri?

-No, it was the Corry.

-"An blank is an obituary with the final installment missing."

To complete this quote, place in the blank what word meaning the story of one's life written by one's self?

-Autobiography?

Autobiography.

Autobiography is right.

Nicely done, Lake Braddock.

210 points.

And now to Osbourn Park.

Guys, let's meet.

Diego, tell us about yourself.

-Hello, I'm Diego.

I go to Osbourn Park High School.

I am a senior and a captain of our sort of, like, academic team club that we do at school.

It's similar to this.

-Wonderful.

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

Hello, Gabriel.

-Hi.

My name is Gabriel.

I'm a senior at Osbourn Park, and I'm excited for a trivia night that our team is planning for the school.

-Oh, and I'm sure you'll do very well on trivia night.

-Oh, no, we're not going to -- other people are participating.

-Oh.

-Not us.

It would be unfair.

-Okay.

Yes.

Hello, George.

-Hi, I'm George.

I do academic team at Osbourn Park, and I also run track and play the bass.

-Awesome.

Well, let's do this, guys.

"Seat patio diners."

While you are seated here, see if you can find the hidden name of one of the halogen elements.

-Iodine.

-Yes, it's iodine.

Revival.

Remuneration.

Repast.

Which of these words would most likely be used to describe payment for services?

-Remuneration.

-Remuneration.

-You've got it.

Blank Sea.

Blank Ice Shelf.

On a map of Antarctica, these words would be prefaced by the last name of what explorer?

-Ross.

-Yeah.

Nicely done.

Apollo 11.

New Horizons.

Tiros I. Meteorology entered the Space Age in 1960, when which of these was launched as the first successful weather satellite?

-Tiros.

-Yes.

"It is madness for a sheep to talk peace with a"... You can complete this quote from one writer by adding what predatory animal that, in an Aesop fable, wears sheep's clothing.

-Wolf.

-Wolf is right.

Osbourn Park, nicely done.

You've got a score of 140 points.

And that is it for the "Mix and Match" round.

"Picture Perfect" is coming up 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 ] -Time for the "Picture Perfect" round.

But we're going to do a couple of things first.

One of them is check the scores.

Whitman -- 250, Lake Braddock -- 210, and Osbourn Park, we've adjusted your score to reflect 200 points.

So yay!

[ Applause ] Now, in this "Picture Perfect" round, the first team to buzz in gets to answer.

Questions are worth 20 points up or down, so proceed carefully.

Here's the first clue.

The swiftest North American land animal is this pronghorn variety of what mammal?

Whitman.

Answer in three, two... -Antelope.

-Yeah.

Antelope.

"Chaotic and absolutely empty."

This is one of the kinder things Tchaikovsky had to say about the music of what German composer who wrote four symphonies and a noted -- Whitman.

in three, two, one.

The answer is... -Wagner?

-Nope.

It's Brahms.

This is a page of a medieval manuscript of what third book of the Bible?

Whitman.

-Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus.

-Leviticus.

-Yep.

You got it.

-Good job, Jayden.

Evaluate this expression.

Whitman.

-16.

-16.

-16.

-16 it is.

This John Singer Sargent painting has, in its title, what perfume fixative that actually comes from the intestines of a sperm whale?

Anybody?

The answer is ambergris.

Which of these choices is the approximate heat of fusion of water at STP?

Lake Braddock.

-540.

-No, it's 80 calories per gram.

The Indonesian water lily is native to what J-initialed island?

Whitman.

-Java.

-Java is right.

Nice leap.

And that is the end of the "Picture Perfect" round.

Now it is half time.

-And now a question for you, our audience.

What French poet kept a lobster for a pet?

The answer is... Charles Baudelaire.

He said dogs just bark too much.

[ Dog barking ] Now back to our teams.

-During half time, we get to meet all of the coaches and administrators who have worked so hard to get these teams ready for the competition.

So let's meet them.

We begin with Whitman.

Kabir, who's with you?

-We have our coach, Ms. Foss, and our principal, Dr. Dodd.

-Really good to see you guys.

Thanks for being here.

And to Lake Braddock.

Sadie, who's with you?

-So, with us today, we have our coach, Mr. Holtzman.

-Hello, Mr. Holtzman.

Nice to see you.

And then Osbourn Park.

Gabriel, who's standing behind you?

-We have our coach here, Mr. Barber.

-Awesome to see you.

Really glad you guys are here.

And now, of course, that we've met the people who helped prepare these students for the competition, we're going to jump into the "Packet" round.

Now, in the "Packet" round, questions are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer, as you guys know.

And if you get every question right, there's a 25-point bonus.

Here's the fun part.

Whitman, you get to answer questions first.

Lake Braddock, you get to choose which packet they answer questions from -- 1, 2, or 3.

-They're going to take Packet 3.

-Packet 3.

All right.

Whitman.

The beautiful face of what ancient woman is said to have launched a thousand ships and the Trojan War, as well.

-Helen.

-Yeah.

Helen of Troy.

The first 911 emergency call was made in 1968, in Haleyville, a small town in what Southern state whose largest city is Birmingham?

-Alabama.

-Alabama.

-Yeah.

-Idaho has a well-known Salmon River, but a Salmon Creek flows through what capital city of Alaska?

-Yeah, Juneau.

-It is Juneau.

Here's your science question.

Intrusive.

Extrusive.

Umbra.

Which of these terms refers to the igneous rock formed beneath the earth's surface?

[ Conferring ] -Intrusive?

-Yep.

You got it.

What was the World War II code name for the super-secret project whose objective, under General Leslie Groves, was the development of an atomic weapon?

-Manhattan?

-Yes, it was.

A number of intersecting valleys on Saturn's moon, Titan, are named for fictional planets.

created by what Author of the novel "Dune"?

-Ooh, what's his name?

[ Conferring ] -Answer?

-Andy Ware.

-It's Frank Herbert.

Here's your math question.

Which of these numbers is evenly divisible by seven?

[ Conferring ] -Third one?

-No, the first one.

5110.

The ancient mathematician Archimedes was killed by a Roman soldier during the second of what series of wars fought between Rome and Carthage?

-Punic?

-Yeah.

It's the Punic Wars.

Nice, Whitman.

Really good.

430 points.

[ Applause ] Now... Now Lake Braddock gets to answer some questions.

Osbourn Park, Packet 1 or Packet 2?

-Two.

-Two.

Here we go.

In 1894, a rudimentary system of fingerprint identification was adopted by London's Metropolitan Police Agency, which people usually refer to as what yard?

-Scotland.

Scotland?

-Yeah.

-Fans at the Orange Bowl seeking divine help might recall that orange blossoms were an emblem of what classical goddess of the hunt?

-Artemis?

-Artemis, yeah.

-Artemis?

-Yeah.

Among the largest mass gatherings in the world is a Hindu festival where believers take a ritual bath in what sacred river of India?

-Ganges.

-Ganges?

-Yes, it is.

I've seen it at Varanasi.

It's amazing.

Here's your science question.

Richter Scale.

Beaufort Scale.

WRF Scanner.

Which of these is a system of measuring wind velocity and wind speed?

-I thought it was Beaufort.

-It could be.

-It could be the scanner.

-I think it's Beaufort.

-But it's the system.

Beaufort scale?

-Yes, it is.

The elusive Higgs Boson particle was finally discovered using the Large Hadron Collider in what European country whose capital is Bern?

-Switzerland.

Switzerland.

-Got it again.

-A book called "The Business of Heaven" is a work by what British author who also made it his business to write "The Screwtape Letters"?

-C.S.

Lewis.

-[ Laughs ] You're very excited.

-I've read that.

-Here's your math question.

Evaluate this expression, giving your answer as a positive integer.

-Three.

-Yep.

American colonists rejected the idea of aristocratic titles, but they accepted the help of what German baron who trained American forces at Valley Forge?

-Baron Friedrich von Steuben.

-Defer to Antonio.

-Baron Friedrich von Steuben.

-Very nice.

And with that, you guys have a 25-point bonus.

-Awesome job.

355 points, Lake Braddock.

[ Applause ] And finally, Osbourn Park Packet number 1.

The Smoking Snakes were World War II soldiers from what largest South American country?

-Brazil.

-Yes.

The Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov felt that the musical key of E Major represented what color that is often used to symbolize envy or jealousy?

-Green.

-Yep.

During the Civil War, two new states joined the union -- West Virginia and what Western state where Carson City is capital?

-Nevada.

-Nevada is it.

Here's your science question.

Bernoulli's Principle.

Lenz's Law.

Van der Waal's Law.

Which of these is a law stating that the speed of a fluid or gas varies inversely with pressure and explains the lift experienced by the wing of an aircraft?

-Bernoulli's principle.

-You've got it.

The manufacturer of beer was the focus of an 1872 study on fermentation by what French chemist who later found a vaccine for rabies?

-Defer to Diego.

-Pasteur.

-Correct.

What Chinese American author cooked up satisfaction for thousands of readers with her novel "The Kitchen God's Wife"?

-Got it?

In three, two, one.

Amy Tan.

Here's your math question.

Evaluate this expression, giving your answer as a positive integer.

-20.

-Yeah.

Though wounded in the Battle of Glendale, what Union general was back in command at Gettysburg in 1863?

In three, two, one.

The answer is -- -Hooker?

-Say it again.

-Hooker.

-No.

George Meade.

But you did a really nice job, Osbourn Park.

320 points.

[ Applause ] And that is it for the "Packet" round.

The "Grab Bag" is coming up next.

-Hello, I'm David Rubenstein.

Did you know that history's shortest war took place in 1896 between England and Zanzibar and lasted 38 minutes?

While the Anglo-Zanzibar war didn't last long, it resulted in 500 casualties and ended with the destruction of the Sultan's palace and the British in control.

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

[ Applause ] -It's time for the "Grab Bag" round.

But first, let's check out these scores.

They've been adjusted.

Whitman -- 430 points.

Lake Braddock -- 375 points.

Osbourn Park -- 320 points.

[ Applause ] All right, let's rack up some more points, guys, huh, and jump into this "Grab Bag" round, where questions are worth 20 points up or down.

Here we go.

Mozart had written nearly all of his 40 symphonies before he reached what age, the minimum for a member of the US House of Representatives?

Whitman.

-35?

Is it 35?

-Answer?

-35.

-No.

25.

Because many settlers slipped in sooner than the scheduled date for the 1889 land rush, what state got the nickname -- Lake Braddock.

-Oklahoma.

-Oklahoma.

-Yes, Oklahoma.

There were 282 rules and regulations on the 7-foot stone slab listing the famous law code of what -- Whitman.

-Hammurabi?

-Yeah.

On your screens.

This is what 19th-century Polish pianist and composer?

Osbourn Park.

-Chopin.

-Yeah.

Old geography books that mention Asia Minor are referring to an area roughly -- Whitman.

Ooh, roughly.

Do they want the area?

-Answer?

-Turkey?

Yeah.

Nice leap.

Written at the age 13, a poem titled "The Battle of Lovell's Pond" was the first work published by what 19th-century American poet who later made a splash with Hiawatha?

Whitman.

-Longfellow.

-Yeah.

-A pole 6-feet-high casts a 9-foot shadow.

If a nearby tree casts a 45-foot shadow, how tall is that tree?

[ Buzzer ] Whitman.

-45.

-Answer in three... -36.

Nope.

Just 30.

On your screens.

"Life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating."

This observation is from "The Gift of the Magi," a short story -- Whitman.

-O. Henry.

[ Buzzer ] -And that is the end of the game.

-I'm David Rubenstein.

And I believe giving back is something we all can do.

Students are getting involved in their communities in many important ways.

I've asked them to share with us how they're making a difference.

-Hi, my name is Eugenie Adhikari.

I'm a current senior at Montgomery Blair High School.

And the most meaningful organization to me is Project DCC.

Project Down County Consortium is an organization that works to make sure all students of Montgomery County, Maryland, are represented.

We help students with scholarships, college applications, and ensure that all students have a voice in the county's Student Government Association.

I hope all students are able to find an organization that is as meaningful as Project DCC is to me.

-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.

-And now a question for you, our viewers.

Who brought an alligator to the White House?

The answer is... the Marquis de Lafayette.

Today, the Secret Service prefers visitors stick to cats and dogs and such.

Now back to our teams.

[ Applause ] -The scores are now official.

Let's see where everything stands.

We begin with Osbourn Park from Manassas, Virginia.

Diego, Gabriel, George -- 340 points.

[ Applause ] From Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Caleb, Sadie, Antonio -- 395 points with a 25-point bonus.

Way to go.

[ Applause ] Coming back for the semifinal, Whitman High School from Bethesda, Maryland.

Annie, Kabir, and Jayden -- 470 points.

Nice, guys.

[ Applause ] Let's hear it for our incredible teams and you, our incredible viewers.

Really happy you could join us and match wits with our impressive students.

-Support for "It's Academic" has been provided by the following -- Mitre, a not-for-profit research and development company working in the public interest.

-At Mitre, we're committed to solving some of our biggest challenges in national security, cyber, aviation, and health.

And our dedication to service starts at home.

Working to fight hunger, serving people in need, protecting public health, and supporting our civic institutions.

This is serving the public.

This is Mitre -- solving problems for a safer world.

-Next time, we have Sandy Spring Friends, W.T.

Woodson, and Fauquier high schools right here on "It's Academic," a semifinal game.

See you then.

I'm Hillary Howard.

Bye!

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