Bullis, Bethesda-Chevy Chase and Sandy Spring Friends

-Students from Bullis... Bethesda-Chevy Chase... Sandy Spring Friends... meet today on "It's Academic."

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

[ Cheers and applause ] Hello, everybody.

I'm Hilary Howard.

And 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.

-Alright, let's get this going with a fast start.

All questions in this round are 10 points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer, and the students do not see what you do on the screens at home.

Let's do this.

"Anger management."

Some people get angry for no real reasons.

Others have every right to be indignant.

Please identify the following persons, real and fictional, who had good reasons to be angry.

In 1955, she was arrested for -- Sandy Spring.

-Rosa Parks.

-Yes.

This Titan was forced to carry the -- Sandy Spring.

-Atlas.

-[ Laughs ] Yes.

When he asked for more gruel -- -"Oliver Twist."

-"Oliver Twist" by Charles Dickens.

-Yes, you're right.

Henry VIII divorced her -- Sandy Spring.

-Catherine of Aragon.

-Yeah.

-He was furious when his brother Aaron built -- Sandy Spring.

-Moses?

-Yes.

Her revenge was terrible when Jason left her.

Sandy Spring?

-Medea.

Is it Medea?

-Answer?

-Medea.

-Medea.

This French officer was sent to Devil's Island -- BCC.

-Napoleon.

-Napoleon.

-Napoleon.

-Alfred Dreyfus.

In a classic fairy tale, a wolf ate her grandmother.

Sandy Spring.

-"Little Red Riding Hood."

-"Little Red Riding Hood" it is.

And that is the end of the round.

Whew!

"Mix & Match" is next.

But first, let's meet Team 1 from the Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland.

Hello, Dylan.

Tell us about yourself.

-Hi.

I'm Dylan, a senior from the Bullis School.

I love to travel and ski, and I would like to thank my coach, Mr. Hanson.

-What's your favorite travel destination?

-Well, we just went to Vermont, so I'd say Vermont.

-Nice.

Hello, Luke.

What should we know about you?

-You should know I'm a music producer.

I'm a senior at Bullis High School, and we are very thankful to have our wonderful alternate, Ellie Clark, here with us today.

-Awesome.

Tell us about your music production.

-I mostly do hip-hop, but I try to span multiple genres.

-Nice.

And hello, Grisham.

- Hi.

I'm Grisham.

I'm a senior at Bullis.

I like to be outside.

I like to go biking, and I also do some wildlife photography.

I'm an amateur.

-Nice.

And don't you have a brother on the team?

-Oh, yeah.

This is Dylan, my twin brother.

-The guys on the ends are the twins.

Yay!

Well, it's wonderful to have you guys here.

And now in this round, questions are worth 20 points.

No penalties for a wrong answer, so feel free to take a chance.

"Be careful tonight."

If you're careful, you can find hidden in this phrase the name of what inventor who built the Clermont steamship?

-Fulton.

-Yes.

"Reached pop."

You can rearrange these letters to name what poisonous snake that nicknamed Confederate sympathizers who lived in the North during the Civil War?

Answer?

-Oh, is it... -In three, two, one... -Ech... -No, Copperheads.

Just add some letters -- some consonants, actually -- and you can name what Southwestern desert located primarily in California and Nevada?

-Mojave.

-Yeah.

-"Bivalves.

Cotyledons.

Corals."

The old folk song "Molly Malone" talks of cockles and mussels, which, along with clams, are members of which of these groups?

-Bivalves.

-Bivalves.

-Bivalves it is.

"Do not open your lips.

Die silent as you shall see me do."

These were the words of Peter Poyas, who was hanged with several other men for their part in a slave revolt in what oldest South Carolina city?

-Charleston?

-Charleston?

Charleston.

-Charleston.

-Charleston?

-Charleston it is.

Nice job, Bullis.

180 points.

Now let's kick it over to Bethesda-Chevy Chase.

We first get to say hello to Kate.

Hiya, Kate.

-Hi.

I'm Kate.

I'm a senior at BCC.

I'm on our track and swim teams, and I'd like to thank our alternates, Aidan and Seth, who are here today.

-Wonderful.

Great to see you again.

James, tell us about yourself.

-Hi.

I'm James Bellew, a senior at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School.

I run track, and I sing bass.

-Ooh!

And what do you like to sing?

-Well, I like to sing a lot of the various secular and spiritual songs that are in our school's chamber repertoire.

-Wonderful.

Well, it's good to hear you.

I want to hear some of that one day.

[ Chuckles ] Hello, Sasha.

-Hi.

My name is Sasha.

I'm a senior at Bethesda-Chevy Chase.

And I would love to thank our coach, Ms. Lassar.

And I also love to cook.

-What's your favorite dish?

-I'll have to go with pasta.

-Ooh, well, pasta is always good.

Alright.

Ready for some questions?

Yes.

Here we go.

"Teach Allen German."

Instead of teaching Allen, please find in this phrase the name of what Space Shuttle orbiter that exploded 73 seconds after its launch in 1986?

-Challenger.

-Yeah.

"Neat old egg."

This neat phrase is an anagram for what San Francisco Bridge, which opened in 1937?

-Golden Gate.

-Golden Gate.

-Golden Gate.

-Golden Gate is right.

"The Blank Breakers."

"The Da Vinci Blank."

What same word fits into these blanks to name a detailed history of cryptography and a best-selling novel?

-Code.

-Code is right.

"Gulf of Bothnia.

Gulf of Tonkin.

Gulf of Guinea."

If you were sailing from Sweden to Finland, you would cross which of these gulfs?

-Bothnia.

-The Gulf of Bothnia.

-That is correct.

"O, I have done wrong!

God, pardon me!"

King Charles IX said this as he lay dying in 1574.

He had authorized the massacre of what French Protestants two years earlier?

-Huguenots.

-Huguenots.

-Yeah.

And that is it.

Nice job, BCC.

190 points.

Whoo!

And now to Sandy Spring Friends.

So, Rachel, tell us about yourself.

-Hi.

I'm Rachel.

I'm an 18-year-old senior at Sandy Spring Friends School.

I play volleyball and chess, and I would like to thank our amazing alternates, Diego and Cameron, and the rest of our practice team for helping us prepare.

-Wonderful.

Hello, Clara.

-Hi.

My name is Clara.

I'm a 17-year-old senior, and I would like to thank our entire Sandy Spring community for supporting us, all of our amazing teachers and friends, and especially past quiz-bowl captains Sophia and Moira for inspiring us for all we do.

We hope to make them proud.

-Would you care to introduce the wildebeest?

-Oh, this is our wildebeest.

We named him this morning Wilde, after Oscar Wilde.

-Ah!

Very nice.

Hello, Calvin.

-Hi.

My name is Calvin.

I'm a 17-year-old senior at Sandy Spring.

I'm a violinist.

And I would like to thank you, Hilary, and everybody here at "It's Academic" for having us here today.

-Well, thank you very much.

We couldn't do it without you guys.

Let's give them a little round of applause.

[ Applause ] Alright, here we go with your first question.

"Film ant lecture."

Before you film a lecture, see if you can find hidden within this phrase what word identifying the layer of earth between the crust and the core?

-Mantle.

-Yeah.

"Rebel map."

Rearrange the letters in this phrase and you'll name what introductory passage that begins our Constitution?

-Preamble.

-Preamble.

-Preamble.

-Preamble is right.

There are plenty of M's in the name of what Kentucky cave that has become a national park?

-Mammoth.

-Yes.

Mammoth.

"Lake Cayuga.

Lake Pontchartrain.

Lake Okeechobee."

You won't need a helping hand if you know which of these is one of New York's Finger Lakes?

-[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Answer?

-The second one.

-No, it's the first one, Lake Cayuga.

"Home of lost causes and forsaken beliefs."

Matthew Arnold wrote this about what English University founded about the same time as Cambridge?

-Oxford.

-Oxford.

-Oxford is right.

Great job, Sandy Spring Friends.

250 points.

Coming up, the "Picture Perfect" round, so don't go away.

-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.

♪♪ -It's time to decipher some images in this "Picture Perfect" round.

But first, let's recap the scores.

Bullis School, 180 points.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase, 190 points.

Sandy Spring Friends, 250 points.

Yay!

In this round, the first team to buzz in gets to answer.

Of course, questions are worth 20 points up or down, so be careful.

And we're off.

Because of its huge leaves, this plant is named for the ears of what pachyderm?

Sandy Spring.

-Elephant.

-Yes.

In his book "Finnegans Wake," James Joyce -- Bullis.

Answer in three, two, one... -What's the character?

-Finnegan.

-No, the answer we were going for was "quark."

James Joyce made up what five-letter word that now identifies a subatomic particle?

It was in what small country that the World War II Battle of the Bulge was primarily fought?

Bullis.

-Germany?

-Belgium.

-Oh, shoot.

-What is the name of the graph of this equation?

Sandy Spring.

-[ Whispering indistinctly ] -Answer?

-Ellipse.

-No, hyperbola.

"Pure farce set to sublime music" is the way one critic described Mozart's opera titled "The Marriage of" -- Bullis.

-Oh.

-Answer?

-"Fidelio."

-Yes!

♪ Figaro ♪ James, you should sing that.

[ Laughs ] "Man is a two-legged animal without feathers."

BCC.

-Plato.

-Yeah!

Nicely done!

This early Massachusetts governor gave his name to the process of drawing legislative districts.

Sandy Spring.

-Gerry.

-Yep.

Gerry or gerrymander.

You know it.

Great job.

That is the end of the "Picture Perfect" round.

And now it's halftime.

You know what happens here.

We get to meet all of the great coaches that help prepare you guys for "It's Academic."

So, Bullis, we're going to start with you.

Luke, can you please introduce us to the fine gentleman behind you?

-Behind me is Timothy Hanson, who is a history teacher at Bullis and our wonderful coach.

-Good to have you, Mr. Hanson.

At Bethesda-Chevy Chase, James, tell us who's standing with you today.

-Behind me, we've got Ms. Lassar.

She's a bio teacher and "It's 'Ac'" coach.

- Wonderful.

Hello, Ms. Lassar.

And finally, Clara, tell us who's with you.

-We're super grateful to be joined by our coach, Eduardo Polon.

He's also a Spanish teacher and the chair of our global-languages department.

And we're just so grateful for everything he does with us.

-Beautiful.

Well, as always, it's so good to have you guys with us here on "It's Academic."

So thank you so much.

We are going to jump into our "Packet Round."

Now, this is a fun thing.

We haven't done this in a few years, so I will refresh your memories.

We will begin with Team 1, Bullis.

Team 2, Bethesda-Chevy Chase, you get to pick which of these fine packets they will answer questions from.

James?

-They're gonna answer from 3.

-3.

Got it.

Now, you'll also remember that, if you get all of these questions right, there's a 25-point bonus.

Questions are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

Here we go, Bullis.

And you don't have to buzz in because it's just for you.

The New Horizons spacecraft carried the ashes of Clyde Tombaugh, who had discovered what now-former planet the New Horizons finally reached in 2015?

-Pluto.

-Pluto is right.

What tallest mammals are now known to enjoy lunch together and sometimes babysit and feed each other's offspring?

-Giraffe.

-Giraffes.

They're so beautiful, too.

Its relatively smooth surface suggested what name for the lunar sea that was the site of the first moon landing?

Answer?

-Cloth.

-No, it's the Sea of Tranquility.

Yeah.

Here's your science question.

"An acid solution, a base solution, a neutral solution."

A solution which has a hydrogen-ion concentration of 10 to the minus-2 will be which of these?

-Is it base?

-Is it acidic?

-I think acidic.

-Acid.

- Yeah, that's it.

-Revolutionary War hero Baron von Steuben had gained his military expertise while serving in the army of what Prussian king known as "The Great."

That's Prussian with a "P." -No, Frederick.

Frederick.

-Oh, yeah, Frederick.

-Yes.

Anyone complaining that Blake is bleak could not have read William Blake's poem about what jungle animal that is burning bright in the forests of the night?

-Tiger.

-Tiger is right.

Here's your math question.

Giving your answer as a positive integer, evaluate this expression if C equals three and D equals four.

-100.

-100.

-100 is right.

Nice.

An American diplomat would present his credentials in the capital city of Sofia if he or she were assigned to our embassy in what Eastern -- -Bulgaria.

-Yeah, Bulgaria.

Well done, Bullis.

You have 300 points.

And now for Team 2, Bethesda-Chevy Chase.

Sandy Spring, you have the honor of choosing between packets 1 and 2.

-We'll send them 2 and take 1 for ourselves.

-[ Laughs ] Alright, then.

Here we go, guys.

First question.

In Baker, California, there is a huge thermometer that tells tourists how hot it is near what valley that's the lowest point in North America?

-Death Valley.

-Yeah.

Donning a disguise, explorer Richard Burton became the first Englishman to visit what Arabian city toward which Muslims face when they pray?

-Mecca.

-Yeah.

Photosynthetic phytoplankton and algae produce more than half of what gas that makes up 21% of our atmosphere?

-Oxygen?

-Oxygen.

-Correct.

Here's your science question.

"Stamen, pistil, stigma."

Which of these parts of a flower is best described as the male or pollen-producing structure?

-I think it's a pistil.

-Pistil, I think.

-Pistil.

-No, it's stamen.

One U.S. military code never deciphered by an enemy was spoken by what N-initialed Native American code talkers in World War II?

-Navajo.

-Yes.

To raise morale during the Mexican American War, the Army produced a Shakespeare play featuring Lieutenant Ulysses S. Grant as what wife of Othello?

-Desdemona.

-Yes!

Nice!

Here's your math question.

What positive value of X will satisfy this equation?

-Four.

-Yeah.

The ancient city of Carthage was located in the area that's now what small North African country located between Libya and Algeria?

-Tunisia.

-Tunisia is right.

Well done, Bethesda-Chevy Chase.

And now, finally, packet number 1, as you so requested, Sandy Spring.

Here we go.

After 20 years in space, the Cassini spacecraft was able to move into orbit and begin sending back images of the rings of what second-largest planet?

-Saturn?

-Saturn.

-Saturn.

-Yeah.

False evidence squelched the career of John Quelch, hanged in 1704 as what specific sort of outlaw who flew the skull and crossbones?

-Pirate.

-Pirate.

-Pirate.

-Aye, matey.

Our word "salary" comes from the Latin salarium because ancient Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in what seasoning whose formula is NaCl?

-Salt.

-Salt.

-Salt.

-Yes.

Here's your science question.

"Salts," appropriately, "azeotropes, buffers."

Solutions that are able to maintain their pH under wildly varying conditions are known as which of these?

-Is -- -It's buffers, I belive.

-Buffers?

-Yes.

-The 12th century Battle of Dan-no-ura is significant in Japanese history because it established what hereditary military rulers who became the real powers in feudal Japan?

-Samurai?

-Shoguns?

-Shoguns, yeah.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-Shoguns.

-Yeah.

The same fictional man named Marlow is the narrator of "Lord Jim," "Heart of Darkness," and several other works by what author?

-Joseph Conrad.

-Correct.

Here's your math question.

What missing coefficient of the middle term will make this trinomial a perfect square?

-It's 26, right?

Because 169 is... Yeah, so you have a 13.

X plus 13.

26.

-Yes.

Scientists are buzzing about the sighting after 38 years of a giant bee, an insect about the size of your thumb in what country where Jakarta is capital?

-Indonesia.

-Indonesia.

-Indonesia.

-Not only is Indonesia correct, you have yourselves a 25-point bonus.

Way to go, Sandy Spring Friends.

And that is the end of the "Packet Round."

We've got the "Grab Bag" up next.

-Hello, I'm David Rubenstein.

Did you know that, in 1856, a U.S. Army Camel Corps was established to carry supplies in the Southwest?

75 animals were acquired.

But even though the camels performed well, the soldiers found them difficult to manage.

The Camel Corps was eventually disbanded in 1866.

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

♪♪ -Get ready for the "Grab Bag."

But before we dive in, we're going to talk about some things, including the scores.

So let's recap them.

Bullis, 280 points.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase, 350 points.

Sandy Spring Friends, 455 points.

[ Applause ] Great job, everybody.

And it's so wonderful to have you back in the studio.

And now I get to ask some questions in this very exciting "Grab Bag" round.

The questions are worth 20 points up or down, 30 points for the visual questions.

Are you ready?!

-Yes.

-Yes!

Very good!

Here's the first question.

A multilingual robot named Tracey now greets passengers at the airport at what largest city in Washington?

Bethesda.

-Seattle, -Seattle.

-Yeah.

Seattle.

August Wilson's play "Two Trains Running" is set in what Pennsylvania city where trains run near the junction of -- Bullis.

Answer?

-Pittsburgh?

-Yes.

Pittsburgh.

What primary color names the Mississippi River tributary -- Sandy Spring.

Answer?

-Yellow?

-No.

Red River.

Here's your first visual question on your screens for 30 points.

Dating from the ninth century, this statue depicts what Frankish ruler -- Bullis.

-Charlemagne.

-Charlemagne is right.

Much of Kurt Vonnegut's work of "Slaughterhouse-Five" deals with the World War II -- -Dresden.

-Dresden is right, Bullis.

Choice -- the addition of solid ammonium chloride to a solution of ammonium hydroxide will decrease the pH, increase the pH, or form a -- Bullis.

-Increase.

-Increase pH?

-Wait, no... -Answer?

-Decrease.

-In three -- -Increase the pH.

-Yes, you're right.

Coronado's seven cities of gold were also known as the seven -- Bullis.

-Oh.

-Oh.

-In three -- -Wonders of the world?

- No, Cibola, the seven cities of Cibola.

On your screens for 30 points.

"A monkey in its mother's eye is like a gazelle."

This heartwarming proverb comes from what small Arab country where Sanaa is?

Bullis.

-Sanaa?

-In three, two, one... -Oman?

Oman?

-No, Yemen.

One of President Richard Nixon's distant ancestors was what 18th-century American general nicknamed Mad Anthony?

-Wayne?

-Yeah, that's it.

Anthony Wayne.

If a car is moving at a speed of 30 feet per second, what is its speed in feet per minute?

-Sandy Spring.

-Feet per second -- times 60.

1,800.

1,800.

-No, 180.

Close.

You just missed the zero.

And that's it for the "Grab Bag" round.

Fabulous.

Keep it here because the judges are checking the scores.

We will be back in a minute with the result.

But first, here's someone you should know about.

♪♪ -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 Ashley Wang.

I'm one of the co-presidents, along with Haja and Maxine, of the Interact Club at South Lakes High School.

The Interact Club is also affiliated with the Rotary Club.

-I'm Maxine Ewell, and the Interact Club focuses on completing service projects that benefit our local and regional communities.

-I'm Haja Hussein, and we believe it's rewarding to see our community be positively impacted.

-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 the Bullis School from Potomac, Maryland.

Dylan,, Luke, Grisham, 320 points.

Yay!

[ Applause ] -From Bethesda-Chevy Chase in Chevy Chase, Maryland, we've got Kate, James, and Sasha -- 370 points.

[ Applause ] And coming back for the semifinals, Sandy Spring Friends School from Sandy Spring, Maryland.

Rachel, Clara, and Calvin, 435 points.

Way to go.

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

Really happy you could join us today and match wits with some of these very 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.

-Join us again next time when we have W.T.

Woodson, Dominion, and Justice high schools competing on another "It's Academic" playoff match.

I'm Hillary Howard.

See you then.

Bye, everybody.

Come on, guys.

Let's say hi to everyone.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪