-From the KC Studio at WETA, students from Walt Whitman, Sandy Spring Friends, and Landon meet today on "It's Academic."

[ Cheers and applause ] [ Dramatic music plays ] ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] I love this crowd.

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 -- -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.

[ Applause ] -I love that applause.

Hello, everybody.

We are so glad you've joined us for what will be a very good match here on "It's Academic."

And it's amazing.

We have cheers.

We have mascots.

We have the small string ensemble from Landon School.

It's gonna be great.

But first we begin, as we always do, with the Fast Start, teams.

In this round, questions are worth 10 points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer, and the students don't see what you do on your screens.

Teams, From N to N. You're going to go from "N" to "N" in this round, as all your answers must begin and end with the letter "N," as in "Nancy."

Please identify the following.

Sandy Spring.

-Neon.

-Neon it is.

Sandy Spring.

-Nemean, Nemean.

-The Nemean.

-Yeah.

That's it.

Sandy Spring.

-Nelson.

-Yes.

Yes, Sandy Spring.

-Nixon.

-Nixon it is.

Sandy Spring.

Answer?

-Niacin.

-Yeah.

Whitman.

-Noun.

-Yeah.

Whitman.

-Oh, nylon.

-Correct.

Landon.

-Yes.

Nephrons.

-Yeah.

Walt Whitman.

-Newton.

-Newton is correct.

Landon.

Answer, 3...2...1.

Noon in the Arthur Koestler novel.

And that does it for our Fast Start.

Let's take a look at the scores.

[ Cheers and applause ] Walt Whitman, 130 points.

Sandy Spring Friends, 150 points.

The Landon Bears, 100 points.

Yeah.

[ Cheers and applause ] Let's meet these teams, because I know that they are all very, very good.

And we begin with Walt Whitman, home of the Vikings, in Bethesda.

Hello, Jack.

-Hi.

I'm Jack Pelmoter.

I'm a 17-year-old senior at Walt Whitman.

And in my free time, I volunteer for the Sierra Club, an environmental organization.

-Awesome.

Good to see you.

Hello, Simon.

-Hi.

I'm Simon Yohannes.

I'm a 17-year-old senior at Walt Whitman High School.

And in my free time, I like to make sports videos.

-[ Laughs ] Nice.

Matthew.

-Hi.

My name is Matthew Wallace.

I'm an 18-year-old senior at Walt Whitman High School.

And I'm currently teaching myself ancient Greek.

-Ooh!

Wow.

That's very impressive.

More than I've ever done.

Alright, guys.

Here we go.

Questions are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

You can find hidden in this sentence what bivalve mollusk that can produce pearls?

-Oyster.

-Oyster it is.

Many U.S.

citizens love these items, but the words "avocado" and "chocolate" originated in what Mexican Indian civilization destroyed by Cortez?

-Aztecs.

-Yep.

That's it.

What same word fits both these definitions?

-Mint.

-Yes.

Combine the chemical symbols for these elements to spell the name of what Chicago baseball team?

-Cubs.

-Yep.

The Cubbies.

Which of these Ethans led the Green Mountain Boys during the American Revolution?

-Allen.

-Yeah.

To complete these words by author A.A.

Milne, add what board game involving rooks, knights and pawns?

-Chess.

-Yeah.

And that does it for Mix & Match.

Nice.

Whitman, 250 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] And now from Sandy Spring Friends in Sandy Spring, Maryland.

Hello, Nate.

-Hi, Hillary.

I'm Nate.

I'm an 18-year-old senior, and I love to play guitar.

-Nice.

Hello, Justin.

-Hi, Hillary.

My name is Justin.

I'm a 17-year-old senior, and I like to run cross-country.

-And finally, last, but not least, Ian.

-Hey, Hillary.

My name's Ian.

I'm a senior at Sandy Spring.

I'm a captain of the baseball team.

And this is my first year on "It's Academic," and I'm really excited to compete.

-Wonderful.

-And who's your wildebeest?

-This is Oscar Wilde.

-[ Laughs ] I like that.

Guys, here we go.

"Nap and a snack."

Instead of napping, see if you can find hidden here the name of what bear-like Chinese animal whose diet consists mainly of bamboo?

-Panda.

-Yeah, it's a panda.

Here are two of three tiny bones found in the human ear.

Missing is what bone whose name identifies a block used by blacksmiths?

-Anvil.

-Anvil.

-Anvil's right.

What same word fits both these definitions?

-Iron.

-Yes.

Combine the symbols for these three elements and you'll name what statue given out at the Academy Awards?

-Oscar.

-It's an Oscar.

If the Mississippi River had been named for the first European to reach it, which of these names would it have today?

-De Soto.

-De Soto is correct.

To complete this statement from an ancient historian, add the name of what longest African river that flows through Egypt?

-Nile.

-It is the Nile.

Nicely done, Sandy Spring Friends.

270 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] [ Chuckles ] Now to the Landon School in Bethesda.

Hiya, Jack.

-Hi.

I'm Jack.

I'm a sophomore at Landon, and I like to travel and read.

-Oh, very nice.

I like to travel and read.

Noah, hello.

-Hi.

I'm Noah.

This is my second year on "It's Academic."

And when I'm not studying, I enjoy swimming, and our first practice is tomorrow.

-Awesome.

Good luck.

And finally, hello, Arthur.

-Hey, Hillary.

I'm a 17 year old senior, and I was also the founder of Landon's Rocketry Club.

And last year, I was able to secure a spot at the finals, and we even represented Maryland in Rockets on the Hill.

-Oh, that's amazing.

Congratulations.

Are you ready for some questions?

Alright.

Here we go.

Hidden in this tasty sentence is the name of what beautiful woman whose legendary abduction caused the Trojan War?

-Helen.

-Helen.

Yes.

One of these men was a surgeon, the other an engineer.

And both were instrumental in the building of what important waterway opened in 1914?

-The Panama Canal.

-You've got it.

Here you have two different definitions for what same word?

-Pine.

-To pine.

Yeah.

Combine the symbols for these three elements to get what name for a small rodent and a computer accessory?

-Mouse.

-Yeah.

It's mouse.

Which of these men arrived in America on the Mayflower in 1620?

-[ Whispering indistinctly ] -The second one.

-Yeah, that's it.

Miles Standish.

You can complete this quote by filling in the blank with what type of two-man, personal combat in which Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton?

-A duel.

-A duel is correct.

Well-done, Landon.

220 points.

[ Applause ] That does it for Mix & Match.

We will have a spirited Picture Perfect round next.

Stick around.

[ Dramatic music plays ] 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 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."

[ Cheers and applause ] -Yeah.

The Landon Bear, the Sandy Spring Friends wildebeest, and the cheer, also from Sandy Spring.

[ Laughs ] [ Cheers and applause ] -Whoo!

Alright, guys.

Now that we have all of that energy, I think we can begin this Picture Perfect round, no?

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

And once again, first team to buzz in gets to answer.

It was the sharp claws of what animal seen -- Yes, Whitman.

Answer.

-Wolverine.

-What is it?

-Wolverine.

-Wolverine.

Yeah.

That's it.

This is an 1874 painting of the railway station in what California city where -- -Sandy Spring.

-Sacramento.

-You've got it.

This ancient artwork shows Sleipnir -- Yep.

Sandy Spring.

-Odin.

-Odin.

Yeah.

Evaluate this expression, giving your answer as -- Whitman.

-Answer.

-1.

-Yes.

This nebula, the remnant of a supernova explosion from 1054, is named for what crustacean that -- Whitman.

-Crab.

-Crab it is.

"Do not open your lips."

Peter Poyas spoke these words to two companions as they waited to be hanged for participating in a slave revolt -- Yes, Sandy Spring.

-Nat Turner.

-No.

Going for Charleston.

What oldest South Carolina city.

This is the drama club of what Ivy League university founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Sandy Spring?

-Harvard.

-Yeah.

The Caves of Hercules are an extensive cave complex In what North African country, Sandy Spring?

-Morocco.

-It is Morocco.

Nice.

That does it for Picture Perfect.

Let's recap the scores.

[ Cheers and applause ] Walt Whitman, 310 points.

Sandy Spring, 330 points.

Landon, 220 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] We've got a lot of love in this studio today.

Let's meet some of the folks that helped prepare these guys for competition.

And we begin with Whitman High School.

Simon, who's with you?

-We have our principal, Mr.

Miller, our coach, Mr.

Negrin, and our alternates, Gray and Mamie, in the crowd.

-Awesome.

So good to see you guys.

Thanks for being here.

[ Applause ] To Sandy Spring.

Justin, tell us about that guy behind you.

-Okay.

Behind me is our coach, Eduardo Polón.

He's also the head of our Global Languages department.

-Good to see you.

[ Cheers and applause ] And over at Landon, Noah, the women behind you?

-We'd like to thank Mrs.

Yang, our Chinese teacher, for showing support and encouragement today, and a special thank you to Ms.

Chambers, our coach and Spanish teacher, for guiding us and mentoring us.

-Beautiful.

Thanks so much, everybody, for being here.

[ Cheers and applause ] Loving the noise in here.

It was so good to see all of the coaches.

And now we get to begin the packet round.

I know you all know how this works.

Whitman, you're up first.

Sandy Spring Friends, packet 1, 2, or 3?

Which one will they answer questions from?

-3?

-3.

In an effort to encourage marriage, bachelors over age 30 lost their right to vote in what militaristic Greek city-state that was often at war with Athens?

-Sparta.

-Sparta?

-Yeah.

Can you believe it?

Don't search the skies for the Star of the West, because that was a ship sent in 1861 to relief what South Carolina fort bombarded at the start of the Civil War?

-Fort Sumter.

-That's it.

A now closed Arkansas gallery owned over 7,000 examples of what kind of amphibians named in the title of a Mark Twain story about Calaveras County?

-Frog.

-Frog.

Yes.

Here's your science question.

A certain atom has 18 protons and 22 neutrons in its nucleus.

Which of these numbers represents its atomic weight?

-40.

-40 is right.

It took 12 years to end the so-called Pig War that erupted between the U.S.

and Canadian farmers on an island off what westernmost Canadian province?

-British Columbia?

-British Columbia is right.

English scholars continue debating the identity of the person to whom Shakespeare dedicated a series of what kind of 14-line poems?

-Sonnet.

-Sonnets.

Right.

Here's your math question.

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

-32.

-32.

Yeah.

The first U.S.

president to take the oath of office while his wife held the Bible was what 36th president, sworn in in 1963?

-LBJ -25-point bonus for Walt Whitman.

[ Cheers and applause ] Over to Sandy Spring Friends.

Landon, packet 1 or 2 for them?

-Packet 2.

-Packet 2.

-Guys, thanks to computers, only 2 of the 300 scientists who run the IceCube Neutrino Observatory are needed to remain on-site on what coldest continent?

-Antarctica.

-Yes.

In his story "The Golden Touch," Nathaniel Hawthorne describes what legendary king of ancient Phrygia whose touch turned everything to gold?

-Midas.

-Midas.

Yeah.

You could get your dreams interpreted by consulting a fortune teller or by studying the work of what Austrian doctor who founded psychoanalysis?

-Freud.

-Yes, it was.

Here's your science question.

Which of these weather phenomena occurs mostly in the Antarctic as a result of very cold, dense air suddenly roaring down valleys from quite a height.

-[ Whispering indistinctly ] Katabatic winds.

-You're right.

Though the Gettysburg National Cemetery was created for Civil War casualties, it contains at least 24 graves of men who died in what shorter war fought in 1898?

-Spanish-American.

-Spanish-American War.

-That's it.

Though his own life was rather tragic, what 19th-Century, Irish-born author wrote such comedies as "The Importance of Being Earnest"?

-Oscar Wilde.

-[ Laughs ] -Oscar Wilde.

-Oscar Wilde -- the name of your mascot down there.

Here's your math question.

If sides AB and BC are equal, what's the measure of degrees in angle A in this right triangle?

-45 degrees.

45.

-45 degrees is correct.

Angered when a British soldier struck a young boy, what African-American touched off the 1770 Boston Massacre, in which he and four others were killed?

-Crispus Attucks.

-Crispus Attucks is right.

And you've got a 25-point bonus, Sandy Spring Friends.

[ Cheers and applause ] Awesome.

And now to Landon.

Hello guys.

So, packet 1.

In his book about the Spanish Civil War, one historian compared Spanish politics to what legendary maze built to house the Minotaur?

-The Labyrinth?

-Yes.

-Established to maintain the integrity of the French language, the Académie française in Paris always has how many members, equaling two score?

-40.

-Yes.

Among the unusual creatures discovered in a census of marine life were bacteria that eat what element, whose symbol is S?

-Sulfur.

-Yeah.

Here's your science question.

Which of these is an endocrine gland?

-Thyroid.

-The thyroid.

-Thyroid is right.

Having ruled out space aliens, scientists now think that the long, cylindrical object that entered our solar system in 2018 was what same kind of celestial body as those orbiting between Mars and Jupiter?

-Asteroids.

-Asteroids, -Asteroids is right.

"Something That Happened" was John Steinbeck's first choice as a title for what short novel about two migrant workers named George and Lennie?

-"Of Mice and Men."

-You are right again.

Here's your math question.

Please evaluate this expression.

-[ Whispers indistinctly ] Yeah, 33.

-33.

-33 is it.

It wasn't until 1947, years after its completion, that Boulder Dam was renamed to honor what 31st president?

-[ Whispers indistinctly ] -Hoover.

-Oh, my gosh.

Another bonus.

Beautiful.

Landon, way to go!

[ Applause ] Three teams, three 25-point bonuses.

Let's see what happens next in the Grab Bag.

Stay where you are.

"It's Academic" has been on the air for 65 years, and over the decades, we've showcased thousands of high-school students from all over the D.C.

area.

Today, "It's Academic" continues to celebrate education and remains a critical part of WETA's mission-focused programming.

With the recent loss of federal funding for public media, we need your help now more than ever to support "It's Academic."

Please make a donation and become a friend of "It's Academic" today and help keep "It's Academic" on the air and streaming for our students and their futures.

[ Applause ] It is the Grab Bag round, guys.

You know how it works.

Questions are worth 20 points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer it.

In 1904, there was a collision between the first two automobiles registered in what Missouri city?

Yes, Sandy Spring.

Answer.

-St.

Louis.

-No.

Kansas City.

-In 2018, fans of Marvel Comics mourned the death of what man -- Yeah, Landon.

Answer -- 3...2...1.

-Stan Lee.

-Stan Lee.

Yes.

"Zora and Me" is a children's book about what woman author important in -- Sandy Spring.

-Zora Neale Hurston.

-Hurston.

-Yes, it is.

On your screens, this Michelangelo painting shows a figure holding a book of prophecies.

In what North African country, where Tripoli is -- Sandy Spring?

-Libya.

-Libya is right.

What two French words describe the unrestricted economic -- Yes, Landon?

-Laissez-faire.

-Yeah.

You've got it.

Franklin Roosevelt was elected to four presidential terms before the passage of -- Yes, Whitman?

Answer -- 3...2...1.

-24th.

-No, 22nd.

Sorry.

What solid, geometric figure was part of the three-word phrase referring to areas in 19th-Century -- Sandy Spring?

Answer -- 3...2...1.

-Sphere.

-Yeah, you got it.

Wow.

Spheres of influence.

Nice.

On your screens, these are leaves from what kind of tree whose very dark wood is a synonym for black?

Sandy Spring?

-Ebony.

-Yes.

In 1839, a 1-horsepower battery was used to power the first electric boat along the Neva River.

In what second-largest -- Sandy Spring?

Answer -- 3...2...1.

St.

Petersburg, Russia.

Choice -- light travels in distinct packets of energy called -- Yes.

Whitman?

-Photons.

-Yes.

Wonderful.

If you bought tickets for a performance of "Porgy and Bess," you'd be seeing -- Landon?

-Gershwin?

-Yeah, Gershwin.

On your screens.

You can rearrange the letters in this damp phrase to name what sort of grotesque -- Landon?

Answer -- 3...2...1.

-Gargoyles.

-Yeah.

What short word has two widely different meanings, one referring to trash and another to a type of -- Yes, Landon?

-[ Speaks indistinctly ] -No.

Junk the type of Chinese sailing boat.

How many degrees are there in the sum of the interior -- Sandy Spring?

-180.

-No.

540.

What cluster of stars known as the Seven Sisters was believed by -- Whitman?

-You say it.

-Pleiades.

-Pleiades is right.

On your screens.

At Dunkirk, thousands of trapped British troops await rescue In what year -- Yes, Sandy Spring?

-1940.

-1940 is right.

The only natural satellite in our solar system that has -- Landon?

Answer -- 3 -- -The moon.

-No.

Titan.

A device to set fire to enemy ships by focusing -- Yes, Sandy Spring?

-Archimedes.

-Archimedes is right.

Because its official war status against Germany wasn't repealed until 1958, technically -- Whitman?

[ Buzzer ] -Vatican City.

-No.

Andorra.

Technically, World War I lasted 44 years in Andorra.

That was quite a game.

It was wonderful.

Fabulous.

We're gonna have those scores in just a minute, so stay with us.

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 ] Now, that was a game.

I've just told all of the students they are all remarkable.

Each one of these teams won a 25-point bonus, so kudos to all of you.

And now we begin the scores, beginning with the Landon School in Bethesda.

Jack, Noah, Arthur -- 445 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] From Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Jack, Simon, Matthew -- 495 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] And Sandy Spring Friends blowing it up.

Nate, Justin, and Ian, 575 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] [ Laughs ] That does it for us.

I want to thank everybody for watching and this fabulous audience and all their cheers.

We had a great time.

I'm Hillary Howard.

See you next time.

Remember, everybody... -"It's Academic"!

-Bye.

[ Cheers and applause ] -Support for "It's Academic" has been provided by the following -- -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.

-We are so thrilled today to be joined by the Upper School small-string ensemble of Landon School.

They are awesome.

Guys.

[ Classical music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪