This program brought to you in part by the Erika Lewis Endowment Fund.

-Coming up, it's Brown... [cheers and applause] ...taking on the Lied STEM Academy for the Junior Varsity Quiz Virtual League Championship!

[crashing sound] ♪♪♪ [cheers and applause] Hello and welcome.

This is the 55th season of Varsity Quiz, continuing now with Junior Varsity Quiz.

What an honor to be your host, Nathan Tannenbaum.

So this playoff match tonight is actually the first of its kind.

The teams competed in the Junior Varsity Quiz Virtual League.

There were 12 teams.

They played weekly matches online over a span of five weeks.

Tonight we have two of those competing teams, Brown Junior High School and the Lied STEM Academy.

Let's give them both a round of applause.

[cheers and applause] So the winner today will be the Virtual League champion.

Let's meet the starting players, starting with Brown.

There's Elizabeth.

Hi, Elizabeth.

-Hello.

-There's Ahnaly.

Hi, Ahnaly.

-Hi.

-Ezekiel.

Howdy.

-Hello.

And Yonathan.

Ladies and gentlemen, that is Brown Junior High School.

And let's say hello to the coach of Brown, Dexter Moreno!

Give him a round of applause.

[cheers and applause] Now let's meet the starting players for the Lied STEM Academy.

There's Grace H., because there's another Grace further down the line.

Hi, Grace H. -Hello.

-There's Logan.

Hi, Logan.

-Hey.

-Allison B., because there's another Allison.

And there's Grace D. Hi.

-Hi.

-And the coach for the Lied STEM Academy, Chelsea Schoenbech.

The Lied STEM Academy!

[cheers and applause] Ready?

Let's play Junior Varsity Quiz.

In Japanese, the word is "okasan."

In many other languages, including Lithuanian, Swahili, Chinese, the sound is almost identical to the English version of what double-syllable word for a maternal parent?

Brown, Ahnaly: mother -Yes, we can accept that.

Points on the board for Brown.

We move on.

April 8, 2024, what rare-- And that'll go to Brown, Ezekiel: total solar eclipse -Yes.

Let's keep going.

If all roses are flowers, and some flowers fade quickly, can we conclude that some roses fade quickly?

Brown, Elizabeth: yes -That is incorrect.

[buzzer sound] [bell chimes] I think she got it in time.

So that'll be Logan-- or he, Lied: no -That is correct.

Points on the board for Lied, and we keep going.

So you know time zones are often split by borders instead of actual divisions.

Which large state spans three time zones but uses mostly the one-- That's Brown, Ahnaly: Texas -That's incorrect.

--mostly the one that is named for it?

[bell chimes, time expires] No guesses from Lied?

The answer was Alaska.

We keep moving.

After requests by indigenous peoples, the Cleveland professional baseball team changed its name to one that's not derogatory.

What is that team's name as of 2022?

[bell chimes, time expires] No Major League Baseball folks here?

Used to be the Cleveland Indians.

Now they are the Cleveland Guardians.

We move on.

What newer aerial technology was used in the recent Iranian attack on Israel?

Brown, Elizabeth: air drones -I believe we can accept that.

Yes.

Next question.

What's the name of the young character who runs away to Tiburon, South Carolina, to learn her late mother's past in The Secret Life of Bees?

[bell chimes, time expires] You didn't read that one?

It's Lily Owens.

We move on.

Varied climates from mountains to desert give great diversity to which fifth largest state where you would find both Carlsbad Caverns, Sandia Mountain, and White Sands Park?

[bell chimes, time expires] Your U.S. geography, that would be New Mexico.

Next question is a calculation question, students.

Sarah wants to buy a $60 shirt with a tax of 7%.

She plans to save $6 each week.

How many weeks will it take her to afford the shirt?

Brown, Ahnaly: 11 -That is correct.

Next question.

The National Severe Storms Laboratory has studied the causes of tornadoes and found that most form in supercells.

So supercells are what type of weather phenomenon?

[bell chimes, time expires] Thunderstorms.

Next question.

A usage agreement for software is also known as a software what?

[bell chimes, time expires] Oh, computer nerds.

It's a software license, right?

We're getting a lot of nods.

Yeah, okay.

Okay, next question.

Name the most comprehensive English dictionary, traces the history of words, named after a well-known British university.

Lied, Allison: Oxford -Yes.

In a 2022 book by Alice McGinty, the family pet avoids a bath by mixing up the chores list with humorous results.

So fill in the blank in the title with the type of animal.

Bathe the [blank].

Brown, Elizabeth: cat -Yeah.

You guys could have guessed anything, but you got it right there.

Next question.

If a person is an auditory learner, which sense do they use to most clearly remember information?

And that's Lied, Grace D.: hearing -Yes.

Who created the iconic Persistence of Memory painting, the one that looks like clocks that are melting?

Brown, Ezekiel: Salvador Dali -Yes.

Name the volcano that destroyed the ancient Roman city of Pompeii.

Brown, Ezekiel: Mount Vesuvius -Yes.

"Chug, chug, chug.

Puff, puff, puff.

Ding-dong, ding-dong."

So that's the opening line of what inspiring children's book that teaches us to believe we can accomplish anything?

Lied, Grace H.: The Little Engine Who Could -Yes, I think we can accept that.

Let's go.

A calculation question is next, students.

What's the area of a triangle with a base of 8 units and a height of 5 units?

Lied, Logan: 40 units squared -That is incorrect.

Brown, Ahnaly: 20 units squared -That is correct.

Dew is the deposit of water drops formed at night by what process by which water vapor from the air forms onto the surfaces of objects exposed to the sky?

That's Brown, Ezekiel: condensation -Yes.

What title was given to the Romanov rulers of Russia?

Brown, Ezekiel: Czar -Yes.

Which American inventor and businessman is known for, among many other things, the phonograph?

[bell chimes, time expires] Oh, gosh.

You guys are gonna kick yourselves.

Thomas Edison.

I knew that.

Just buzz in and give the answer.

Give it a shot.

Used in both sculpture and architecture, this hard, crystalline metamorphic form of limestone is typically white with streaks of darker color.

Identify this rock that can be polished to a shine.

Brown, Ezekiel: marble -Yes.

As of 2023, the largest known planet is ROXs or R-O-X-s 42Bb, a radius that's 2 1/2 times more than the largest planet in our solar system, which is...?

Lied, Grace D.: Jupiter -Yes.

Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., employed civil disobedience, a refusal to obey what are believed to be unjust laws.

So what adjective describes those acts of civil disobedience that indicates that no one is hurt in the process?

Brown, Elizabeth: peaceful -I don't think we can accept that.

Lied, Grace D.: nonviolent -Yes.

That's what we needed.

What's the sport known for its yellow jersey by the-- worn by the race leader in the Tour de France?

Brown, Ahnaly: marathon -No.

There you go.

But you're guessing.

That's good.

And no answer from Lied.

It's cycling, the bicycle race.

We've reached the end of our first round.

Can we give both teams a round of applause?

Good job, you guys.

[cheers and applause] We're gonna take a second to get to know a little bit more about our players.

We'll start over here with Brown and 8th grader Elizabeth.

Hi, Elizabeth.

-Hello.

-Tell me about your pet.

You have a pet animal people might not think of as a pet.

-I have a pet ball python named Noodles.

-What's his name?

-Noodles.

-Noodles.

How long is the snake?

-1 1/2 to 2 feet.

-Oh, so that's manageable.

-Yeah.

-What does it eat?

-Rats.

-Okay.

Good luck with the snake, and good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Elizabeth.

Here's 8th grader Ahnaly.

Hi, Ahnaly.

-Hi.

-You wrote that you play four musical instruments.

Can you name them?

-Yeah.

I play the French horn, the trumpet, and the baritone and mellophone.

-Wow!

So this is in the school orchestra or band?

-Yeah, just school.

-Do you have a favorite, or they're all great?

-It depends on the day, honestly.

-Okay.

Well, good luck with music, and good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Here's 8th grader Ezekiel.

Hi, Ezekiel.

-Hello.

-You wrote you have the ability to do party tricks because of some condition that you have.

-Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

-What does that mean?

-It is a connective tissue disease which, I guess, means my joints are weak.

And therefore, I am more flexible.

-I see.

So you bend your thumb back and stuff like that?

Don't do that here.

[laughter] Good luck.

Stay healthy.

Ezekiel, thank you, and good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Here's 8th grader Yonathan.

Hi, Yonathan.

-Hi.

-Now, I'm sure that your fellow students know what this is, but I'm not familiar.

What is a Chemistry Olympian?

-Oh, our school is joining in with other schools from around the world to compete against each other in a chemistry contest where we take a test at first, then we go up against each other till we find out who's the top school for chemistry.

-Just knowing chemical elements and stuff like that?

-Chemistry, molar mass-- -Wow.

- --atomic mass.

All of the stuff that relates to it.

Charges.

-Well, good luck on Varsity Quiz.

There's our team from Brown Junior High.

[cheers and applause] Let's say hello and meet some of our players from the Lied STEM Academy, starting with 7th grader Grace H. Hi, Grace.

-Hi.

-This says here that you do martial arts.

-Yes.

-And what belt level are you at?

-I'm a 2nd degree black belt.

-That's pretty good.

How long you've been doing martial arts?

-About two years.

I'm on a little bit of a break right now.

-What do you get out of martial arts?

What does that do for you?

-It teaches me a lot of life lessons, and it also just teaches me kind of be aware of my surroundings.

-Wonderful.

Good luck with that.

Good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Grace H. Here's 8th grader Logan.

Hi, Logan.

-Hello.

-What happens with the Lied STEM Academy Chess Club?

What do you guys do?

-So every Monday we just kind of get together and play chess.

But there's a small portion of us that go around the county and compete in tournaments and stuff.

And pretty recently actually, just last month, we went to the state tournament and got first in the state for middle school.

-Whoa!

Congratulations.

That's great.

Good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Logan.

That's amazing.

Here's 8th grader Allison B. Hi, Allison.

-Hi.

-This says that you've been dancing for quite a while.

When did you start dancing?

-I started dancing when I was three or four years old.

-What kind of dancing are we talking about?

-I do all different styles, like jazz, lyrical, ballet, tap.

Like everything.

-Just for fun, or do you compete?

-I compete.

-Good luck with that, and good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Allison B.

And now 6th grader Grace D. Hi, Grace D. -Hi.

-What kind of crafting do you do?

-I used to have this business back in elementary school, where I would make these beaded designs called Perlers.

And then I would sell them to other people.

-Wow.

That was way back in the day?

-Mm-hmm.

-Have you moved on?

Are you still crafting?

-I would say I'm still crafting a decent much, but it's kind of-- -Well, have fun with it.

Good luck on Varsity Quiz.

That's our students from the Lied STEM Academy.

And our bonus round, that's coming right up.

All right.

We're going into Round 2 here, and the score: Brown has 50 points to Lied's 30 points.

Before we move on, Brown is keeping all of their same players, but Lied has a complete swapout.

So we say hello to Grace M. Hi, Grace.

-There's Alison D. Hello.

Caleb, welcome aboard.

And there's Rylen.

This round is timed at six minutes and starts as I read this question: Which system of a vertebrate provides support, protects internal organs, and allows for movement?

That's Brown, Ezekiel: ribcage -That is incorrect.

Lied, Caleb: nervous system -No.

We were looking for the skeletal system.

No points.

This is a toss-up question for both teams, and it is a calculation question.

If a toy is sold for $120 at a profit of 20%, find its cost price.

That's Brown, Yonathan: $24 -That is incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] We were looking for $100.

No points, and another toss-up for both teams.

Once known as the "Cotton State," what state changed its nickname to "Heart of Dixie" back in 1955?

Brown, Elizabeth: Virginia -Incorrect.

Lied, Caleb: Mississippi -No.

We were looking for Alabama.

No points.

Another toss-up for both teams.

Identify this large hollow woody grass that's used to build flooring and roofing as well as furniture, biofuel, fabrics, ornamental design, among many other uses.

[bell chimes, time expires] [buzzer sound] I think it was after the buzzer.

We were looking for bamboo.

There's a whole lot of "I knew that."

Just go ahead and buzz in and give an answer.

Here's another toss-up.

This is for both teams.

Adopted in 1787, which foundational document of the United States underwent major revisions in 1789 leading to the addition of the Bill of Rights?

And that's Lied, Caleb: the Constitution -Correct.

Now we have bonus questions for Lied only.

These are about the U.S. government.

First, the Equal Proportions Method assigns every state one seat, then uses a multiplier to determine the next number of seats according to the population of each.

So this method is used to fill the seats of which government entity?

That's the first question.

And the second question, in the United States Senate, if there's a tie vote, who holds the deciding vote?

[students deliberate] -We have our answers.

Congress and Vice President.

-Vice President is correct.

The first correct answer is the House of Representatives.

You get some bonus points, not all.

Now another toss-up for both teams.

Douglas Holgate's book The Last Comics on Earth can be found on the shelf with other novels told in a comic book style.

What genre of writing has the action told through panels of drawings with dialogue bubbles?

Lied, Caleb: graphic novels -That is correct.

Bonus questions now for Lied only about literature.

First, name the character who was the king of Numeropolis in The Phantom Tollbooth.

Second, in a book by Andrew Clements, 5th grader Nick Allen makes up a word to use instead of the word "pen" as a way to bother his English teacher.

What word for pen becomes a widespread hit, and it's also the name of the book?

[students deliberate] Go ahead, Captain?

-We don't know the first one, but the second one is Frindle.

-Frindlel is correct.

The first answer is Mathemagician.

Remember The Phantom Tollbooth.

Read that.

It's a great book.

Toss-up for both teams now.

Name the river that connects Quebec City and Montreal to the Atlantic Ocean.

That's Lied, Caleb: St. Lawrence River -Correct.

Bonus questions now for Lied only about geography.

First, name the river that runs through London.

And second, the Carpathian Mountains are located in the eastern part of which continent?

[students deliberate] Captain?

-The River Thames and Europe.

-Both are correct.

You got bonus points.

All right.

Toss-up for both teams now.

Opening in 1957 as City Stadium, which home of the Green Bay Packers is the oldest continually operating stadium in the NFL?

Lied, Alison D.: Green Bay -Incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] So we're talking about the Packers, but we needed the name of their field.

It is Lambeau Field.

Okay, no points.

A toss-up for both teams now.

Which mythological creature in Northern Africa had the body of a lion with a human head?

That's Lied, Caleb: the sphinx -Yes.

Bonus questions for Lied only about mythology.

First, who was the father of Hercules?

Second, what instrument did Orpheus play more beautifully than any mortal?

[students deliberate] -We have our answers.

The first one is Zeus.

The second one is harp.

-Zeus is correct.

I think-- We cannot-- We needed a specific type of harp.

It's a Lyre.

You get some bonus points, but not all.

And this toss-up for both teams.

What nation is the birthplace of the great artist Vincent van Gogh?

Lied, Caleb: the Netherlands -Yes.

Bonus questions for Lied only about art.

What word is used for the crime of copying a painting in order to deceive people?

Second, what famous sculpture by Michelangelo is in the Accademia Gallery in Florence, Italy?

[students deliberate] -Captain?

-Plagiarism and the statue of David.

-David is correct.

The first one we needed the word "forgery."

The speed round, coming up.

Quite a turnaround from Round 1 to Round 2.

So going into Round 3, here's our score: Brown has 50 points, and Lied has 85.

Now before we move on, Brown once again keeping all their same players.

Lied, a whole bunch of new players.

We say hello to Hannah.

Hi, Hannah.

-Hi.

-There's Rebeka.

-Hi.

-Zack.

-Hi.

[indistinct] -There you go.

And Serena.

-Hello.

-Let's get this party started.

Which Asian river, the third longest in the world, is known in China-- We'll go with Lied, Zack: the Yangtze -Correct.

We move on.

What is the acronym CPR stand for?

Brown, Ahnaly: cardiopulmonary resuscitation -Yes.

Next question.

Which continent is referred to in Winston Churchill's Iron Curtain speech?

Lied, Rebeka: Europe -Yes.

Which color-coded emergency response refers to patients who are in need of immediate attention with life-threatening injuries?

Lied, Rebeka: red -Yes.

What ancient civilization is credited with inventing the wheel?

Brown, Ahnaly: the Mayas -No.

Lied, Zack: Babylon -No.

We were looking for the Sumerians.

Next question.

A deficiency of which vitamin can lead to a disease characterized by softened, weakened bones, especially in kids?

Lied, Rebeka: vitamin C -Vitamin?

-C. -No.

Brown, Elizabeth: vitamin D -Yes.

Next question.

In human anatomy, what's the name for the bony structure that protects the brain?

Lied, Hannah: the skull -That is correct.

Next question.

So you have a weight-training program, and a trainer puts together a series of sets involving [blank] of a given movement in an exercise.

Brown, Elizabeth: repetitions -Yep.

Next question.

In what country other than the United States is there a city named Vancouver?

Lied, Zack: Canada -Yep.

Next question is a calculation question, students.

Remember, we don't repeat here in the third round.

A cube has a volume of 216 cubic centimeters.

Give us the length of one side of that cube.

Oh, the gears are turning.

[bell chimes, time expires] No answer?

We were looking for 6 centimeters.

Next question.

Which country is both the oldest and the most populous country in Northern Africa?

Lied, Zack: Egypt -Yep.

Next question.

In what sport is the field of play referred to as the "pitch"?

Lied, Hannah: baseball -Incorrect.

Brown, Elizabeth: football -No, I don't think we can take that even though that's what they call it over there.

We were looking for the correct answer soccer.

Next question.

Which state is home to the Grand Teton Mountains National Park and the majority of Yellowstone National Park?

Lied, Rebeka: Wyoming -Yes.

What's the biggest source of sugar in the American diet, researchers in 2023 again warning of its dangers?

Lied, Rebeka: soda -Yes.

How many players are on the field during a professional baseball game?

Brown, Ezekiel: 18 total -I don't think we can take that.

[confers with judges] Okay, so the judges have said we will take 18, that there are 18 players for both sides-- or 9 players for both sides.

Excellent.

You got some points there.

And we move on.

Which fictional character is from Peru, wears a duffle coat-- And that's Lied, Hannah: Paddington -That's right.

Hera called upon which goddess to make her more beautiful to impress-- That's Brown, Elizabeth: Persephone -Incorrect.

--to impress her husband-- Lied, Hannah: Aphrodite -That is correct.

In the United States, what's the minimum age for voting for President according-- And that's Lied, Hannah: 18 -Yes.

Located in Eastern Europe, which country has Minsk as its capital?

Lied, Zack: Belarus -Yes.

In the sentence "Paula professionally plays the piano"-- Lied, Zack: alliteration -That is incorrect.

That is an interrupt.

I will finish reading the question.

--the sentence "Paula professionally plays the piano with precision," what is the direct object?

Brown, Ahnaly: the piano -That is correct.

Next question.

According to what has been discovered so far, the earliest tools used by man are flakes.

Those are used for cutting, scraping, carving, sometimes for projectiles, but what were the earliest flakes all made from?

Lied, Hannah: stone -Yes.

What Middle Eastern man-made waterway connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea-- Lied, Zack: the Suez Canal -Yes.

Calculation question next, students.

Remember, we don't repeat.

What is 40 divided by 2 1/2?

Brown, Ezekiel: [no answer] -That's no answer.

Lied, Hannah: 15 -No.

We were looking for 16.

Next question.

Which Wonder of the Modern World connects a California city to Marin County-- That's Lied, Zack: the Golden Gate Bridge -Yes.

Which overweight cartoon cat shares-- Lied, Zack: Garfield -Yeah.

Who's the Russian president who served multiple nonconsecutive terms since 1999?

That's Brown, Ahnaly: Putin -Yes.

In geography, isthmi is the plural for what type of narrow landform?

Lied, Serena: trench -No.

[buzzer sound] [bell chimes] I think he got it in time.

Brown, Yonathan: mountain range -No.

We were looking for isthmus.

Isthmus is the singular.

Isthmi is the plural.

Boy, did you learn something today.

Okay.

For what is www an abbreviation?

Lied, Zack: WorldWideWeb -Yes.

And we're out of time.

Let's find out who won.

Our final score in the Junior Varsity Quiz Virtual League Championship, Brown 75 points to Lied's 165 points.

Let's give a round of applause to both teams.

[cheers and applause] Great match.

Congratulations to the 2023-2024 first ever Junior Varsity Quiz Virtual League champions, Lied STEM Academy!

[cheers and applause] However, we also want to give a shout-out and some recognition to the coach and the captain from Brown.

You guys are the 2nd place finishers in the first ever Virtual League Championship.

So, Coach, congratulations.

Captain Ezekiel, thank you so much.

Let's give these guys a round of applause as well.

Thank you so much.

[applause] All right.

Coach, congratulations.

Captain, congratulations.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Virtual League champions for the first time ever, Lied.

Congratulations.

[cheers and applause] Hey, we want you to join us next week because we're gonna wrap up the entire 55th season of Varsity Quiz with the Junior Varsity Quiz All-Star match.

We're gonna have superstars from all the teams get together and play just for fun and some bragging rights.

That's next week right here on Vegas PBS.