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

-Tonight, Del Sol... [cheers and applause] takes on Northeast Career Technical Academy.

[cheers and applause] -This is Varsity Quiz!

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

This is the 55th season of Varsity Quiz.

We've got the best and the brightest high school students matching wits in this academic competition.

Hey, did you know there are now two separate Varsity Quiz leagues in each season's competition?

So tonight, the road to the Blue League championship begins as Del Sol Academy takes on Northeast Career and Technical Academy.

So we started with 10 schools in the Blue League in two divisions.

And here we are at the first of two semifinal matches.

Once we've crowned a Blue League champion a couple of weeks from now, we'll move on to the quarterfinals of the Silver League.

So let's meet tonight's players.

Del Sol Academy, undefeated in their division, and their starters are: Absalon.

Hey, Absalon.

-Hello.

-There's Dietrich.

-Hi.

-There's Zack.

And Jasmine.

-Hello.

-And the coaches for Del Sol, Ramiro Martinez and Mailyn Bashay.

Ladies and gentlemen, Del Sol Academy!

[applause] -All right.

Now for the Northeast Career and Technical Academy, a brand new program in their division, we have two players: There's Nestor.

Hi, Nestor.

-Hi.

-And there's Rhysten.

-Hello.

-Hi, Rhysten.

And the coach, Heather Danser.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Northeast Career and Technical Academy!

[applause] -All right.

So there are 25 questions in this first round, each correct answer worth 5 points.

Students are you ready?

Let's play Varsity Quiz.

Ichthyosaurs were a marine variety of what class of animals?

That's Del Sol, Absalon: Dinosaurs -Yes.

Points on the board for Del Sol.

Next question.

Oh, that is incorrect.

Thank you, judge.

That's incorrect.

Northeast Career, Rhysten: Fish -No.

They were reptiles.

That's what we were looking for.

Sorry about that, Absalon.

Thank you, judge.

We move on.

No points on the board.

Next question.

Norse mythology had a female head of the underworld, unlike the Romans and Greeks.

What fitting name did she have?

Del Sol, Absalon: Hela -Can we take that?

[confers with judges] -Okay, that's incorrect.

Northeast Career Tech?

[bell chimes, time expires] -That's no answer.

We were actually looking for just Hel.

Get it?

Underworld, hell?

Let's move on to the next question.

Meaning "one sugar," what are the building blocks of carbohydrates?

That's Del Sol, Zack: Sucralose -Pardon me?

-Sucralose.

-No.

Northeast, Rhysten: Monosaccharides -Yes.

Points on the board for Northeast.

Next question.

Which author who's written more than 60 books across genres from horror to sci fi has had the most works turned into movies, including 2022's Mr. Harrigan's Phone?

-Del Sol, Dietrich: Stephen King -Yes.

Now you got points on the board, and we move to the next question.

Which rare gaseous element has a bright emission in an electrical field and was given a name meaning "new"?

Del Sol, Dietrich: Neon -Yes.

Next question.

What art movement of the 20th century was characterized by geometric shapes and bold colors?

Northeast, Rhysten: Cubism -Yes.

And next question.

What condition is characterized by difficulty breathing and wheezing due to narrowed airways often caused as a response to allergens?

Del Sol, Absalon: Bronchitis -No.

Northeast, Nestor: Tuberculosis -No.

We were looking for asthma.

Next question.

The classic written in 1960, set in Macomb, Alabama, was followed by what book in 2015 that was not actually a sequel, but more of a rough draft of the original?

[bell chimes, time expires] -Nobody?

We were looking for Go Set a Watchman.

Next question.

In April of 2023, Ukraine's President Zelensky asked Jens Stoltenberg of what alliance to offer Ukraine membership to the organization?

Del Sol, Dietrich: NATO -Yes.

What was the primary source of income for early European settlers in the American colonies?

Del Sol, Absalon: Gold -No.

Northeast, Rhysten: Cotton -No.

I don't think we can take that.

[confers with judges] -Yeah.

It was just agriculture or farming, in general.

So no points there.

Next question.

Who worked with developing a means of communication for the hearing impaired and ended up creating a way to carry the sound of voices over wires?

Del Sol, Absalon: Alexander Graham Bell -That is correct.

Next question.

Which "Green Mountain" state is known for its maple syrup and great skiing?

Del Sol, Zack: Vermont -Yes.

Prince Harry and his wife, Megan, reported being pursued in a car chase through New York City in June of 2023.

What do they call the group that was pursuing them?

Del Sol, Jasmine: Paparazzi -Yes.

Which zone of the ocean is the line where sunlight can no longer penetrate?

Del Sol, Dietrich: The twilight zone -No.

Northeast, Nestor: The arctic line -No.

It's called the aphotic zone.

Next question.

Anna was unhappy to see the lower grade on her paper, but she realized after reading the notes that because she had skipped what type of phrases and sentences that her paper didn't move well from point to point?

Northeast Rhysten: Transitions -Yes.

Next question.

Since fatty tissue is less dense than muscle, muscular people are more likely to sink than float.

So the difference in body type makes a difference in how what force, also called uplift, affects the floating experience?

That's Del Sol, Absalon: Buoyancy -Yes.

Here's a calculation question, students.

A DVD player with a list price of $100 is marked down 30%.

If John gets an employee discount of 20% off that sale price, how much does John pay for the DVD player?

Let me repeat.

DVD player list price, $100 marked down 30%-- And we're gonna go with Del Sol, Absalon: 56 -Correct.

What's the famous play by Arthur Miller about the Salem Witch Trials?

Del Sol, Absalon: The Crucible -Yes.

Newton's first law of motion concerns what major concept?

Northeast, Nestor: Gravity -Incorrect.

Del Sol, Zack: Inertia -Yes.

Aquiclude is an appropriate term for any land that takes in water but does not allow it to go through.

An example of what kind of fine-grained soil material used in creating works of art because of its plasticity?

Del Sol, Dietrich: Clay -Yes.

Next question.

Who was the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?

Del Sol, Absalon: Margaret Thatcher -Correct.

Okay.

The word "quiz" is an English word which is related to what adjective meaning "questioning"?

Northeast, Rhysten: Quizzical -No.

Del Sol, Dietrich: Query -No.

You were close.

It's inquisitive.

Okay.

What long era of reduction in the Earth's temperatures saw the existence of woolly mammoths?

Del Sol, Zack: The Ice Age -Yes.

That was a great movie by the way.

While his first book focused on a father-son relationship, whose second book focused on the women of Afghanistan in A Thousand Splendid Suns?

[bell chimes, time expires] -Khaled Hosseini.

Okay.

What layer of the atmosphere ranges from the Earth's surface to a height of 6 to 10 kilometers?

Northeast, Nestor: Stratosphere -No.

Del Sol, Zack: The troposphere -Yes.

All right.

So that is it for Round 1.

But before we go, we want to learn a little bit more about our players.

You guys feel good about yourselves?

We've done Round 1.

Good job, you guys!

[applause] -So we're gonna meet our players.

We'll start with Del Sol, and we'll start with the 12th grader Absalon.

Everything good, Absalon?

[inaudible] -So I understand that you're in the jazz band.

What do you play over there?

-Drumset.

How long have you been drumming?

-Around three years, but I've been playing since I was young.

I just took a really long break.

-Well, that's awesome.

Keep it up.

And good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Here is senior Dietrich.

Hey, Dietrich.

-Hello.

-I understand that you are a big fan of the Las Vegas Raiders.

-Yes, diehard fan.

Been a fan since I was born.

My dad was a fan pretty much since he was little.

And I go to every Allegiant home game.

-That's what you were saying.

You've been to every home game?

-Since they opened their doors to fans in 2021.

-Yeah.

Well, congratulations.

Good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Dietrich.

Here is senior Zack.

Hey, Zack.

-Hi.

-I understand that you play two musical instruments.

What do you play?

-A few more than two, but I mainly play sax and tuba.

-What else do you play?

-Anything you can think of.

-All right.

So you're a musical dude?

-Yeah.

-Right on.

Good luck with that.

And good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thank you, Zack.

And here is senior Jasmine.

Hi, Jasmine.

-Hello.

-This says here that you have worked for many years.

What do you-- what jobs have you had?

-My first job was at CJ's Italian Ice & Custard.

And I served customers, and I slung ice cream, if that's the plural word.

-Okay.

-And now I work at Urth Caffé.

I'm a cashier and I kind of cover all bases.

-Wonderful.

Good luck with that.

And good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Ladies and gentlemen, Del Sol Academy!

Good job you guys.

[applause] -And Northeast Career Technical Academy is a two-person team.

We're going to start with 9th grader Nestor.

Hey, Nestor.

-Hi.

-Everything good?

-Yep.

-I understand that you have a pet?

-Yes, a pet cockatiel.

-Does the cockatiel have a name?

-Yes.

His name is Chester.

-How's Chester doing?

-Good.

He's doing well.

-Excellent.

Tell him we all said hello.

-Yep, I will do.

-And good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Nestor.

And here's 9th grader Rhysten.

Hi, Rhysten.

-Hello.

-This says here there is something you've never done.

Do you remember what that was?

-Yeah.

I've never ridden a roller coaster before.

-Is that because you're afraid of them?

-No, I'm not afraid.

I've just never really had an opportunity.

-We'll have to make sure you get on a roller coaster.

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

Ladies and gentlemen, that's the Northeast Career and Technical Academy!

[applause] -Our Bonus Round is coming right up.

[crashing sound] -So the score going into Round 2: Del Sol has 70 to Northeast Career Technical Academy's 15.

Before we move on, we'll introduce a couple of new players for Del Sol.

We say hello to Logan.

-Hello.

-And William.

-Hey.

-Good luck.

Northeast Career Technical Academy is staying exactly the same.

So here we are in this Bonus Round.

Each of 10 possible questions is worth 5 points.

A team with the correct answer will get two bonus questions.

Those are also each worth 5 points.

And we do allow team conferring on those bonus questions, with 10 seconds allowed, before we ask for a response from the team's captain.

Now, this round is timed at 6 minutes.

And that time starts as I start this question.

If table salt is heated in a flame, it will turn into what color?

Northeast, Rysten: Yellow -Correct.

Now we have bonus questions for Northeast Career Tech only.

These are about questions about chemistry, colors in chemistry.

First, to get this color of glass, cobalt oxide is added during the manufacturing process; second, identify the color of the indicator bromothymol blue in an acidic solution.

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] -I think we have our answers.

-Go captain.

-Number one, we have blue; and for number two, we have red.

-Blue is correct.

The second answer is yellow.

So you get some bonus points, not all.

But we move on to this question for both teams.

Birds belong to which biological class?

That's Del Sol, Absaloon: Avians -Can we take that?

[confers with judges] That's incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] -We were looking for Aves.

You were on the right track, but we needed the exact answer.

Okay.

We move on to the next question, which is a calculation question.

Two holiday presents are in the shape of cubes.

The ratio of the side lengths of the presents is 3 to 1.

If the side length of the larger present is 12 inches, what is the volume of the smaller present?

Let me repeat.

Two holiday presents, shape of cubes.

Ratio of the side lengths of the presents-- We're gonna go with Del Sol Zack: 64 -We need more.

-64 units.

-Incorrect.

-Northeast, Rhysten: 64 cubic inches -That's what we needed.

And that is correct.

And we have bonus questions now for Northeast Career Tech only.

These are calculation questions.

First, how many irrational numbers are there between 1 and 6; second, what's the slope of any line parallel to the line 9x + 4y = 7?

I'll repeat both.

First, how many irrational numbers are there between 1 and 6; second, what's the slope of any line parallel to the line 9x + 4y = 7?

[students deliberate] -Captain?

-For the first answer, we have 1; and for the second answer, we have 3.

-They're both incorrect.

The first answer is actually infinite.

And the second answer is -9/4.

No bonus points.

We move on to this question for both teams.

Who was the first wife of then Prince Charles?

Del Sol, Absalon: Princess Diane -Yes.

Bonus history questions now for Del Sol only.

Name the first wives of the following: first, Napoleon; second, Henry VIII.

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] -I think we're ready.

-Captain?

-For the first, Marie; and for the second, Anne.

-Both are incorrect.

Napoleon's wife was Josephine.

Henry VIII's wife, Catherine of Aragon.

First wives.

Okay.

This question for both teams.

For what state was Huey Long the Governor?

Northeast, Rhysten: Nevada -No.

Del Sol, Absalon: New York -No.

It was Louisiana.

We move to the next question.

Which book is the middle part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy?

Del Sol, William: The Two Towers.

-Correct.

Bonus questions now for Del Sol, and these are about literature.

First, which Shakespearean character is stabbed through a tapestry; and, second, "The Cyclone" is chapter one of what book?

You have 10 seconds.

[student deliberate] -Captain?

-For the first, Macbeth; and the second, The Odyssey.

-Both are incorrect.

The first was Polonius; and the second, The Wizard of Oz.

Next question for both teams.

Name two rivers in the world that are longer than the Mississippi.

Northeast, Nestor: The Nile and the Yangtze -Both are correct.

We also would have taken Amazon.

But now we have bonus questions only for Northeast, and these are about the Mississippi River.

First, its mouth is 95 miles by river below this city; second, it empties into what body of water?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] -Captain?

-For the first answer, we have New Orleans; and for the second, we have Yellowstone Lake.

-New Orleans is correct.

It empties into the Gulf of Mexico.

So some bonus points, but not all.

And now this question for both teams.

What country was poet Alexander Pushkin born in?

Northeast, Nestor: Poland -No.

Del Sol, Absalon: Russia.

-Correct.

Bonus questions now for Del Sol only about poets.

First, what country was Arthur Rimbaud born in; and, second, what country was Odysseus Elytis born in?

[student deliberate] -We have our answers.

-Go ahead.

-For the first, France; and the second, Greece.

-Both are correct.

You got bonus points.

And that is the end of Round 2.

-Our Speed Round is coming up.

The score going into Round 3: Del Sol Academy, 95 points, to Northeast Career and Technical Academy's 40 points.

Anything can happen in this third round.

Before we get started, hey, we got some-- There's a returning player.

Dietrich for Del Sol.

-Hello.

-A couple of new players.

There's Mere.

-Hi.

-And there's Ollie.

-Hello.

-Good to see you.

Over at Northeast Career it is still Nestor and Rhysten.

Here in this Speed Round, we have 30 possible questions, each correct answer worth 5 points.

So this is a timed round at six minutes.

We get to as many questions as we can.

If somehow we get to all 30 questions before the 6 minutes is up, obviously the match would be over, and we'll just see what happens.

Are you guys ready?

Here we go with our Speed Round.

What's the name for the process by which cells break down glucose to produce ATP?

Del Sol, Absalon: Cellular respiration -Correct.

India does not designate any language as a national language, but what language is the most commonly spoken there?

Del Sol, Absalon: Hindi -Correct.

What is the process of making a computer program available for use by the general public?

Del Sol, Absalon: Software development -Can we take that?

[confers with judges] -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] -We needed software release.

Next question.

What's the process of-- What is the unit of measurement for atmospheric pressure?

Northeast, Nestor: Barometric pressure -Incorrect.

Del Sol, Absalon: Bars -No.

It's pascal units.

Next question.

What principle with a two-word name allows courts to review and invalidate laws that violate the Constitution?

Del Sol, Ollie: Judicial review -Correct.

Next question.

What is the national flower of the United States?

Del Sol, Dietrich: The poppy -No.

[buzzer sounds] [bell chimes] -Did she get it in time?

So that's Northeast, Rhysten: The sunflower -Nope.

It's the rose.

Next question.

Name the author of the novel The Handmaid's Tale.

Del Sol, Ollie: Margaret Atwood -Correct.

What is the scientific term for the study of birds?

[bell chimes, time expires] -You'll kick yourself.

Ornithology.

Next question.

It's really good to know how to say "nice to meet you" when visiting other places.

How would you say that to somebody in San Salvador?

Del Sol, Absalon: Getal -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] -Mucho Gusto.

Next question.

What same word is used for both the process used for making origami and the process of rock layers bending due to the force of the Earth's movements?

Northeast, Nestor: Folding -Yes.

In May of 2023, Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis said he has come to an agreement with what retired quarterback to join the organization's-- Del Sol, Dietrich: Tom Brady -Yeah.

I figured you'd know that one.

Next question.

The most linguistically diverse nation has around 840 languages spoken there, many spoken by only a village or so.

But with a capital of Port Moresby, which island country has so much diversity?

Del Sol, Absalon: Papua New Guinea -Correct.

Which member of a storied US political dynasty announced in April of 2023 his bid to challenge incumbent President Joe Biden for the 2024 Democratic Presidential nomination?

Del Sol, Dietrich: Robert Kennedy -I don't think we can take that.

[confers with judges] [bell chimes, time expires] -Robert Kennedy, Jr. Next question.

Calculation question.

We don't repeat here in the third round.

What is the value of x when 2x + 3 = 3x - 4?

That's Del Sol, Absalon: 7 -Incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires.

-We were looking for 14.

Next question.

What was the name of Shakespeare's wife?

[bell chimes, time expires] -Oh, I thought somebody was going to try to throw out Mrs. Shakespeare.

It's Anne Hathaway.

Next question.

Described as "the music of friends," what two-word phrase refers to music played by a very small group of instruments, none of which traditionally plays solo?

Northeast, Rhysten: a band -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] -Looking for chamber music.

Next question.

What political-- Make that, In logic, what is the term for a statement that is neither true nor false?

That's Del Sol, Ollie: Ambiguous.

-No.

You were on the right track.

We were looking for indeterminate.

Next question.

What political union was created in order to pool resources among the nations on the second smallest continent in 1993?

[bell chimes, time expires] -It's called the European Union.

What law of physics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed?

That's Del Sol, Absalon: The first law of thermodynamics -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] -It's the law of conservation of energy.

Next question.

What protein in RBCs carry the O 2?

Northeast, Nestor: Ribosomes -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] Hemoglobin.

Next question.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated which major American city?

Northeast, Nestor: New Orleans -Correct.

Who's been the lead guitarist for the rock band Led Zeppelin since 1967?

Del Sol, Mere: Robert Plant -No.

Northeast, Rhysten: Led Zeppelin -No.

Jimmy Page.

You knew that.

Next question.

Which famous philosopher was a student of Socrates?

Del Sol, Absalon: Aristotle -No.

Rhysten: Plato -Yes.

What's the smallest country in the Middle East?

Northeast, Nestor: Palestine -No.

Del Sol, Absalon: Lebanon No.

It's Bahrain.

Are we out of time?

All right.

We're out of time.

Let's find out who won.

[crashing sound] -Our final score: Del Sol Academy, 125 points, to the Northeast Career Technical Academy's 55.

[crashing sound] -Thanks to both teams for an excellent match.

Congratulations to Del Sol Academy!

[applause] -So, Del Sol will move on to face the winner of next week's match between Mojave and Southeast Career Technical Academy.

We hope you'll tune in for another exciting night of Varsity Quiz right here on Vegas PBS.

Good night.