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

-Coming up, it's Team Parise... [cheers and applause] ...taking on Team Naylor!

[cheers and applause] This is the Junior Varsity Quiz All-Star Match!

♪♪ Hello and welcome to the 57th season of Varsity Quiz.

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

Always an honor to be your host.

I'm Nathan Tannenbaum.

Now, something a little bit different in tonight's Junior Varsity Quiz, because in this match we're saluting the young men and women of the JVQ Silver League with this year's All-Star match featuring superstars from some of the 27 middle and junior high schools that competed this year in the-- in the one-day tournament.

Okay.

So the students have been randomly assigned to each of the two teams.

The All-Star Junior Varsity Quiz match is a little different than our regular matches.

We have four timed rounds instead of three.

Each question in this light-hearted match is still worth five points.

Let's go ahead and meet our players, starting with Team Parise.

Falak, tell us your name, your grade, and your school.

-Hi.

My name is Falak, and I'm an 8th grader from Canarelli Middle School.

-Hi.

I'm Grace, and I'm an 8th grader at Lied STEM Academy.

-Hi, I'm Zack.

I'm an 8th grader at Lied STEM Academy.

-Hi.

I'm Matt, and I'm a 7th grader at Garside.

-Ladies and gentlemen, Team Parise!

[cheers and applause] And let's meet our starters for Team Naylor.

We'll start with Robert.

-Hi, I'm Robert.

I'm in 7th grade from Roy Martin Middle School.

-Hi, I'm Brennan.

I'm in 8th grade at Cram Middle School.

-Hi, I'm Yiming.

I'm an 8th grader at Bob Miller Middle School.

-Hi, I'm Haset.

I'm an-- I'm a-- Oh, my God.

-Oh, you're doing fine.

-I'm a 7th grader from Lawrence Junior High School.

-Well, that's fantastic.

Ladies and gentlemen, Team Naylor!

You're doing great!

[cheers and applause] So we will explain where we came up with the names of those teams in a few minutes.

For now, we want to get started.

Are you ready?

Let's play Junior Varsity Quiz.

What was the name of the iconic music festival that was held in 1969, attracting hundreds of thousands of attendees?

Naylor, Yiming: Woodstock -Yeah.

Were you there, man?

Oh, it was psychedelic, dude.

Next question.

Team Naylor's on the board.

Oh, now, if you guys don't know this, we're in trouble.

What does the acronym "SMH" stand for?

Team Naylor, Brennan: shaking my head -Yes, I am.

But what's the answer?

See what I did there?

That is right.

You get the points.

We move on.

Next question.

In Greek mythology, who is known for slaying Medusa?

Naylor, Yiming: Perseus -That's right.

Okay.

We got to get Parise on the board here.

Here's a question.

Who painted the iconic artwork Campbell's Soup Cans in the 1960s?

Naylor, Haset: [no answer] -Oh, we have to take that as a no answer.

That's okay.

Anybody else?

Parise, Matt: Andy Warhol -That's right.

Team Parise is on the board!

Woohoo!

Next question.

What football team does Taylor Swift's fiance play for?

Parise, Zack: the Kansas City Chiefs -That's right.

Let's keep going.

Oh, now, if you don't know this one, we're in trouble.

What day is known as Star Wars Day?

Team Parise, Grace: May 4th -Yes.

May the 4th be with you.

Isn't that silly?

Yes, but that is the correct answer, May the 4th?

Next question.

What was the 36th state admitted to the union?

Parise, Zack: Nevada -Duh!

Yeah, it was kind of a trick question, but you got it.

Here we go.

Next question.

Who was the first man to walk on the moon in 1969?

Naylor, Yiming: Neil Armstrong -You got it.

Here we go.

Who is the most followed woman on Instagram?

Parise, Grace: Charlie D'Amelio -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] You're gonna kick yourself.

You all follow her.

Selena Gomez.

No, not so much?

Do you know who she is?

Okay.

Well, that's good.

Maybe you know this one.

Who painted the Mona Lisa?

Parise, Falak: Leonardo da Vinci -Yeah.

I mean, you're thinking, well, is this a trick question?

No.

That was straight up.

Yeah, absolutely.

What is the hardest natural substance on earth?

Naylor, Yiming: diamond -Yes.

What is the name of Mickey Mouse's dog?

Team Parise, Grace: Pluto -That's right.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Disney.

Next question.

What's the name of the large bell in the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament in London?

That's Team Naylor, Robert: Big Ben -You got that right, Robert.

Here we go.

How many bones do sharks have?

Parise, Zack: zero -You got it.

Another trick question.

What vitamin do you get from sunlight?

Naylor, Yiming: vitamin D -You got it.

Now, this will test your knowledge of old people's music.

Which band sang the song "Bohemian Rhapsody"?

Parise, Grace: Queen -You love that song?

-We're doing it in choir right now.

-Isn't that a great song?

-Yeah.

-It's a fantastic song.

Yes, "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Next question.

Who is the actor known for starring in the Mission Impossible movies, as well as Top Gun?

Parise, Falak: Tom Cruise -Yeah.

He's your favorite, right?

Not so much?

But you knew the answer?

That's all you needed to know.

What's the chemical symbol for water?

Naylor, Brennan: H2O -Yes.

I hope that we all knew that one.

Which gas do plants absorb from the atmosphere during the process of photosynthesis?

Naylor, Yiming: carbon dioxide -That's right.

We've come to the end of Round 1.

A round of applause for both teams.

[cheers and applause] So before we move on, let's go ahead and take a minute to explain where the all-star team names come from.

Team Parise is named after Sheila Parise.

Sheila is so hardworking behind the scenes of Varsity Quiz.

She coordinates Varsity Quiz, the Junior Varsity Quiz leagues.

She writes most of the questions.

She's also a moderator for both Junior Varsity Quiz and Varsity Quiz during the matches that take place on campuses all over town before we end up here at Vegas PBS.

We basically couldn't do any of this without her.

Sheila Parise.

Team Naylor honors Howard Naylor.

So Howard, a longtime member of the Kiwanis Club of Las Vegas, instrumental in the development and the success of the Varsity Quiz program's 57-year partnership with the CCSD and Kiwanis.

So now Howard has moved out of state, but he's still a big part of Varsity Quiz.

Howard Naylor.

Both Sheila and Howard, members of the Varsity Quiz Hall of Fame.

Let's move on to Round 2.

Well, how about that?

After one round, we have a tie score: Team Parise with 45 points, Team Naylor with 45 points.

Let's see what happens.

Let's meet our players here at Round 2, starting with Team Parise.

Nickoletta, tell us your name, your grade, and your school.

-Hi.

I'm Nickoletta, and I'm an 8th grader at Johnson Junior High School.

-Hi, I'm Quentin.

I'm a 7th grader at Garrett Junior High School.

-Hello.

My name is Tyler, and I am a 7th grader at Thurman White Academy of the Arts.

-Hi.

I'm Mason, a 7th grader also at Thurman White.

-Hey, that's Team Parise for Round 2.

Thanks, you guys.

[cheers and applause] Got some more all-stars for Team Naylor.

Brooke, starting with you, your name, your grade, and your school?

-Hi, I'm Brooke.

I'm an 8th grader at Johnson Junior Academy.

-Hi, I'm Aubrey.

I'm a 7th grader at KO Knudson.

-Hi, I'm Ronan.

I'm an 8th grader at Bob Miller MS.

-Hi.

I'm Lia, and I'm an 8th grader at Jim Bridger Middle School.

-Ladies and gentlemen, that's Team Naylor!

[cheers and applause] Okay.

If you guys are ready, remember you will all be locked out of buzzing in until I finish reading the question.

We start with this question: What is the study of fossils called?

Team Parise, Mason: paleontology -That's right.

Next question.

Which country gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States?

That's Team Parise, Tyler: France -That's right.

I hope you guys are familiar with this person.

What musical instrument does Yo-Yo Ma play?

Team Parise, Nickoletta: the flute -No.

Team Naylor, Ronan: violin -He's a cellist.

Next question.

What was the first feature-length animated movie ever released?

Naylor, Ronan: Sleeping Beauty -Incorrect.

Parise, Nickoletta: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs -That's what it was.

You knew that, Ronan.

It just came out wrong, right?

Okay.

This will test your knowledge of old people music again.

What's the name of the band that Mick Jagger is the lead singer for?

[bell chime, time expires] Oh, no.

Have you heard of The Rolling Stones?

Okay.

You have heard of The Rolling Stones.

Okay.

That's good.

I was scared there for a minute.

Next question.

Which popular social media platform known for selfies was originally called Picaboo?

Naylor, Brooke: Snapchat -Yeah.

Is Snapchat still a thing?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-Okay.

I used to have a Snapchat, but I don't... Okay.

Next question.

What shipping company's logo features a hidden arrow?

Team Naylor, Brooke: FedEx -That's right.

Okay.

We're doing great.

Name the most expensive spice in the world.

Naylor, Brooke: saffron -That's right.

Did you ever have-- You know saffron?

Yeah.

It's pretty tasty stuff, but it's expensive.

Next question.

Name the two-month demonstration against corporate greed that was held in New York City's Zuccotti Park in 2011?

[bell chimes, time expires] Were you guys born yet?

It was called Occupy Wall Street.

Sounds vaguely familiar?

Not so much.

All right.

Look it up.

Here's the next question.

Meaning "bouncy pork," what's the name of the viral hippo from Thailand?

Naylor, Brooke: Moo Deng -That's right.

Probably got his own Instagram or Snapchat.

Next question.

This male music artist recently released a song called "Bad Habit."

It's become very popular on the TikToks.

Naylor, Brooke: Shawn Mendes -No.

Parise, Nickoletta: Ed Sheeran -No.

I've never-- So here's one for me I've never heard of.

Do you know who Steve Lacy is?

That's him.

Now, this one, listen up.

What fictional pop star was featured in a 20th anniversary special on Disney+?

Naylor, Brooke: Hannah Montana -Yes.

What does "Nevada" mean?

Parise, Mason: the mountains -I think we need more than that?

Yeah.

Naylor, Ronan: snowy mountains -I think we can take that.

We were looking for snowy or snow-covered.

Is that the end of the second round already?

See how much fun we're having?

A round of applause for our all-stars!

[cheers and applause] So before we move on, all of these young people are coming from different schools.

They are being coached tonight by the coaches from the top two teams in the Junior Varsity Quiz Silver League season.

For Team Parise, the coach is Christina Radosevich from Thurman White.

For Team Naylor, our coaches are Erick Ekker and Celia Erickson from Bob Miller Middle School.

Round 3 next.

After Round 2, it's not a tie anymore, but it's close.

Team Parise has 60 points.

Team Naylor has 75.

Let's see what happens.

Let's meet our players for Round 3, starting with Team Parise.

Valerie, tell us your name, your grade, and your school.

-My name is Valerie, and I'm in 7th grade at Mannion Middle School.

-Welcome.

-Hi.

I'm still Grace, still an 8th grader, and still at Lied STEM Academy.

-Fantastic.

-Hello.

My name is still Zack, I am still an 8th grader, and I'm still also at Lied STEM Academy.

-Okay.

-Hi.

I'm Finn.

I'm an 8th grader at Hyde Park Middle School.

-Ladies and gentlemen, Team Parise for Round 3!

[applause] And Team Naylor, even if you're a returning player, let's do the routine.

Name, grade, and school.

-Still Robert in 7th grade at Roy Martin Middle School.

-Excellent.

-I'm Brennan, and I'm in 8th grade at Cram Middle School.

-Hi, I'm Yiming.

I'm still at Bob Miller Middle School, and I'm still an 8th grader.

-Hi.

I'm Christian, 7th grade, and I go to KO Knudson Academy of the Arts.

-Welcome.

Ladies and gentlemen, that's Team Naylor for Round 3.

[applause] All right.

Once again, you'll all be locked out, so you can't buzz in until I finish this question: Which franchise has won the most games in NBA history?

And that's Team Parise, Finn: Los Angeles Lakers -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] Not up on the NBA?

I hope you have heard of the Boston Celtics.

The Lakers are right up there.

All right.

Let's move on to the next question.

Now, this might be something that your parents know more about, but we'll find out if you do.

What daily New York Times game contains five-letter challenges?

Naylor, Brennan: Wordle -Yeah.

Do you play that game?

-Yeah, sometimes.

-Okay.

Well, here's the thing: I used to have a Wordle.

I had one, but I had it surgically removed.

[laughter] Thank you.

I think that's why they put the question in, but thank you, guys.

Let's move on to the next one.

This is a Las Vegas history question.

What was legalized in Las Vegas in 1931?

Parise, Valerie: gambling -That's right.

Let's keep moving.

What is the least common blood type among Americans?

Parise, Zack: A positive -Incorrect.

Naylor, Brennan: O negative -No.

I think that's the most prevalent.

The least common is AB negative.

So that's a trivia question you can use on your friends.

You can say, hey, I was on the JVQ All-Star Match, and they had those, like this crazy question, you know?

Next question.

How many elements are on the periodic table?

Parise, Zack: 118 -That's right.

Okay.

This is more recent history.

What is the name of the monster from Season 1 of Stranger Things?

That's Team Naylor, Christian: a demogorgon -Yeah.

Do you watch that show?

-Yes.

-That show scares me.

Okay.

Next question.

Now, this is-- We'll find out.

Who is the superintendent of the Clark County School District?

Parise, Finn: Jara -That's the former one, so that's incorrect.

Who is the current superintendent?

Team Naylor, Christian: Shelley Berkeley -No.

She's the mayor of Las Vegas.

So here's-- This was actually something you actually should know.

The superintendent of the school district is Jhone Ebert.

So she took over after Jara.

Okay.

Next question.

What fruit has its seeds on the outside?

Naylor, Brennan: strawberry -Yeah.

Which U.S.

state is known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes"?

Parise, Zack: Minnesota -That's right.

Which three states share a border with California?

Parise, Finn: Nevada, Oregon, and Arizona -You got it.

It looked like you weren't quite sure there, but you got it, Finn.

Here's your next question.

What mineral can you add to water to make things float easier?

Parise, Finn: salt -That's right.

"Have it your way" was a memorable slogan from what fast food restaurant?

That's Naylor, Brennan: McDonald's -Nope.

Parise, Zack: Burger King -That's the one.

Yep.

I think they still use that once in a while.

Yeah.

What's the name of the world's hottest chili pepper?

Parise, Zack: Pepper X -No.

Team Naylor, Yiming: the Carolina Reaper -It's the Carolina Reaper.

Have you ever had one?

-No.

-They are fantastic.

They are super hot and dangerous.

Next question.

What is the meaning of the little key on your computer keyboard that says "fn"?

Parise, Zack: function -That's right.

The timer means we're out of time for Round 3.

How about a round of applause for our all-stars?

[cheers and applause] Well, you can't make this stuff up.

Guess what?

After three rounds, we're tied again.

Team Parise 95 points, Team Naylor 95 points.

Let's see what happens in this final round.

We'll have our players introduce themselves once again.

From Team Parise, we'll start with Falak.

-Hi.

My name is Falak, and I'm an 8th grader at Canarelli Middle School.

-Hello, I'm Zack.

I'm on the other chair, but I'm-- That doesn't mean I'm not still an 8th grader and not at Lied STEM Academy.

-That's right.

-Hello.

My name is Tyler.

I'm back in this chair from-- I'm a 7th grader at Thurman White Academy of the Arts.

-Hi.

I'm still Finn, I'm still an 8th grader, and I still go to Hyde Park Middle School.

-Fantastic.

Team Parise, everybody.

[cheers and applause] And in the last round for Team Naylor, we start with Brooke.

-Hi, I'm Brooke.

I'm an 8th grader at Johnson Junior High School.

-Hi, I'm Aubrey.

I go to KO Knudson, and I'm a 7th grader.

-Hi.

I'm Ronan at Bob Miller Middle School, 8th grade.

-Awesome.

-Hi.

I'm Thomas, an 8th grader at Tarkanian Middle School.

-Wonderful.

Team Naylor for the final round!

[cheers and applause] Once again a reminder, students, you'll be locked out of buzzing in until I finish this question: Lightning McQueen and Sally Carrera are characters from what movie?

That's Team Naylor, Aubrey: Cars -Yeah.

You like that movie?

Yeah, it's fantastic.

Ooh, how many humps does a dromedary camel have?

Parise, Finn: two -No.

Naylor, Ronan: one -Yes.

Those are your choices, and that's the correct one.

I've never seen a three-humped camel.

Is there?

Okay, here we go.

Let's move on.

What is the popular online platform and storefront that allows users to create, share, and play games developed by others rather than being a single game itself?

Parise, Finn: Roblox -Yeah.

Isn't everybody on the Roblox?

No?

Okay.

I'm pretending that I know what that is.

Let's move on.

What is the largest mammal in the world?

Parise, Tyler: an elephant -No.

Naylor, Thomas: a blue whale -Yes.

Here we go.

Next question.

Who is the author of The Lord of the Rings?

Team Naylor, Brooke: J.R.

Tolkien -I think we can take that.

There's actually two Rs there, but it's an all-star game.

We're just loose, yeah.

Okay.

You got it.

Who is known for the theory of evolution by natural selection?

Parise, Finn: Charles Darwin -Yes.

Which singer went viral on the TikToks with the song "Say So"?

Parise, Tyler: Doja Cat -Everybody knows that.

What is the largest island in the world?

That's Parise, Zack: Greenland -Yes.

Next question.

What's the primary ingredient in traditional hummus?

Naylor, Brooke: chickpeas -Yeah.

Now, see, hummus is kind of cool.

Everybody in on the hummus?

Not so much?

That's fantastic.

It's good for you.

Next question.

What's the capital of Mexico?

Parise, Finn: Mexico City -Yes.

In what month is the official first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere?

Naylor, Brooke: June -Yes.

I mean everybody should know that one.

It's good.

You're a junior weather buddy.

Next question.

What is the name given to a screwdriver with a four-pointed pattern?

Parise, Finn: Phillips head -Yes.

Which mythological creature lends its name to a US city, an Irish park, and a Harry Potter novel?

Parise, Zack: Phoenix -Yes.

What natural disasters are measured using modern variants of the original Richter scale?

Parise, Finn: earthquakes -That's right.

Which animals can live in both in water and on land?

Naylor, Ronan: amphibians -That's right.

Now, who is missing from this list: Dorothy, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and...?

Naylor, Brooke: Scarecrow -Yeah.

Okay.

What empire was known for its fierce warriors called samurai?

Parise, Finn: the Japanese Empire -That's right.

Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize?

Naylor, Ronan: Marie Curie -That's right.

On Ted Lasso --hopefully you guys have seen that show--what treat does Ted give his colleagues that they find irresistible?

Parise, Finn: donuts -Pardon me?

-Donuts.

-No.

Naylor, Ronan: cupcakes -No.

You're on the right track.

They're his homemade biscuits.

You guys Ted Lasso fans?

Oh, check it out.

And they're coming out with Season 4.

Are we out of time?

Let's find out who won.

We have a first-in-the-history of the Junior Varsity Quiz All-Star matches.

Here's the final score: Team Parise 140 points, Team Naylor 140 points.

We have a tie!

That's fantastic!

[cheers and applause] So congratulations to all of our players.

You're all champions of the Junior Varsity Quiz Silver League.

You've got bragging rights.

Be sure to tell all your friends and family.

Before we go, we do want to say a couple of things about how grateful we are to everyone who makes Junior Varsity Quiz a success.

We're talking about your coaches; we're talking about you guys, the students; as well as your moms and dads and all of your teachers.

A special thanks to everyone who helps keep our program going.

We're talking about the Clark County School District's Student Activities Department, the Kiwanis Club of Las Vegas.

A shout-out to Vegas PBS for having us.

It has been a wonderful 57th season.

By the way, every single match is posted online, so you can share with your family and friends all over the world by going to vegaspbs.org.

And I'm pretty sure we're also on the Vegas PBS YouTube channel.

So please share the excitement with family and friends all over the planet.

And thank you for tuning in.

We'll see you next year for the 58th season of Junior Varsity Quiz on Vegas PBS.