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

-Coming up, it's Johnson... [cheers and applause] ...taking on Miller!

[cheers and applause] This is Junior Varsity Quiz!

[crashing sound] ♪♪♪ [cheers and applause] Hi, welcome.

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

Honored to be your host, Nathan Tannenbaum.

So back in February, there were 11 middle and junior high schools that competed in a virtual JVQ league.

Back in March, 23 middle and junior high schools competed in two different leagues, a Blue League and a Silver League.

We had a one-day tournament over at the Veterans Tribute Career Technical Academy.

So the winner of tonight's match will move on to the 2024 JVQ Silver League Championship match here on Vegas PBS.

So let's meet our players starting with Johnson.

There's Savannah.

Hi, Savannah.

There's Pana.

Hi.

There's Grant.

And there's Jake.

Ladies and gentlemen, those are our starters for Johnson Junior High School.

[cheers and applause] So let's meet our starters for Miller.

There's John.

Hi, John.

Yiming.

Hi.

There's Ayan.

And there's Oliver.

Ladies and gentlemen, Bob Miller Middle School!

[cheers and applause] Let's play Junior Varsity Quiz!

Which U.S. state is known as the Sunshine State?

That's Miller, Oliver: Florida -Correct.

Points on the board for Miller, and we move on.

The main function of leukocytes is to fight infection.

What's another name-- And that's Miller, Ayan: white blood cells -Correct.

Next question.

What's the official language of Brazil?

Miller, Yiming: Portugal-- Portuguese -I think we have to take that as an incorrect answer.

Now we go to Pana, Johnson: Portuguese -That is correct.

Points on the board for Johnson, and we move on.

The thermosphere is the atmospheric layer in which a bright phenomenon can be seen in the northern latitudes.

Name-- And that's Miller, Ayan: Aurora Borealis -Correct.

In Norman, Oklahoma, you can find a National Weather Service Center that does research on which highly destructive-- And that's Johnson, Grant: tornadoes -Correct.

Next question.

Romulus and Remus, the twin infants, were left in a basket on the Tiber River, later washed up on the bank.

What animal raised-- And that's Johnson, Grant: a wolf -Yes.

Defibrillators are used when there's a problem with what organ of the body?

Miller, Ayan: the heart -Yes.

What's the capital of California?

Miller, Oliver: Sacramento -Yes.

In the northwest corner of the long border between North Korea and China, there's a slight connection with which other country?

Miller, Ayan: Russia -Yes.

The aorta is what type of blood vessel?

That's Miller, John: artery -Yes.

What term is given to the tiny areas of illumination that make up a computer image?

Johnson, Pana: pixels -Yes.

What's the name of the instrument that uses a keyboard and air to produce music?

Miller, John: a pipe organ -I think we can take that.

Yes.

"Photography" combines two Greek words.

What does each part of that word mean?

Miller, Ayan: Photo means light, and -graphy means write.

-I think we can take that.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Next question.

What's the process by which Earth's rocky formations are broken down by water producing wonders-- And that's Johnson, Grant: erosion -Yes.

Now a calculation question, students.

To the nearest inch, what's the circumference of a circle with a radius of 5.5 inches?

Repeating.

To the nearest inch, what's the circumference of a circle with a radius of 5.5 inches?

We'll go with Miller, Ayan: 34 inches -That's incorrect.

Johnson, Jake: 35 inches -Correct.

Next question.

Where was the surrender signed that ended the American Civil War?

That's Miller, Oliver: Appomattox Court House -Yes.

To some economic news from October of 2023.

Chick-fil-A increased its lead as the most popular chicken sandwich franchise, had 45% of sales.

But there was a change in 2nd place.

Popeyes took 2nd place, putting what chain in 3rd place, falling to 11.3%?

Johnson, Pana: KFC -Yeah.

I love the KFC.

Next question.

It only takes one letter change and a little rearranging of the letters to change the name of the Roman god of armed conflict into the name of the equivalent Greek god.

Name the Greek god of war.

Johnson, Pana: Ares -Yes.

The Roman god, Mars.

Next question.

Which organ filters, detoxifies blood in the body-- That's Miller, Oliver: liver -Correct.

What's the name of the technology that produces three-dimensional objects by printing layers-- Miller, Ayan: a 3D printer -Yes.

Which bird is known for its beautiful tail feathers-- Johnson, Grant: a peacock -Yes, sir.

The file format suffix ".doc" or ".docx," that's generally used for files that are saved in one of what two programs?

Miller, Ayan: Microsoft Word or Google Doc -You got it.

Identify and replace the incorrect word in this sentence: He don't like pizza.

Miller, Oliver: replace "don't" with "doesn't" -Correct.

Now a calculation question, students.

If a tree grows 9 inches each year, in how many years will it become a 6 foot tall tree?

Repeating.

A tree-- We'll go with Johnson, Jake: 8 years -Correct.

Next question.

From Earth, we can easily see with the naked eye the phases of which celestial-- And that's Miller, John: the moon -Correct.

So that is all the questions we have for the first round.

But don't go anywhere.

Let's give these kids a round of applause.

An excellent first round.

[cheers and applause] But now, we would like to take a minute or two to get to know a little bit more about our players.

So we're gonna start over here with Johnson.

We have 8th grader Savannah.

Hi, Savannah.

-Hi.

-How you doing?

-Good.

-It says here you have been to six countries.

Can you name them?

-Let's see.

Puerto Rico, Canada, Dominican Republic-- most of them are in the Caribbean because I travel on cruises.

-But you've traveled?

-Yeah.

-Excellent.

Keep traveling, and Good luck here .

Good to have you, Savannah.

Here's 8th grader Pana.

Hi, Pana.

-Hi.

-Nice to see you.

This says you are in the jazz band.

-I am.

-What do you play?

-The piano.

-How long have you played?

-Around eight years.

-Right on.

Well, good luck with piano.

Good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

And keep that jazz band thing going.

Here's Grant from Johnson.

Hi, Grant.

-Hi.

-8th grader as well.

Tell me about competitive trampoline gymnastics.

-Yeah.

So I've been doing it for about six years.

And it's a sport where we learn different skills on the trampoline and then are given a routine to compete at competitions.

And it's just really fun and gets you out there moving.

-Right on.

Good luck with that.

-Thank you.

-Good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Here's 8th grader Jake.

-Hi.

-Good to see you.

This says here that you've been doing fencing for a while.

-This is my third year.

-And that you competed across the country?

-Yes.

-How'd you do?

-I placed 37th in like, March back-- -The whole country?

-Technically.

-Dude, that's pretty good!

Keep up the fencing.

-Thank you.

-Ladies, gentlemen, those are students from Johnson Junior High School.

[cheers and applause] Okay.

Now let's meet our players from Bob Miller.

We'll start with 8th grader John.

Hi, John.

-Hello.

-You wrote down an unusual food choice that you like.

-Oh.

-You remember what you wrote?

-Oh, this is a tough one.

-Do you remember?

-Give me instant noodles.

-Maybe you do like those, but that's not what you wrote.

You know what you wrote?

You wrote, "I love Uncrustables."

-Oh.

-Is that true?

-Partly.

-You can't go wrong with an Uncrustable.

-True.

Good luck with that.

Good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Here's 6th grader Yiming.

Hi, Yiming.

For people who may not know, would you tell us real briefly what is the Math Counts competition?

-It's a competition where people compete to get places in the state or like in the country or like in the county, and-- -You just solve math problems?

-Yes.

-Okay.

Well good luck-- -And there's both an individual and a team.

-Oh, okay.

Good luck, and good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Nice to have you.

Here is 7th grader Ayan.

-Hello.

-Hey.

So you have a hobby here that you like to play chess.

-Yep.

-How long you've been doing that?

-I think this is my sixth year.

-And you know, you can brag if you want.

Do you think you're pretty good?

-Maybe.

-All right.

We'll keep working on it.

And good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Ayan, good to have you.

Here a 7th grader Oliver.

-Hello.

-And Oliver, you have given me a challenge.

-Okay.

-It says you can name every President by number.

Who was our 17th President?

-Andrew Johnson.

-Boom!

Just like that.

Ladies and gentlemen, those are students from Miller!

Good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

[cheers and applause] And our bonus round coming right up.

[crashing sound] Score as we go into Round 2: Johnson with 50 points to Miller's 75.

Before we get going, we have a couple of new players.

For Johnson there's Sophia.

Hi, Sophia.

-Hi.

-Welcome aboard.

Miller has two new players.

We say hi to Reagan.

Hi, Regan.

And Sandy.

Welcome aboard.

The round is timed at six minutes, which starts as I start this question.

At twice the size of Greater London, the world's biggest of-- That's Miller, Oliver: Tokyo -That is an interrupt.

That's incorrect.

And I'll complete the question for Johnson.

--the biggest of which type of ocean formation went on the move in November of 2023 after being stuck to the ocean floor for more than 30 years?

Johnson, Grant: a current -That's incorrect.

The answer iceberg.

No points.

No bonus questions, and we moved to this question as a tossup for both teams.

According to the Bible, what was the first bird that Noah sent from the Ark after the flood?

Miller, Oliver: dove -Incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] We'll take that as no answer.

The correct answer, raven.

No points.

No bonus questions.

Again, a tossup for both teams.

In which national park is there a village where the US Mail is still delivered by mule?

Johnson, Grant: Yosemite -That's incorrect.

Miller, Sandy: Yellowstone National Park -Incorrect.

Its Grand Canyon.

No points.

No bonus questions.

Here is another tossup for both teams.

And students, this is a calculation question.

There are four trails from a lodge to a lake and then five trails from that lake to a mountain peak.

How many different routes are there from-- That's Miller, Ayan: 20 different routes -Correct.

Bonus questions now for Miller only.

These are calculation questions as well.

First, the ratio of cashews to pecans in the nut mixture in Benjamin's snack bowl of 30 nuts was 2 to 3.

So how many cashews did he have?

Second, two angles of a triangle measure 40 degrees and 70 degrees.

What's the third angle?

Let me repeat both of those.

First, the ratio of cashews to pecans in the nut mixture in Benjamin's snack bowl of 30 nuts was 2 to 3.

How many cashews did he have?

Second, two angles of a triangle measure 40 degrees and 70 degrees.

What's the third angle?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] -So for the first answer, we got 12 cashews.

And for the second answer, we got 70 degrees.

-Both are correct.

You got bonus points.

Now this tossup for both teams.

The parallel line in its symbol represents stability, while its overall shape was inspired by the Greek letter epsilon.

This is the symbol for which multinational-- And that's Miller, Oliver: the equal sign -Pardon me?

-The equal sign.

-That's incorrect.

--for which multinational European currency?

Johnson, Pana: the euro -Yes.

Bonus questions now for Johnson only about money.

First, which early US statesman purposely misspelled the word Pennsylvania on currency to deter counterfeiters?

Second, which digital currency system was created in 2009 by an anonymous computer programmer or group of programmers known as Satoshi Nakamoto?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] -Okay.

So for our first answer, we have Benjamin Franklin.

For our second answer, we have Bitcoin.

-Both are correct.

You got bonus points.

Tossup for both teams.

What fruit, it's also the name of a computer brand, has a tough rind, edible-- That's Johnson, Pana: apple -Correct.

Bonus questions for Johnson only about fruit.

First, name the Greek hero who was tasked with stealing three golden apples from the gardens of the Hesperides; and, second, this small fruit shares its name with a small flightless bird native to New Zealand.

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] -So first, our first answer we have Herecles.

And for our second answer, we have kiwi.

-I think we can take that, or did you want him to-- Is that an incorrect pronunciation?

[conferring with judges] Okay.

So some bonus points, not all.

We were looking for Hercules.

So if kiwi is correct, we give you some bonus points.

Okay.

Here's a tossup for both teams.

Which volcano found in the Pacific is the world's largest?

And that's Miller, Oliver: Mauna Kea -Incorrect.

Johnson, Pana: Mauna Loa -Correct.

Bonus questions now for Johnson only about volcanoes.

First, in which US state did a volcano erupt in 1980?

It was the greatest volcanic explosion ever recorded in North America.

Second, Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system, is located on what planet?

You have 10 seconds.

[student deliberate] -So for our first answer, we have Washington.

For our second, answer we have Mars.

-Both are correct.

Bonus points for Johnson.

We move to this tossup for both teams.

Hither, that's an archaic form of which modern word?

Johnson, Grant: come -Incorrect.

Miller, Reagan: here -Yes.

Bonus questions now for Miller only about grammar.

First, how many pronouns are there in the following sentence: We see shapes in cubist paintings that would surprise us if we saw them in a landscape.

Second, which punctuation mark is commonly used to separate items in a list?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] -So for the first question, we got three pronouns.

And for the second question, we got a comma.

-Comma is correct.

The first answer was four.

So some bonus points, not all.

A tossup for both teams.

Considered one of the greatest boxers of all time, this American heavyweight world champion-- We'll go with Miller, Sandy: Mike Tyson -Incorrect.

That is an interrupt.

I'll complete the question for Johnson.

--champion had 61 fights, winning 56 of them.

Some believe that he quit the sport too late as he battled Parkinson's later in life.

Johnson, Pana: Muhammad Ali -Correct.

Bonus questions now for Johnson only about sports.

First, which ancient civilization hosted a multi-sport event every four years, believed to be the precursor to the modern Olympics?

Second, name the sport that involves rinks and stones and is especially popular in Canada and Scotland.

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] -For our first answer, we have Greeks.

For our second answer, we have curling.

Both are correct.

You got bonus points.

And that's the end of our second round.

But, hey, before we go, you know it is the Junior Varsity Quiz coaches who work with these students week after week, putting in a lot of time, even outside the classroom, to make Junior Varsity Quiz the success that it is.

We want to introduce you to the coaches of our semi-finalists here.

For Johnson, the coach is Scott Severino.

You can applaud if you want.

Absolutely.

[cheers and applause] And co-coaches for Miller, Erick Ekker and Celia Erickson.

[cheers and applause] Also we want to give a shout-out to our judges tonight.

They're from the Basic Academy High School in the Clark County School District Student Activities department.

Also the Kiwanis Club of Las Vegas, CCSD teachers and volunteers, they provided judges and moderators for the JVQ virtual league and our one-day tournament.

Also a special thanks to anybody who helps out in putting Junior Varsity Quiz together and to Vegas PBS.

Hey, how about a quick shout-out to the teachers and parents of these fine young men and women.

Our speed round is coming up.

Okay.

Going into Round 3, the score: Johnson has 110 points to Miller's 85.

If you're scoring at home and going, Wait a minute, the judges reconsidered the answer of Herecles in one of the bonus questions, and we've learned that that is an alternate pronunciation for Hercules.

So those bonus points have been granted.

Johnson 110, Miller 85.

Johnson has a returning player.

Savannah is back.

Hi, Savannah.

-Hi.

-And Miller has two new players.

We say hi to Ronan and Madison.

So in this speed round, there are 30 questions.

Correct answers are worth 5 points.

This round is also timed at six minutes, so we'll get to as many questions as we can.

If we get to all 30 before the six minutes is up, duh, the match would be over.

So let's get this party started.

What term refers to a plan drawn up to show the design features-- We'll go with Johnson, Grant: a blueprint -Correct.

Name the German who composed the "Moonlight Sonata."

Johnson, Pana: Beethoven -Correct.

Known for his tales of mystery and macabre, which American author wrote "The Tell-Tale Heart"?

Johnson, Grant: Edgar Allan Poe -Correct.

What's the major man-made waterway between Africa and the Middle East?

That's Johnson, Grant: the Suez Canal -Correct.

Which Australian marsupial is known for carrying-- And that's Miller, Oliver: kangaroo -Yes.

In September of 2023, a girl found a nearly three carat gem of what type in a state park in Arkansas-- We'll go with Miller, Oliver: diamond -Correct.

Name the memorial in Washington, D.C.'s National Mall that displays the words of a famous speech given at a Pennsylvania-- And we'll go with Johnson, Pana: the Lincoln Memorial -Yes.

What gas produced during photosynthesis-- We'll go with Miller, Ayan: oxygen -Correct.

Now a calculation question.

In the third round, we do not repeat.

So listen closely.

We want you to solve for x.

-3x minus 5 is greater than or equal to 4x plus 9?

[bell chimes, time expires] [buzzer sound] Were we out of time before a response?

Okay.

So no response.

We were looking for x is less than or equal to -2.

Moving on.

What's the name of the toxic, colorless substance found in tobacco leaves that makes it both highly addictive-- And with Miller, that's Ronan: nicotine -Correct.

Name the English writer, a contemporary and friend of J.R.R.

Tolkien, who wrote the "Space Trilogy" and "The Chronicles of Narnia."

Johnson, Grant: C.S.

Lewis -Correct.

Who's the Greek equivalent of the Roman god Mercury?

And that's Johnson, Savannah: Hermes -Correct.

A little louder next time, but we got you.

Which battle fought in upstate New York is considered the turning point of the American Revolution?

That's Johnson, Grant: the Battle of Yorktown -Incorrect.

Miller, Ayan: the Battle of Saratoga -That is correct.

Next question.

What's the third person singular present form of "to be"?

[bell chimes, time expires] Yeah.

Goofy grammar question.

The answer was "is."

Next question.

Who was the third President of the United States?

Miller, Oliver: Thomas Jefferson -If you didn't get that we'd be in trouble.

In a two-set tennis match, how many individual points would be played if one player were to win every single point?

Miller, Oliver: 12 -Incorrect.

[buzzer sound] No two players from the same team.

Johnson, Grant: 15 -Incorrect.

It's 48.

Next question.

What's the world's second largest continent by land area?

That's Miller, Oliver: Africa -Correct.

Musical instruments with holes that are covered by the fingers or pads worked by the fingers belong to which-- That's Johnson, Pana: woodwinds -Correct.

Which South American River, one of the longest in the world-- That's Miller, Oliver: the Amazon -Correct.

Which western state capital is home to the National Hockey League's Avalanche and also-- That's Johnson, Grant: Denver -Yes.

The Forbidden City was once-- That's Miller, Oliver: Beijing -That is incorrect.

And that is an interrupt.

The Forbidden City was once the home for emperors in what country?

Johnson, Grant: China -Yes.

How many sharps or flats are found in the key signature of E-flat major?

That's Johnson, Pana: three flats -Yes.

Which core programming language has as its logo a yellow square with the letters JS-- That's Miller, Ayan: JavaScript -Yes, sir.

Canals connect which New York river to Lake Champlain, the Delaware River, and Lake Erie?

Johnson, Grant: the Brooklyn River -That's incorrect.

Miller, Oliver: the Erie Canal -No.

We were looking for the Hudson River.

No points.

Next question is a calculation question.

Again, we do not repeat.

So listen up.

Find k. 15k-3=57.

Miller, Ayan: k=4 -That is correct.

Next question.

What do aerospace engineers engineer?

Johnson, Pana: aircraft -I don't know if we can take that.

No.

Miller, Ayan: airplanes -No.

We were looking for spacecraft or satellites or missiles.

No points to either team.

Next question.

Between October 1 and October 13 of 1903, what major American sporting event took place for the first time ever?

Johnson, Sophia: Super Bowl -Incorrect.

Miller, Ronan: National Baseball League tournaments -I don't think we can take that.

We were looking for the World Series.

You were on the right track.

What's the capital of Sudan?

Miller, Oliver: Khartoum -Correct.

What color distinguishes a Siberian tiger?

Johnson, Grant: white -Yes.

How do you say goodbye in Italian?

Miller, Oliver: [indistinct] -Incorrect.

Johnson, Sophia: arrivaderci -That's it.

We have to say arrivaderci.

Now let's find out who won.

[crashing sound] And our final score tonight, Johnson Junior High, 175 points, to Miller Middle School's 135.

But let's give a round of applause to both teams.

[cheers and applause] What a match!

And congratulations to Johnson Junior High.

So here's the deal: Johnson will be meeting the winner of next week's match as Hyde Park Middle School takes on Rogich Middle School for the title of Junior Varsity Quiz Silver League champion.

We want you to tune in for more exciting Junior Varsity Quiz on Vegas PBS.

♪♪♪