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

(Nathan Tannenbaum) Coming up, it's Mojave... [cheers and applause] ...taking on Del Sol.

[cheers and applause] -This is Varsity Quiz!

[crashing sound] ♪♪♪ -Hi and welcome to the 56th season of Varsity Quiz, where the best and the brightest high school students match wits in this unique competition.

Now, I'm not sure you know, but there are two separate Varsity Quiz leagues in each season's competition.

Tonight, the road to the Blue League Championship begins when Mojave faces Del Sol.

Now, we started with 13 schools in the Blue League in two divisions, and here we are at the first of two semifinal matches.

Let's meet tonight's players, starting with Mojave.

There's Ethan.

Hi, Ethan, Jacob, Alan, and Fabian.

And the coaches for Mojave, Sarah Moore and Jason Bates.

And for Del Sol, the players are Sylvia.

Hi, Sylvia.

There's Joanna, there's Logan, and Sophia.

And the coach for Del Sol, Paul Kleemann.

Students, are you ready?

Let's play Varsity Quiz!

Name the former mayor of Newark, the first black U.S.

Senator from New Jersey.

[bell chimes, time expires] That's Cory Booker.

No answer, so no points.

We move on.

What "constant times frequency equals a photon's energy," is named for a German scientist and denoted "H"?

And that's Del Sol, Logan: Hertz -That's incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] We were looking for Planck's Constant.

No points.

We move on to the next question.

What painting by Johannes Vermeer shows a woman wearing the title jewelry piece?

That's Del Sol, Sophia: The Pearl Earrings -I don't think we can take that.

[bell chimes, time expires] The answer, Girl with a Pearl Earring.

You were close, but we move on to the next question.

What city is home to the Bass Pro Shops pyramid-- We'll go with Mojave, Alan: Memphis -Yes.

Points on the board, and we keep moving.

What author described a "red wedding" and the death of Ned Stark in a series-- We'll go with Del Sol, Sophia: George R.R.

Martin -Yes.

You're on the board now too.

We move on to the next question.

What devices have ionization and photoelectric varieties and are required by fire code to be installed in every bedroom of a new house?

That's Mojave, Alan: smoke detectors -Yes.

Next question.

Name the program that launched two probes that each contained the "Golden Records" and were the first ever to reach interstellar space.

Mojave, Ethan: Voyager -Yes.

Next question.

Pakal the Great ruled these people's state of Palenque.

Name this pre-Columbian, Mesoamerican civilization whose long-count calendar reset in 2012.

Mojave, Alan: Maya -I think we can take that.

Yes, sir.

Next question is a calculation question, students.

Find the inverse of this function: f(x)=4x.

Repeating, find the inverse of this function: f(x)=4x.

Del Sol, Sylvia: f(x)=4/x -I don't think that's correct.

No, ma'am.

[bell chimes, time expires] It was f-1(x)=x/4.

We move on.

Apple aired an Orwellian one of what in 1984 to introduce the Macintosh?

It aired during a major sporting event.

That's Mojave, Ethan: Super Bowl -We need more.

-Super Bowl XLI.

-No.

You're on the right track, though.

Del Sol, Sophia: Super Bowl commercial -"Commercial" was what we were looking for.

Yes, the points go to Del Sol on that one.

Next question.

What character was depicted by Percy Shelley as "Unbound" and by Aeschylus as "Bound" following his theft of fire for humans?

Del Sol, Logan: Prometheus -Yes.

Next question.

These molecules are cleaved off by adenylyl cyclase, and their high-energy "pyro-" variants are found in molecules like ATP.

Kinases catalyze the transfer of what molecules whose chemical formula is PO4 3-?

Mojave, Jacob: phosphate -Yes.

Next question.

Ronald Reagan National Airport lies on this river, whose north branch originates in West Virginia.

Name this river that empties into Chesapeake Bay-- We'll go with Mojave, Ethan: Hudson -Pardon me?

-Hudson.

-No.

- --that Washington, D.C., lies on.

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

The Potomac.

Next question.

What country's prime minister, Liz Truss, only served for about six-- Del Sol, Sophia: the United Kingdom -Yes.

Next question.

What landmark was the location for then-President George W. Bush's "Bullhorn Speech" standing on the rubble of buildings destroyed in the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York?

Mojave, Jacob: the World Trade Center -Yes.

The transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote many of what argumentative works that might have five paragraphs and a thesis?

Del Sol, Sylvia: essay -Yes.

Next question.

Name this hormone that is released by EpiPens and controls the fight-- We'll go with Mojave, Alan: adrenaline -Yes.

What medieval union founded by Margaret I unified Denmark, Sweden, and Norway-- Mojave, Alan: the Kalmar Union -Yes.

Name the Austrian composer whose "Symphony No.

94" is nicknamed the "Surprise Symphony."

Mojave, Alan: Mozart -No.

Del Sol, Logan: Bach -No.

It was Franz Joseph Haydn.

No points.

Next question.

Which author of "The Souls of Black Folk" opposed the Atlanta Compromise of Booker T. Washington?

[bell chimes, time expires] Historical figure W.E.B.

DuBois.

No points.

Next question.

The hybridization of these entities creates structures like sp3 and sp2.

What entities are the areas around an atom that electrons are most likely to occupy?

Mojave, Jacob: electron shells -No.

[bell chime, time expires] Atomic orbitals.

Next question.

What man's sins are transferred onto a legendary portrait of him in a novel by-- Del Sol, Sophia: Dorian Gray -Yes.

What explorer was trying to find a sea route to India during a fort-- That's Mojave, Ethan: Christopher Columbus -Yes.

What company was ordered to pay $787 million by Fox News to settle a defamation lawsuit about its voting machines?

[bell chimes, time expires] Oh, you think you might know, but it's Dominion Voting Systems.

No points.

Next question is a calculation question.

Find the next term in the following sequence: 0, 3, 8, 15, and 24.

Repeating.

Find the next term in the following sequence: 0, 3, 8, 15, 24.

Mojave, Jacob: 35 -Yes.

You know what?

We have come to the end of Round 1.

Let's give these kids a round of applause, because they're fantastic.

[applause] -But don't go anywhere, because we're going to take a moment to learn a little bit more about our players.

We're going to start with Mojave.

We have 11th grader Ethan.

Hi, Ethan.

-Hi, Nate.

-You doing all right?

-Yeah.

You?

-One thing you wrote that's interesting about you that actually raises more questions than it answers, you just wrote "geography."

Is that just a favorite subject to yours?

-Yeah, it is.

-Okay.

Any particular part of the planet, or just all geography?

-All geography.

-All right.

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

Thanks, Ethan.

Here's 11th grader Jacob.

Hi, Jacob.

-Hi.

-Good to have you here.

You wrote that there is something about you that is cool and amazing.

Do you remember what that was?

-I put "hair."

I put "hair."

-Your hair.

So you have cool, amazing hair.

Ladies and gentlemen, the cool, amazing hair of Jacob.

[applause] Good luck with that, and good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thank you, Jacob.

-Thank you.

-Here is 12th grader, Alan.

Hi, Alan.

-Hello.

-You wrote you collect a couple things.

You remember what you wrote down?

-No.

-Well, one of them was antiques, but then the other one, military surplus.

-Yeah.

I like-- I'm really interested in Eastern European history, so I have a lot of Soviet and Russian military regalia and stuff like that, that I think is interesting.

-Okay.

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

Thanks, Alan.

-Thank you.

-Here's another senior.

It's Fabian.

Hi, Fabian.

-Hello.

-You wrote that one of the interesting things is you have visited a specific spot on our planet.

What have you visited that you like about visiting?

-I've visited four countries in Europe.

I visited the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and the Vatican.

-You're gonna go back?

-I want to one day.

-Yeah.

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

Ladies and gentlemen, that's Mojave High School, the Rattlers.

[applause] Now let's meet our players over here on Del Sol.

We start with Sylvia, a 9th grader.

Hi, Sylvia.

-Hi.

-You wrote that you have two of a specific pet.

What do you have two of?

-Two cats.

-What are their names?

-Their names are Percy and Artemis.

They're brother and sister.

-How are they doing?

-Very well.

-Excellent.

Good luck with the cats, and good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Sylvia.

Here's 12th grader Joanna.

Hi, Joanna.

-Hi.

-Nice to see you here.

You wrote that you were a huge fan of, I think this is a Korean musical group.

-Yeah.

-Who are they?

-They're called BTS.

-Yeah.

Didn't they have to take a break?

-Koreans have a military enlistment for men, so they had to enlist before the age of 30.

-So are you gonna be okay?

They haven't put out any new music in a while.

-I'm okay.

They have a bunch of old songs before then.

-Okay.

Well, good luck with your BTS, and good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Joanna.

Here's Logan, 12th grade.

Hi, Logan.

-Hello.

-You wrote two different musical instruments that you play.

Tell us what those are.

-I play guitar and I play saxophone.

-Is it possible to have a favorite?

-It kind of changes depending on my mood, so sometimes I like sax more, sometimes I like guitar.

-Well, good luck on both of them, and good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thank you.

And here's Sophia.

Hi.

Also a senior.

-Hi.

-You wrote that you've seen a relatively recently released movie a bunch of times.

What movie is that, and how many times have you seen it?

- Wicked, Part 1.

I've seen it nine times so far.

-So far?

-Yeah.

-So there'll be more?

-Of course.

-Okay.

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

Those are the students from Del Sol!

[applause] And our Bonus Round is next.

[crashing sound] And the score going into Round 2: Mojave's 45 points to Del Sol's 30.

We got a good match going here.

Before we move on, we wanted to introduce some new players from Mojave.

We say hi to Cody.

Hi, Cody.

-Hello.

-And there's John.

Hi, John.

-Hello.

-For Del Sol, a couple of new players.

There's Destiny.

Hi, Destiny.

-Hi.

-And Allison.

Hi, Allison.

Good luck you guys.

Now, this round is timed at 6 minutes, and that starts as I read this question: Name this English short-story writer, poet, and novelist who was born in India and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907.

[bell chime, time expires] Rudyard Kipling.

No points.

Next question.

The Loa River flows through this region.

Name this desert in which the city of Antofagasta is located, which was conquered by Chile in the War of the Pacific.

Mojave, Ethan: Atacama -Yes.

Bonus questions now for Mojave only about geography.

First, this endorheic lake was historically the 3rd largest in the world, but Soviet irrigation in the 20th century led to its rapid decline.

Second, Uzbekistan is home to this city, which was historically on the Silk Road.

Today, it is the 3rd largest city in Uzbekistan and houses the mausoleum of Timur.

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-First one, Lake Baikal; second one, no answer.

-Both are incorrect.

We were looking for the Aral Sea, which is that endorheic lake; and the third largest city, Samarkand.

So you get the points for the original question.

No points on bonus questions.

We move on to this question for both teams.

This city was the destination of the Selma marches.

Name this city where Rosa Parks' arrest sparked a bus boycott.

And that's Del Sol, Logan: Montgomery -Yes.

Bonus questions now for Del Sol only about US history.

First, the Civil War began with Brigadier General P.G.T.

Beauregard's attack on this fort located in the Charleston Harbor.

Second, this naval engagement featured ironclad warfare in the bay of its namesake Alabama city.

A decisive Union victory, the outcome helped establish a blockade around the Confederates near the Gulf of Mexico.

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-For the first answer, Fort Knox; and second question, no answer.

-Both are incorrect.

It was Fort Sumter, and it was the Battle of Mobile Bay.

No bonus points.

You get original points for the question.

And now this question for both teams.

This one-time professional bodybuilder was also a businessman, politician, and actor known-- And we'll go with Mojave, Ethan: Arnold Schwarzenegger -Yes.

Bonus questions now for Mojave only about bodybuilders.

First, the main goal of bodybuilders is to pack on as much of this tissue as possible.

It's found in the biceps and the pecs.

Second, some bodybuilders also use this supplement, which stores phosphates from ATP, to build mass.

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-First answer, muscle; second answer, protein.

-A muscle is correct.

The second answer was creatine.

So you get some bonus points, but not all.

Now this question for both teams.

Felix Mendelssohn helped repopularize this composer's "St. Matthew Passion."

A set of six concertos make up what German composer's "Brandenburg Concertos"?

Mojave, Alan: Beethoven -No.

Del Sol, Logan: Mozart -No.

This was Johann Sebastian Bach.

No points, and next question is a calculation question.

Solve the following problem rounding your answer to the nearest hundreth: It takes Heather seven hours to pour a large concrete driveway.

Alberto can pour the same driveway in eight hours.

How long would it take them if they worked together?

Repeating.

It takes Heather seven hours to pour a large concrete driveway.

Alberto can pour the same driveway in eight hours.

How long would it take them if they worked together?

[bell chimes, time expires] No answer?

We were looking for 3.73 hours.

No points.

We move to the next question.

What type of thermosetting molecule can acquire cross-links, including Nylon and Teflon, and consists of long chains of monomers?

Mojave, Alan: Graphite -No.

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

Polymers.

Next question.

Name the object whose discovery allowed for the first modern translations of Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Del Sol, Sophia: the Rosetta Stone -Yes.

Bonus questions now for Del Sol only about the late 19th century.

First, this period was defined by pro-business governance that saw businesses make record profits at the expense of everyday labor.

It followed the Reconstruction Era and preceded progressivism.

Second, struggles during that period encouraged the formation of this labor union, which was founded and led by Samuel Gompers.

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain.

-For the first answer, Industrial Revolution.

And for the second answer, no answer.

-Okay, that's incorrect.

We were looking for the Gilded Age.

And the union is the American Federation of Labor.

You get your original points, no bonus points.

And this question for both teams: This video game was inspired by Story of Seasons and was developed by Eric Barone.

It's one of the best selling games of all time.

Del Sol, Logan: Assassin's Creed -No.

Mojave, Ethan: Skyrim -Pardon me?

-Skyrim.

-No.

Stardew Valley.

Apparently, it's not all that popular.

But we've run out of time on our second round.

Speed Round coming up.

All right, we're going into Round 3.

Mojave, 60 points; Del Sol has 40.

We have a new player from Mojave.

Let's say hello to Spencer.

Hi, Spencer.

Good to see you here.

Del Sol with a returning player.

Joanna's back.

Welcome back, Joanna.

Let's go!

Name this state where Roanoke was founded by Walter Raleigh.

Mojave, Ethan: Virginia -Incorrect.

Del Sol, Allison: North Carolina -Yes.

What element makes up the majority of Earth's atmosphere, with the symbol "N"?

Del Sol, Logan: Nitrogen -Yes.

Two artists, Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, created SAMO in this medium often made with spray paint.

One of them used a three-pointed crown motif in their works.

Del Sol, Logan: Graffiti -Yes.

What Iberian country sent Vasco da Gama to reach India and colonized Brazil?

Mojave, Alan: Portugal -Yes.

A calculation question.

We do not repeat here in the third round.

So here we go.

Pulling out cards from a standard deck of 52, what's the probability of drawing two spades in a row?

Del Sol, Logan: 1 in 104 -Incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] We were looking for 1/16.

Next question.

What country leading the UN intervention in Haiti is governed from Nairobi?

Mojave, Ethan: Kenya -Yes.

This architect endorsed the "modular system" in the book Towards a New Architecture.

What modern Swiss-French architect went by a two-word French moniker?

[bell chimes, time expires] Le Corbusier.

Next question.

Now the fifth most populous in the United States, what's the capital and biggest city of Arizona?

Del Sol, Sophia: Phoenix -Yes.

Medea helped this hero yoke bulls which could breathe fire.

Name this hero known for pursuing the Golden Fleece.

Del Sol, Sophia: Jason -Yes.

During which 19th century conflict did the United States take over the territory of Puerto Rico and begin its development as an imperialist power?

Mojave, Alan: The Spanish-American War -Yes.

Archimedes found that the mass of displaced fluid is proportional to what force that keeps objects floating?

Mojave, Alan: Buoyancy -Yes.

What novel centers around Janie Crawford, written by Zora Neale Hurston?

[bell chimes, time expires] Their Eyes Were Watching God.

No points.

Next question.

This piece calls for a glass harmonica in its "Aquarium" movement, a piano and cello are included in "The Swan" movement of what piece by Camille Saint-Saëns?

[bell chimes, time expires] One of my favorites, The Carnival of the Animals.

No points.

Next question.

What author used Cesar Borgia to explain why it's better to be feared than loved in The Prince?

That's Del Sol, Joanna: Machiavelli -Yes.

Dr. James Lind realized that British navy sailors needed sources of this vitamin to avoid-- Mojave, Ethan: C -Yes.

This Boeing aircraft, dubbed "The Queen of the Sky"-- That's Del Sol, Sophia: Boeing 747 -Yes.

What leader allowed criticism in the Hundred Flowers Campaign and launched the Great Leap Forward as-- We'll go with Mojave, Alan: Mao Zedong -Yes.

Name the novel about Raskolnikov's murder of a pawnbroker-- Mojave, Alan: Crime and Punishment -Yes.

Next, a calculation question.

90% of 54.4 hours is how many hours?

That's Del Sol, Logan: [no answer] -That's a no answer?

Okay, we were looking for 49 hours.

Next.

This country's Riverdance troupe popularized a style whose performers have stiff upper bodies and tap-like leg movements that characterize-- We'll go with Del Sol, Sophia: Ireland -Yes.

Next.

Upon slaying a lion, this Nazarite discovered a nest of honey bees in its corpse.

What man lost his superhuman strength-- We'll go with Mojave, Alan: Sampson -Yes.

What President and Ohio native was shot by Charles Guiteau less than a year after he won the 18-- We'll go with Del Sol, Sophia: William McKinley -That's incorrect.

--the 1880 Presidential election?

Mojave, Alan: Garfield -Yes.

What city has been the site of numerous SAG-AFTRA strikes targeting Hollywood film studios?

Mojave, Ethan: Los Angeles -Yes.

11-year-old Frank Epperson accidentally invented this food-- Del Sol, Allison: Popsicle -That's right.

What author attacked the agreeability-focused education of the character Sophia from Rousseau's Emile in her work A Vindication of the Rights of Woman?

[bell chimes, time expires] Mary Wollstonecraft.

Next question.

Fred Astaire danced in what style with partner Ginger Rogers, wearing special shoes to make the namesake sound?

Mojave, Ethan: Tap [confers with judges] -Do we need more, or are we okay?

Okay.

Next question.

Yes.

These texts are collected in the Blue Cliff Record and The Gateless Gate.

Name these often paradoxical texts which Zen Buddhists may contemplate during meditation.

Mojave, Ethan: Enlightenment -No.

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

We were looking for koans, and we're out of time.

Let's find out who won.

[crashing sound] The final score, Mojave 115, with Del Sol, 80.

Congratulations to both teams!

[applause] An excellent match.

Del Sol made a good run there, but congratulations to Mojave on the win.

So Mojave is going to be facing the winner of next week's match between Moapa Valley and Spring Valley.

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