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

-Coming up, it's Spring Valley... [cheers and applause] ...taking on Mojave!

[cheers and applause] This is Varsity Quiz!

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

This is the 56th season of Varsity Quiz.

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

It's an honor to be your host.

I'm Nathan Tannenbaum.

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 ends, because it's Spring Valley taking on Mojave.

So we started with 13 schools in the Blue League in two divisions, and here we are at the championship match.

A couple of weeks from now, we'll move on to the Quarter Finals of the Silver League.

But let's meet tonight's players and get this party started.

Spring Valley defeated Moapa Valley in a semifinal match to get here today.

Their starters are Michael--hey Michael-- Daniel, Dylan, and Colton.

And the coaches for Spring Valley, Donald Keith and Robert Feller.

Ladies and gentlemen, Spring Valley!

[cheers and applause] So Mojave defeated Del Sol in their semifinal match.

And for Mojave, the starters are Ethan-- hey Ethan--Alan, Fabian, and Jacob.

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

Let's play Varsity Quiz.

In 2024, this fast food restaurant faced outrage after abandoning its promise of "no antibiotics ever."

We'll go with Spring Valley, Colton: Chick-fil-A -That is correct.

Points on the board.

We move on to Question 2.

These particles have a symmetric wave function under exchange by the spin statistics theorem.

"Peter Higgs" names one type of what particles contrasted with fermions, or fermions, that have integer spin?

Spring Valley, Daniel: Higgs boson particles -I believe we can take that.

Yes.

Next question.

Charles I tried to force this kingdom to adopt Anglicanism during the Bishops' Wars.

So this country lies north of England and is governed from Edinburgh.

Mojave, Alan: Scotland -We can take that, yes.

Points on the board for Mojave.

Let's keep going.

This ruler defeated a branch of the Sea People by defeating the Sherden sea pirates.

What Egyptian pharaoh is known as "the Great"?

Spring Valley, Dylan: King Ramses -I believe-- do we need more?

-The second.

-Yes.

Let's move on.

In 2018, Fortnite broke viewership records on this platform-- Spring Valley, Colton: Twitch -Yes.

Very good.

Next, students, is a calculation question.

Answer the following about a 2-by-2 square grid: An ant can only travel by going up or right along the grid lines.

So if an ant starts at the bottom left corner of the grid, how many ways are there for it to travel to the top right?

Let me repeat.

A 2-by-2 square grid.

An ant can only travel by going up or right along the grid lines.

If an ant starts at the bottom left corner of the grid, how many ways are there for it to travel to the top right?

Mojave, Alan: two -Incorrect.

Spring Valley, Daniel: four -Incorrect.

We're looking for six.

No points.

Next question.

One work by this artist features a red, white, and blue background with a cow skull overtop.

What artist and wife of Alfred Stieglitz often painted animal skulls and flowers?

[bell chimes, time expires] You want to look up Georgia O'Keeffe.

Next question.

During this holiday starting on the 25th of Kislev, a shammash is used to light a menorah.

What Jewish Festival of Lights-- Spring Valley, Colton: Hanukkah -Yes.

What Roman emperor was the adopted son of Julius Caesar and first Roman emperor?

Spring Valley, Dylan: Augustus -Is that okay?

[confers with judges] Okeydoke.

Next question.

Yes, that's correct.

In 1865, an African elephant named Jumbo was bought for one of these groups.

James Bailey, P.T.

Barnum represent what kind of groups that often feature clowns?

Mohave, Ethan: circus -Yes.

Don't need to lean in.

Thank you.

Points continue for you guys, and we continue with the next question.

Which religion has the following deities: Krishna-- Spring Valley, Dylan: Hinduism -Yes.

One variant of these puzzles has five of them assembled in a quincunx arrangement.

What Japanese puzzles involve filling numbers in, in one-- Mojave, Alan: Sudoku -Yes.

All right.

This Russian composer began his Piano Concerto No.

2 in C minor with alternating F minor chords and low Fs to imitate the sound of a bell.

He also-- Mojave, Alan: Shostakovich -Incorrect.

--he also wrote Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

[buzzer sound] [bell chimes] Did he get in, in time?

Spring Valley, Daniel: Tchaikovsky -No.

We were looking for Rachmaninoff.

No points.

Next question.

This party got its highest polling numbers in the late 2000s under the leadership of Nick Clegg.

Which party, led by Ed Davey, won the third-most seats in the British Parliament in 2024?

Mojave, Jacob: the Green Party -Incorrect.

Spring Valley, Michael: Reform -Nope.

We were looking for Liberal Democratic Party.

No points.

Next question.

Against the Oklahoma City Thunder, this basketball player surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to hold the all-time-- Spring Valley, Colton: LeBron James -Correct.

Next question.

After a drink was thrown on Ron Artest, a player from this non-Detroit team, the "Malice at the Palace" began.

Spring Valley, Colton: Pacers -Yes.

Upon ascension, emperors paid donativum to what elite force, established by Augustus, to protect the emperor?

Mojave, Alan: the Praetorians -Yes.

Very good.

Next question.

The oxide of this element is crystallized as the mineral corundum.

What post-transition metal is commonly used to produce a namesake foil?

Spring Valley, Michael: aluminum -That's correct.

Next question is a calculation question, students.

Answer the following about the curve y=x^2-2x-3: What is the equation of the curve in complete-the-square form?

Spring Valley, Michael: (x-1)2-2 That's incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] We were looking for y=(x-1)2-4.

No points.

Next question.

These publications were written under the name Publius by John Jay, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton, were named for an 18th century political party-- We'll go with Spring Valley, Michael: the Federalist Papers -Yes.

Next question.

This leader defeated Porus of Punjab at the Battle of Hydaspes and conquered the Achaemenid Empire of Persia.

Name this Macedonian who created-- Mojave, Alan: Alexander the Great -Yes.

Legislation to ban people under 16 years old from social media was announced-- Spring Valley, Michael: Australia -Yes.

Appaloosa and Thoroughbred are both breeds of what animals-- Mojave, Ethan: horses -Yes.

Kelly Ayotte was elected to succeed Chris Sununu as the governor of what New England state?

Spring Valley, Michael: New York -Incorrect.

Mojave, Ethan: Massachusetts -No.

We're looking for New Hampshire.

No points.

Next question.

What organ, whose blood supply comes through the portal vein, produces bile, may be-- Mojave, Alan: the gallbladder -That is incorrect.

--may be affected by cirrhosis due to excess alcohol consumption?

Spring Valley, Daniel: the liver -Yes.

Okay.

We've come to the end of Round 1.

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

We got a good match going on, but don't go anywhere, because we want to learn a little bit more about our players.

We're going to start over here with Spring Valley.

We have 11th grader Michael.

Hi, Michael.

-Hi.

-So before you tell us about this big award that you got, some people may have never heard of Nevada SkillsUSA.

What is that, and what was the award you guys won?

-So SkillsUSA is a work skill-based competition like RCT programs like Video Production or Automotive Tech.

You pick whichever one you're in, you go compete for that at the state level, and then maybe nationally.

So last year, I went and competed at the state level, and we won gold in Video Production.

-Well, congratulations.

Keep up the good work, and good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Michael.

Here's 11th grader Daniel.

Hi, Daniel.

-Hey.

-Nice to see you again.

This says that you placed first in the state for something.

Do you remember what that is?

-No, not really.

Could you tell me?

-Yeah.

You wrote first in the state for high school web design.

-Yeah, and so that also comes from that SkillsUSA competition.

-Okay.

-And so my CT is Computer Science.

And so, in tangent to that, I competed in web design and got first in the state for Web Design and Development.

-Very good.

We'll keep it up.

Good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Daniel.

Here's 11th grader Dylan.

Hey, Dylan.

-Hi, Nate.

-Good to see you.

This says that you went on a field trip.

Where did you go, and what was the field trip for?

-We went to Boston, Massachusetts.

It was for journalism, but also, as a Video Production student, we also-- it was for Video Production, our CTE program.

-Okay.

So learning to do what we're doing here at Vegas PBS?

-Exactly.

Learn about the cameras, the microphone, the anchoring, just everything.

-Good luck with that.

Good luck on Varsity Quiz.

-Thank you.

-Here's 12th grader Colton.

Hey, Colton.

Nice to see you again.

This says you used to participate in a sport.

What was that sport?

And why don't you do it anymore?

-Yeah, so I did fencing for a few years when I was younger, and it was really a great sport for me.

I think it taught me about things like discipline and, you know, just having, like, work ethic.

But I stopped, you know, maybe five years ago or so.

Just got a bit bored of it, but miss it a little bit.

-But you learned something from it, and if you feel like getting back into it, you can get back in.

-Yeah.

-Very good.

Thanks, Colton.

Ladies and gentlemen, our players from Spring Valley.

[applause] All right, let's meet our players from Mojave.

First we have 11th grader Ethan.

Ethan, good to see you again.

-Hey Nate.

-You wrote this one word, and I'm not sure what it means or what you participate in.

It says "athlete."

-Yeah, I played football.

Going back this year.

-Oh, cool.

What position?

-Defensive tackle.

-Okay.

Don't knock me over, man.

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

Here's a 12th grader, Alan.

Alan, good to see you again.

How is it possible for you to be a private first class in the Army Reserves?

-I showed up and I signed paperwork.

And a guy in a very cold room made me do some uncomfortable things, and now I'm in.

[laughter] -But you don't regret it?

-Not yet.

-Okay.

Thank you for doing that, and good luck with it.

Good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Alan.

Here's 12th grader Fabian.

Hey, Fabian.

-Hi, Nate.

-Good to see you again.

Tell us the name of your favorite movie.

-I really like Rango.

-I don't remember that one.

What is that?

-It's about a lizard in the desert.

-Okay.

Oh, yes!

-In the Mojave Desert.

-That's right.

Okay, very good.

Good luck.

Enjoy the movie.

How many times you think you've seen it?

-Probably like five.

-Okay.

Go see it again.

Thanks, man.

Good luck.

Here's 11th grader Jacob.

Hey, Jacob.

-Hi.

-You wrote that you listened to a lot of one particular artist.

Who do you listen to a lot of?

-Oh, it's Tyler, The Creator.

I listened back in 2022, and I really wanted to go to a concert and just like, listen to every song and just feel the vibes.

-Are you still into Tyler, The Creator?

I hope you get to go see him sometime.

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

Ladies and gentlemen, that's Mojave!

[applause] Our bonus round is next.

[crashing sound] Let's get Round 2 going.

The score now: Spring Valley has 65 points.

Mojave has 20.

Before we get going, Spring Valley is keeping all of their players that they had in Round 1.

Mojave has one new player.

We say hey to Spencer.

Hey, Spencer.

-Hello.

-Good to have you here.

This round is timed at 6 minutes, and time starts as I read this question: What musical technique, accompanied by comping, has a vocal form including scatting and describes spontaneously composing a melody?

Mojave, Ethan: singing -Incorrect.

Spring Valley, Daniel: improv -Yes.

Bonus questions now for Spring Valley only about Philip Glass music.

First, Glass' opera called The Perfect American chronicles the life of this man, who has theme parks in his name in Anaheim, California and Orlando, Florida.

Second, Glass wrote and recorded 20 etudes for this instrument that have been recorded by players like Yuja Wang and Lang Lang.

What is this instrument?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] -We have answers.

-Go.

-Number one, Walt, Disney; number two, piano.

-Both are correct.

You got bonus points.

Now this question for both teams.

Name the Portuguese explorer whose crew completed the first circumnavigation-- Mojave, Ethan: Vasco da Gama -Incorrect.

- --circumnavigation of the globe.

Spring Valley, Dylan: Ferdinand Magellan -That is correct.

Bonus questions now for Spring Valley only about Magellan.

In which island nation was Magellan killed in a conflict; second, he fought in the great Battle of Diu, in which the Portuguese defeated a Muslim fleet and thereby gained supremacy over most of what ocean?

[students deliberate] Captain.

-Number one, Hispaniola; number two, the Indian Ocean.

-Indian Ocean is correct.

The island nation was the Philippines.

So you get some points, not all.

And now this question for both teams.

It is a calculation question.

Answer the following about right angled triangles: If sin A equals half, what is cotangent A?

Spring Valley, Dylan: square root of 3 -Yes.

Bonus questions now.

These are calculation questions for Spring Valley only.

Now, these are-- these first and second questions kind of go together.

So here we go.

If log(48) equals x log(2) plus y log(3), what are x and y?

[students deliberate] Captain?

x = 2 Y = 3 -Both are incorrect.

x = 4 and y = 1.

No bonus points.

But this question now for both teams.

Hester Pryne was one of the main characters in which work by Nathaniel Hawthorne?

Spring Valley, Dylan: The Scarlet Letter -That is correct.

Bonus questions now for Spring Valley only about literature.

First, the title people are described as "orange lollies on silver sacks" in this poet's "The Munich Mannequins."

What confessionalist poet published the collection Ariel?

Second, the Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire follows the journey of Blanche DuBois as she seeks refuge in the house of this younger sister of hers.

[students deliberate] Captain.

-Number one, Kafka; number two, Orange.

-Both are incorrect.

The poet was Sylvia Plath, and Blanche DuBois' sister, Stella Kowalski.

Next question for both teams.

This commander led the Roundheads to defeat Charles I in the English Civil War.

He later became Lord-Protector of England.

[bell chimes, time expires] We were looking for Oliver Cromwell.

We move on.

What national park on Mount Desert Island is near the town of Bar Harbor, Maine?

[bell chimes, time expires] Acadia National Park.

Next question.

This word was Merriam-Webster's 2022 word of the year.

What type of emotional manipulation is sometimes followed-- Spring Valley, Dylan: gaslighting -Yes.

So we have bonus questions for Spring Valley only about words.

First, in 2023, what science term was added to the dictionary and means a "value derived from a calculation using air temperature and relative humidity?"

Second, what social media term meaning "to cause a user or their content to be hidden from some or all other users, usually without that user's knowledge," and that was added in 2023?

[students deliberate] Captain.

-Number one, climate; number two, block.

-Both are incorrect.

The first one is heat index, and the second is everyone's favorite, shadow ban.

Next question for both teams.

"Huffman coding" is used to perform this task on JPEG files in this task's "lossless" and "lossy" forms.

Name this computer science task, which is used to reduce data size.

We'll go Spring Valley, Michael: compression -I think we can take that, yes?

[confers with judges] And now bonus questions for Spring Valley only about science.

First, this approach to molecular geometry analyzes lone electron pairs to predict a compound's three-dimensional shape; and, second, the distance to far away galaxies is measured in this phenomenon, the increase in wavelength and decrease in frequency due to a change in distance.

[students deliberate] Captain.

-Number one, VSEPR theory.

No answer for number two.

-VSEPR is correct.

We were looking for redshift for the second one, but you get some bonus points.

And we're done with Round 2.

The speed round is next.

Okay.

The score going into Round 3: Spring Valley, 115 points; Mojave has 15.

There was a five-point deduction.

And let's get this party started.

Rachel Reeves currently holds what position in the UK government that is similar to Secretary of the Treasury in the United States?

Spring Valley, Michael: Finance Minister -Incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] Chancellor the Exchequer.

No points.

Next question.

What early draft of To Kill a Mockingbird was later revised for publication by its author, Harper Lee?

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

Spring Valley, Savannah: To Go Set a Watchman -Okay.

So you added an extra word.

The actual title was, Go Set a Watchman.

So you're close.

No points.

Next question.

SPF rating is used to measure the effectiveness of what products-- We'll go with Spring Valley, Michael: sunscreen -Correct.

Name this man who lent his last name to a Quaker colony that is now a state governed from Harrisburg.

Spring Valley, Dylan: William Pitt -Yes.

Oops!

What did you say?

-William Pitt.

-Yeah, no.

I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

Mojave, Ethan: William Penn -There you go.

Thank you for clarifying, and let's move on.

Jean Valjean is a character created by which author?

[bell chimes, time expires] Victor Hugo.

Name this war fought between the United States government and forces led by the eponymous Sauk chieftain.

Spring Valley, Dylan: Quasi-War -Incorrect.

And the bell-- I think that was after the-- yeah, so that was the buzzer.

We were looking for Black Hawk War.

No points.

Next question.

This element is often used to create the ball tip on fountain pens.

What rare d-block metal has the symbol Ir?

Spring Valley, Daniel: iridium -Correct.

This Republican President from Ohio advocated for "Dollar Diplomacy" after winning-- Mojave, Alan: Ronald Reagan -Incorrect.

--winning the election of 1908.

Spring Valley, Michael: William Taft -Correct.

This author notably used the example of a waiter to illustrate "bad faith."

Which French existentialist author wrote the treatise Being and Nothingness?

Spring Valley, Dylan: Descartes -Incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] Jean-Paul Sartre.

Next question.

Name this French composer of Lakme, an opera which contains his famous "Flower Duet."

[bell chimes, time expires] Leo Delibes.

Next question.

Name this status of foods prepared in accordance with Jewish dietary law.

Mojave, Alan: kosher -Yes.

One of these places named Fuji-Q Highland includes the famous Takabisha.

Six Flags owns several of what roller coaster-filled locations?

Mojave, Ethan: amusement parks -Yes.

Next question.

In what Midwest state did Lucas Kunce lose a Senate election to Josh Hawley?

Mojave, Jacob: Illinois -Incorrect.

Spring Valley, Michael: Wisconsin -No.

We're talking about Missouri.

No points.

Next question.

What actor played Paul Atreides in the recent Dune movies and the chocolatier in the movie-- We'll go with Spring Valley, Michael: Timothee Chalamet -Correct.

The Niger Delta in Biafra is the center of this industry in Nigeria, but lax regulations when extracting this resource have resulted-- Mojave, Alan: oil -I think we can take that.

Yes.

Name this study of a culture by its material remains.

It is a sub-branch of anthropology.

Mojave, Alan: archeology -Yes.

Next question.

Dortmund is a city in what industrial-- Spring Valley, Daniel: Germany -Incorrect.

Let me finish the question.

--what industrial region of Germany that is historically known for large amounts of coal and steel production?

Mojave, Alan: the Rhineland -Incorrect.

We were looking for the Ruhr Valley.

What absurdist French playwright wrote Rhinoceros and The Bald Soprano?

[bell chimes, time expires] Eugene Ionesco.

Next question.

This leader won the Battle of Sekigahara.

What Japanese shogun ruled during the Edo period-- and that's Mojave, Alan: Tokugawa Ieyasu -Yes.

What son of Pepin the Short became the first Holy Roman Emperor in 800 CE and was a "great" king of the Franks?

Spring Valley, Dylan: Charlemagne -Yes.

What last name is shared by former Canadian Prime Ministers Pierre-- Spring Valley, Dylan: Trudeau -Yes.

What organ produces hormones such as T3 and T4 with iodine and is located in the upper neck?

Spring Valley, Michael: thyroid -Yes.

What Civil War battle saw fighting at Pickett's Charge and was the site of an address the President-- Mojave, Alan: Gettysburg -Yes.

This country's Lake Bled is located in Triglav National Park, part of the Julian Alps.

What mountainous country east of Italy has its capital at Ljubljana?

Mojave, Alan: Slovenia -Yes.

What ruler witnessed the violence of the Kalinga war and issued the "rock edicts" as Mauryan Emperor?

[bell chimes, time expires] Ashoka the Great.

We've run out of time.

Let's find out who won.

[crashing sound] Our final score: Spring Valley, 145, to Mojave, 50.

Can we have a round of applause to both teams for a great championship match.

[cheers and applause] But congratulations, Spring Valley, for the win, the Blue League champions of Varsity Quiz 2025!

Hey, we hope you tune in next week.

We're going to have a lighthearted Blue League All-Star Match.

Going to be a lot of fun when you tune in to Varsity Quiz on Vegas PBS.

♪♪♪