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

-Coming up, it's Clark... [cheers and applause] ...taking on Northwest CTA.

[cheers and applause] This is Varsity Quiz!

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

The best and the brightest high school students are matching wits in this unique academic competition.

It's an honor to be your host.

I'm Nathan Tannenbaum.

We sure hope you know there are now two Varsity Quiz leagues in each season's competition.

After crowning a Blue League champion a couple of weeks ago, tonight the road to the Silver League title begins with Clark taking on Northwest CTA.

So we started with 17 schools in the Silver League in three divisions.

Clark finished undefeated in their division with a record of 6-0.

Their starters are Svaya.

Hi, Svaya.

There's Michu.

-Hey.

-Theo and Aaron.

And the coaches for Clark, Amber Thacker and Lonnie Robbins.

That's Clark High School.

[applause] Now, Northwest CTA.

They finished second in their division, had a record of 4-2.

Let's meet their starters.

There's Grant.

Hey, Grant.

-Hi.

-Jacob.

-Hi.

-Leo.

-Hey.

-And Nino John.

-Hello.

-And the coach for Northwest CTA, Haley Hester.

All right.

We have 25 questions in this first round.

Each correct answer worth five points.

By the way, a five-point deduction if a team incorrectly answers a question before it's been fully read.

Students, you ready?

Let's play Varsity Quiz!

Which historical figure skipped two grades in school and went to college when he was 15?

He's known for his civil rights activism-- And that's Northwest CTA, Grant: Frederick Douglass -That's incorrect.

That's an interrupt.

I'll finish the question.

He's known for his civil rights activism and his "I Have a Dream" speech.

Clark, Aaron: Martin Luther King, Jr.

-That is correct.

Points on the board for Clark.

We move on.

What's the term for the body's ability to maintain a stable internal-- And that's Clark, Michu: homeostasis -Correct.

Next question.

Which mountain range between Europe and Asia includes Mount Elbrus, the highest peak-- And that's Clark, Aaron: the Urals -That's incorrect.

--the highest peak in Europe, Mount Elbrus?

Northwest, Leo: the Alps -No.

We were looking for the Caucasus.

No points.

Next question.

What's the common name for the compound used for disinfecting and bleaching, the chemical formula H2O2?

Clark, Theo: hydrogen peroxide -Correct.

Next question.

Which Dickens novel opens with the line, "It was the best of times--" Clark, Theo: A Tale of Two Cities -Yes.

Which British scientist developed the atomic theory in the 1800s?

Clark, Theo: Dalton -Yes.

Crossing over during meiosis creates genetic variation by mixing chromosomes.

During what part of meiosis does this occur?

Clark, Michu: Metaphase -Incorrect.

Northwest, Grant: Prophase -Incorrect.

Let's keep going.

What 20th-century American composer blended jazz, classical, and Broadway styles in works like Rhapsody in Blue?

Northwest, Jacob: Gershwin -Yes.

Almost took too long there, but you got it.

On we go.

What's the primary function of the amphibian's tympanum, a function similar to the purpose of the human membrane of a similar name?

Clark, Michu: hearing -Yes.

What phrase created absolute pandemonium at showings of A Minecraft Movie, turning-- That's Northwest, Grant: Chicken Jockey -Yes.

You got your pandemonium.

Here we go.

Muktuk is a traditional Inuit food that can be eaten in a variety of ways.

It is highly regulated, as it's made from the skin and blubber of which endangered marine animals?

Clark, Theo: seals -No.

Northwest, Leo: whales -Yes.

What disease devastated Indigenous populations after European contact-- Northwest, Grant: Smallpox -Yes.

The saddle, or sellar, joint allows the human thumb to touch all the fingers, thus making us able to grasp things.

What adjective is used to describe-- Clark, Michu: opposable -Yes.

The warm air of what downward winds along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains are called "snow-eating" because they cause rapid sublimation?

[bell chimes, time expires] No Junior Weather Buddies here?

These are the Chinook winds.

Next question.

What Balkan nation broke into multiple countries after the 1990s-- Clark, Michu: Yugoslavia -Yes.

When Alfred Nobel invented dynamite in 1866, it was a great improvement over what liquid explosive invented 19 years earlier that was far more powerful-- Clark, Svaya: Molotov -No.

That is an interrupt.

Let me finish the question.

--was more powerful than the traditional black powder being used, but which is volatile, unstable, and difficult to transport without blowing up?

[bell chimes, time expires] Nitroglycerin.

Next question is a calculation question, students.

What is the molar mass of water, H2O, in grams per mole?

Clark, Theo: 18 grams per mole -Yes.

What language technique means something completely different in the familiar "situational" form in which words or an event are the-- That's Northwest, Grant: irony -Yes.

Which leader of the wal-lam-wat-kain band of the Nez Perce delivered the famous "I Will Fight--" Clark, Theo: Chief Joseph -Yes.

In 2010 the U.S.

Postal Service mistakenly used the picture of a replica of the Statue of Liberty on a postage stamp.

A court ordered that agency, the post office, to pay the replica artist $3.5 million for using his work.

What city is that replica located in?

Northwest, Leo: Las Vegas -That's right.

What 1948 program, named after the Secretary of State at the time, helped rebuild Europe after World War II?

Northwest, Nino John: Marshall Plan -Correct.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery had for some time the same profession as his narrator in his famous 1943 novel, The Little Prince.

What was that profession?

Clark, Theo: pilot -We can take that.

Yes.

What 1980s economic policy that emphasized tax cuts and deregulation was named for the President?

Northwest, Nino John: Reaganomics -Correct.

Which organelle is responsible for packaging and-- Northwest, Leo: Golgi apparatus -Yes.

In a dramatic military raid on January 3 of this year, U.S.

Forces captured Nicolas Maduro, the president of which Latin-- And that's Clark, Aaron: Venezuela -Correct.

Hey, that's it for our first round, but don't go anywhere.

Congratulations to both teams.

We got a great match going here.

[applause] We're going to take a couple of minutes to get to know our players a little bit.

We'll start with Clark.

We have 11th grader Svaya.

Hi, Svaya.

-Hi.

-Nice to have you here.

You say you were obsessed with something that I have absolutely no idea what it is.

Do you remember what you wrote?

-Capcom video games?

-Yeah.

What is that?

What do they do?

-So they made-- They made, like, game series like Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, and Ace Attorney.

And those are some of my favorite video game series.

-Okay.

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

Thanks, Svaya.

Here's 11th grader Michu.

Hey, Michu.

-Hey there, Nate.

-Nice to see you.

You say you have a big dream in your life.

Do you remember what you wrote?

-Yeah.

My biggest dream is to be able to drive a Formula car.

-Maybe not in a race?

-I'd like to be able to try in a race, but I know I'm definitely not good enough for that.

But just to be able to drive it on track would be cool.

-Good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

-Thank you.

-12th grader Theo.

Hi, Theo.

-Hi.

-This says here that you are already in the working world.

Where do you work?

-Oh, I actually work at Canes.

-Well, I'll bet you you're friends with everybody all of a sudden.

-Yeah.

-Give me some of that Texas Toast, man.

-Yeah.

I have a half-off discount.

I'll slide you some sometime.

-We'll talk later.

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

Thank you.

And now 11th grader Aaron.

Hi, Aaron.

-Hi.

-Nice to see you here.

This says that you recently spoke up in Carson City.

Where were you talking, and what were you talking about?

-I actually spoke here on call.

I was speaking to the State Senate in support of Senate Bill 290, which would help with bus security.

-Wow!

Okay.

Well, keep that up, and good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Aaron.

Ladies and gentlemen, that's Clark High School!

[applause] Okay.

Let's meet our players here from Northwest CTA.

We start with 10th grader Grant.

Hi, Grant.

-Hi, Nate.

-Nice to see you.

This says that one of your hobbies is swimming.

-Oh, yes.

I like to swim a lot.

Sometimes I go to my community pool.

Other times, like when we go visit family in South Dakota, I swim in the lake.

I like to swim whenever I can.

-Are you a member of a swimming team anywhere?

-No, I'm not.

Just recreation.

-Okay.

Well, good luck with that.

Good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Good to see, Grant.

Thank you.

Here's 12th grader Jacob.

Hi, Jacob.

-Hi.

-It says one of your favorite hobbies is watching movies.

Do you have a favorite genre or, like, a type of movie that you like to watch?

-Yeah.

I like psychological thrillers the most because it makes you think, and I enjoy that.

-Okay.

Well, keep enjoying those movies, Jacob, and good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Here's 11th grader Leo.

Hi, Leo.

-Hi, Nate.

-Good to see you.

You say that there is some sort of computer software that allows you to build roller coasters?

-Yeah.

Planet Coaster is what it's called.

-And so you start from scratch?

Yeah, it's kind of like, I don't know if you're familiar with Roller Coaster Tycoon.

It's kind of in that... -Well, sure, everybody has that.

-Yeah.

-No, I have no idea what that is.

-It's like a 20-year-old game.

It's fun.

It helps me.

-Well, I'll catch up one of these days, Leo.

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

Here's 12th grader Nino John.

Hi, Nino John.

-Hello.

-Says you play a musical instrument?

-Yes.

I play the violin.

I started playing the violin when I was in middle school.

I was in my orchestra.

But then when I got to my high school, they didn't offer any orchestra, but I still play the violin for fun.

-Awesome!

Well, keep it up, and good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Ladies and gentlemen, Northwest CTA!

[applause] And our bonus round is next.

The score going into Round 2, we got a close match here, Clark is leading with 50 points, but Northwest Tech is not too far behind at 40.

Clark has two new players.

We want to welcome Mihika.

Hi, Mahika.

-Hi.

-And, Dhruv.

Welcome aboard.

Rest of the players are the same.

Northwest CTA has the same team members.

Okay.

In this bonus round, each of ten possible questions is worth five points.

A team with the correct answer will get two bonus questions, also each worth five points.

Now, on those bonus questions, we allow the teams to kind of talk amongst themselves before we require a response from the team's captain.

Now, this round is also timed at six minutes, and that begins as I read this question.

The 2,000 gallons of blood that this organ pumps every day travels about 12-- We'll go with Clark, Dhruv: heart -Correct.

Now we have bonus questions about-- with answers that contain "heart" for Clark only.

First, published in 1899, which Joseph Conrad novella examines the horrors of Western colonialism and reflects his experiences in the Belgian Congo?

Second, usually attributed to the Midwestern United States, this area is described as America's what?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-For the first answer, Heart of Darkness.

For the second answer, heartland.

-Both are correct.

You got bonus points.

Now this question for both teams.

The green sea turtle has been reclassified from "endangered" to "least concern."

Now, this is thanks to what efforts to protect the species that means "to preserve or restore--" We'll go with Clark, Mihika: conservation -Yes.

Bonus questions now for Clark only about turtles.

First, just like your bones, this part of the turtle is actually part of its skeleton.

It's made up of over 50 bones, which include the turtle's rib cage and spine.

Second, unlike mammals, turtles are what type of "blooded"?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] -For the first answer, shell.

For the second answer, cold-blooded.

-Both are correct.

You got bonus points.

Now this question for both teams.

Although the McMurdo Dry Valleys are considered the driest place on Earth, most of the world's fresh water is located on what continent?

Clark, Aaron: Antarctica -Correct.

Bonus questions now for Clark only about geography.

First, what continent's food production is only about half what its population needs?

Second, covering nearly 12 million square miles, this continent is the only one that is in all four hemispheres.

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-For the first answer, Asia.

For the second answer, Africa.

-Both are correct, and you've got more bonus points.

Now this question for both teams.

This occurs when water vapor in the air cools and changes into liquid water.

Northwest, Nino John: condensation -Correct.

Now bonus questions for Northwest CTA only about science.

First, the pH scale helps us understand the acidity or alkalinity of a substance.

It has values ranging from zero to what?

And second, except for the cheetah, all cats can retract these.

10 seconds.

[students deliberate] -We have our answers.

-Go.

-Fourteen and claws.

-Both are correct.

You've got bonus points.

Now this question for both teams.

It's a calculation question, students.

The sum of angles in a polygon is 1,080 degrees.

How many sides does it have?

That's Clark, Dhruv: eight -Correct.

Bonus calculation questions now for Clark only.

First, a car travels 120 kilometers in three hours.

What is its average speed in kilometers per hour?

Second, if log base 10 of x equals 3, what is x?

I'll repeat both.

You got a car traveling 120 kilometers in three hours.

What's its average speed in kilometers per hour?

Second, if the log base 10 of x equals 3, what is x?

-For the first answer, 40 kilometers per hour.

For the second answer, 1,000.

-Both are correct.

More bonus points.

And this question now for both teams.

Les Miserables premiered at the Barbican Theater in London 41 years ago, 1985.

In the musical, the protagonist, Jean Valjean, has been imprisoned for what crime?

Clark, Theo: stealing a loaf of bread -That's right.

Bonus questions now for Clark only about Les Miserables.

First, who wrote the book that the musical is based on?

Second, what country is Les Miserables set in?

You have 10 seconds.

-For the first answer, Hugo.

For the second answer, France.

-Both are correct.

More bonus points.

This question for both teams now.

Name the two people who were the first to fly an airplane-- That's Clark, Dhruv: Wilbur and Orville Wright -Correct.

Bonus questions for Clark only now about air travel.

First, when a plane moves faster than the speed of sound, what is heard?

Second, Aer Lingus is the national airline of what country?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] -For the first answer, a sonic boom.

For the second answer, Ireland.

-Both are correct.

More bonus points.

Here's a question for both teams.

Which Spanish painter and sculptor lived from 1881 to 1973-- That's Northwest, Leo: Pablo Picasso -Correct.

Bonus questions now for Northwest only about artists.

First, which Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet lived from 1475 to 1564?

Second, which Italian painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, scientist lived from 1452 to 1519?

Ten seconds.

[students deliberate] -Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.

-Both are correct.

More bonus points for you guys.

And this question-- We're out of time.

Well, that is the end of the bonus round.

But don't go anywhere, because we hope you stick around as we say thank you to the Kiwanis Club of Las Vegas.

So they provide judges for the in-school competitions that happen months before we ever get to Vegas PBS, leading up to today's match.

And a big shout-out to the staff, the leadership of the Clark County School District's Student Activities department, because they coordinate every step of the program, again, from early in the school year all the way to our championships.

Stick around.

Speed round coming up.

All right.

Going into Round 3, the score: Clark, 140 points.

Northwest CTA, 70.

Anything can happen in this third round.

We have a returning player for Clark.

Welcome back, Michu.

-Thank you.

-Everybody else is the same.

Northwest CTA with the same players.

So in this speed round, we have 30 possible questions.

Correct answer still worth five points.

Also a timed round at six minutes.

So we get to as many questions as we can.

Obviously, if we read all 30 questions before the six minutes is up, the round will be over after that 30th question.

Let's go!

Which Russian czarina expanded the empire and embraced Enlightenment?

Clark, Michu: Catherine the Great -Yes.

What's the name for a written order from a court commanding someone to appear?

Northwest CTA, Grant: a summons -That's incorrect.

Clark, Michu: a subpoena -Correct.

Next question.

Which mosque that features a gold rounded roof in Jerusalem is the oldest remaining example-- Clark, Aaron: Dome of the Rock -Yes.

What social class expanded rapidly during the Industrial Revolution?

Northwest, Leo: the middle class -Yes.

What name was given to the central room of an ancient Roman home?

Clark, Aaron: a forum -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] Looking for atrium.

No points.

Next question.

Yayoi Kusama is a contemporary Japanese artist known for installations and the use of what patterns of circles-- Northwest, Grant: polka dots -That's right.

Which ancient empire in what would become the New World built an extensive road system and used-- That's Clark, Aaron: the Inca -Yes.

A calculation question.

And remember, we don't repeat in the third round, so listen up.

A clock gains five minutes every hour.

How many minutes fast will it be after six hours?

That's Clark, Dhruv: 30 -Correct.

What figure of speech does "lonely as a cloud"-- That's Northwest, Nino John: simile -Yes.

In Japanese art, what technique emphasizes empty space as much as the painted subject itself?

[bell chimes, time expires] It's called negative space.

No points.

Next question.

What classic novel about the Jazz Age and the American Dream celebrated-- And that's Clark, Theo: The Great Gatsby -That's right.

What grinning, fuzzy toy that resembles a demented rabbit-- Okay.

Clark, Theo: Labubu -Yeah, let's just move on.

[laughter] What 20th-century artistic movement led by Andre Breton emphasized dreamlike imagery and the unconscious mind?

Northwest, Jacob: Surrealism -That's right.

What term describes the total set of genes in a population at any given time?

Clark, Aaron: gene pool -Yes.

Calculation question, again.

Again, no repeating.

What's the distance between the points (0,0) and (3,4)?

Clark, Dhruv: 5 -Correct.

What essential nutrient can cause algae blooms in nearby waters when overused in farming?

Clark, Michu: nitrogen -Incorrect.

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

Next question.

The Colosseum in Rome was used for gladiator games, other public events.

It was originally called an amphitheater named after which dynasty of Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian?

That's Clark, Theo: Flavian -Yes.

In philosophy, who's credited with this saying: "I think--" Clark, Dhruv: Descartes -That's right.

Also called an Ethernet card or LAN card, what hardware device is abbreviated as the NIC, connects a computer to a network?

Clark, Michu: a wifi card -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] The Network Interface Card, NIC.

Next question.

Who's credited with discovering oxygen in 1774?

Clark, Dhruv: Lavoisier -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] Jacob Priestley.

Next-- Make that Joseph Priestley.

In the sentence, "Jessica jumped in all the puddles because she loved a spring rain," what kind of conjunction is used?

Northwest, Nino John: because -Incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] We were looking for a subordinating conjunction.

Next question.

What term refers to a sudden realization or insight by a character?

Northwest, Leo: epiphany -Yes.

In a right triangle, what is the side opposite the right angle called?

Clark, Dhruv: hypotenuse -Yes.

Which author used the name of a Greek Titan in her subtitle to show that both-- That's Northwest, Grant: Mary Shelley -Yes.

In Shakespeare's play, As You Like It, what character delivers the line, "All the world's a stage"?

[bell chimes, time expires] "We are merely players."

Jaques.

Next question.

What gas is commonly used in welding and light bulbs due to its inertness?

Northwest, Jacob: mercury -Incorrect.

Clark, Michu: argon -Yes!

Next question.

What 2017 book by Alan Gratz features stories by people who fled from Nazi-- Northwest, Grant: Refugee -Yes.

The fertile region in Argentina, situated between the Parana and the Uruguay rivers, is referred to by what 11-letter name, which is also the designation of an ancient Middle Eastern region?

Northwest, Jacob: the Fertile Crescent -Incorrect.

Clark, Aaron: Mesopotamia -That's right.

What's the name for a cone-shaped deposit of minerals built up by a hydrothermal vent?

Northwest CTA, Nino John: geysers -You are close, but I think we need something else.

[bell chimes, time expires] -We needed geyserite.

And that's all the time we have.

That's all the questions we have.

Let's find out who won.

How about a round of applause for both teams.

[applause] Our final score: Clark wins with 210 points to Northwest CTA's 105.

But thank you to both teams.

Congratulations to both teams on an excellent match.

[applause] And congratulations to Clark for the win.

Now, we invite you to tune in next week for our second quarterfinal when Coronado takes on Canyon Springs.

Sure to be another exciting match of Varsity Quiz right here on Vegas PBS.