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

(Nathan Tannenbaum) Coming up next, it's Silverado... [cheers and applause] ...taking on South CTA.

[cheers and applause] This is Varsity Quiz!

♪♪ Hello, welcome.

This is the 57th season of Varsity Quiz.

We 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.

The road to the Blue League Championship continues.

We've got Silverado taking on the brand new school in the CCSD, the South CTA.

So there were 18 schools in the Blue League, three separate divisions.

Here we are.

It's the second of the two semifinals.

We wanted to meet tonight's players.

You know, Silverado was top in their Blue League division.

Their starters, hey, there's Natalia.

Hi, Natalia.

-Hi.

-There's Naomi.

-Hello.

-And there's Gareth.

-Hi.

-And the coach for Silverado, Nick Pavlides.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Silverado!

[cheers and applause] All right.

Now to South CTA.

Did a great job in their division.

Starting for South CTA, there's Sofia C. Hi.

-Hello.

-Lukas.

-Hey.

-Oliver.

-What's good, man?

-And Max.

-Hi.

-Coaches for South CTA, Bryce Wada and Robert Davis.

Ladies and gentlemen, South CTA!

[cheers and applause] -Students, are you ready?

Let's play Varsity Quiz.

Which South American nation has the highest percentage of indigenous population with nearly a half million indigenous peoples in the Potosi region and nearly 1 1/2 million people in the La Paz region?

South CTA, Oliver: Bolivia -Correct.

Points on the board.

We move on.

The Lenape people lived on an island and culturally did not believe in land ownership, only in land sharing.

Well, this led to confusion back in 1626 when the Dutch thought they were buying ownership in what New York City Island, instead of-- And we'll go with South, Oliver: Manhattan -Correct.

The ancient Greek aeolipile, invented by Heron, caused a sphere to spin by the force of heated water vapor escaping from bent tubes.

This proved Newton's future law, but it didn't have the torque to be practical as what would have been the first of what type of engine?

Silverado, Naomi: steam -That's right.

You're on the board, Silverado.

Let's keep going.

Ramayana and the Mahabharata are prominently featured in what type of Indian art that is centuries old and contains intense detail that sometimes requires brushes of only one hair to fit on a 10 by 10 centimeter canvas?

[bell chimes, times expires] You probably could have guessed miniature paintings.

No points.

We move on.

Founded over 10,000 years ago, Byblos, Lebanon, is considered the second oldest continuously inhabited city on Earth.

What city located on the East Bank is considered the first?

And that's South, Oliver: Baghdad -No.

Silverado, Naomi: Cairo -No.

We're looking for Jericho.

No points.

We move on.

What is the Pythagorean Theorem formula?

That's South, Oliver: A squared + B squared = C squared -That's the one.

Let's move on.

What form of money was widely used in ancient Lydia and later by Greeks?

That's South, Oliver: coins -Yes.

Which American female Impressionist was known for her paintings of mothers and children, including one of her largest works, The Boating Party?

Silverado, Naomi: Georgia O'Keeffe -No.

South, Lukas: Frida Kahlo -No.

We're looking for Mary Cassatt.

Next question.

Located at the summit of Mount Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro, which colossal statue-- South, Oliver: Christ the Redeemer -That's right.

The F-Series, F as in Frank, Series truck, it's the number one vehicle sold in the United States.

Which company became-- That's South, Oliver: Ford -Yes.

Which Greek period emphasized idealized, balanced human sculpture, as exemplified by the Parthenon?

Silverado, Naomi: Idealism -No.

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

No points.

Next question.

Today this "Capital of the North" is known for two major football clubs, the United and the City.

What city-- And that's South, Oliver: Manchester -Correct.

Which current art form is an experience that uses technology such as projections, VR, AR to incorporate lights, space, sensory experiences to draw you into the experience?

Silverado, Natalia: virtual reality -No.

South, Oliver: augmented -No.

We were looking for immersive.

No points.

Next question.

What items from what country were found in Cuba, caused a naval blockade ordered by-- South, Oliver: atomic missiles -I think we're going to take that as a no and also as an interrupt.

Let me finish reading the question.

From what country, found in Cuba, caused a naval blockade ordered by then President Kennedy on October 22, 1962?

Silverado, Gareth: Russian atomic weapons -Yes.

We needed Russia in there, Soviet or Russian.

Okay.

So more points for Silverado.

Let's keep going.

You're "Tearin' Up My Heart."

What's the name of the music group that was active from 1995 through 2004 with Justin, JC, Chris, Joey, and Lance?

South, Oliver: NSYNC -Everybody knows that.

Yes.

Next question.

The price of gold has gone up more than 50%, hit a record in October of 2025 by going above $4,000 per what unit of weight?

South, Max: ounce -Yes.

What's the term for a word that is specific to a particular region or group of people, such as using "pop" or "soda" depending on where you live?

South, Oliver: slang -No.

Silverado, Naomi: vernacular -No.

We were looking for colloquialism.

Big word.

Next question.

What's the term for the shrinkage of skeletal muscles without regular exercise in space?

Silverado, Naomi: atrophy -That's right.

Next question.

Several indigenous nations, including the Iroquois, used part of the quahog clam in diplomatic agreements and ceremonies and to create a form of record-keeping.

It was only after urging by fur traders and settlers that what type of beads were used for currency?

Silverado, Naomi: clay -No.

South, Sophia: wooden -No.

We were looking for wampum.

Next question.

The author was born in Russia with the name Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum but became an American citizen in 1931.

She published her famous books The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged under which name?

South, Oliver: Rosenberg -Incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] She became Ayn Rand.

Next question.

What 16th century queen ruled England during the defeat of the Spanish Armada?

South, Oliver: Queen Elizabeth I -Correct.

Okay, here's a calculation question, students.

A short course competitive swimming pool is 25 yards long.

Fatima wants to swim a mile.

How many full lengths does she need to swim in order to ensure that she goes over a mile?

And that's South, Sophia: 30 -Incorrect.

And Silverado, Gareth: 72 -Ooh, that is so close, but we can't take that.

We're looking for 71.

Next question.

From the Greek for "eating" and "cell," what type of immune cells engulf pathogens to fight infection?

South, Lukas: white blood cells -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] Phagocytes.

Next question.

Marcel DuChamp was a pioneer in what artistic movement that uses words, instructions, and ideas as the main medium, with ideas as the main piece that gives the name to the movement?

South, Lukas: idealism -No.

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

Next question.

In John Greene's 2019 novel, Looking for Alaska, who's the narrator of the story?

Silverado, Naomi: Sam -No.

South, Oliver: Bryan -No.

It's "Pudge," Miles Pudge Halter.

We've come to the end of the first round, but don't go anywhere, because we're going to learn a little bit more about our players.

How about a round of applause for these young men and women?

Great job, you guys!

[cheers and applause] So we'll start by meeting the players from Silverado.

We have 12th grader Natalia.

Hi, Natalia.

-Hi.

-Nice to have you here.

This says here that you've been in a couple of commercials, or you're about to be.

Tell us about that.

-Yeah.

I was just recently filming a L.L.

Bean commercial and a Hobby Lobby commercial.

The L.L.

Bean commercial was for the holidays, so it's been out.

And then the Hobby Lobby commercial is going to come out soon.

-Well, you're famous.

Can we get your autograph to tie it?

-Yeah, for sure.

Can I get yours, too?

-Good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Nice to have you here.

Here's 12th grader Naomi.

Hi, Naomi.

-Hello.

-This says you play an instrument in the orchestra.

What do you play?

-Cello.

-How long you been doing that?

-For seven years.

-Do you like it?

-Yeah.

-I hope if you didn't, you wouldn't do it.

Do you guys have some concerts coming up, or did you do some already?

-I've played at Carnegie Hall last year.

-Hello!

Congratulations.

Good luck with the cello.

Good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Here's 12th grader Gareth.

Hi, Gareth.

-Hello.

-Nice to have you here.

What happens-- I'm guessing I could guess the basics, but the chess club?

-We just play chess against whoever shows up and sometimes do chess puzzles.

-That's good.

I mean, chess is a great game.

So good luck with the chess.

Good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Ladies and gentlemen, Silverado.

[cheers and applause] All right.

Let's meet our players from South CTA.

By the way, if you haven't heard, it is a brand new school in the school district.

And it's a high school, but they're starting out with all 9th graders this year.

So ninth grader Sofia, how's it going?

-I'm good.

How are you?

-I'm mostly sunny.

This says one of your hobbies is baking.

Anything specific that you like to bake?

-I really like baking rosemary bread.

It's one of my favorites.

-Ooh, that sounds tasty.

Keep it up, and good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Sofia.

Here's 9th grader Lukas.

Hi, Lukas.

-Hello.

-Nice to see you.

You wrote down here the name of your favorite animal.

What is that?

Oh, my favorite animal is the quokka.

It's like a cross between a kangaroo and a mouse.

-Where is it found?

-I actually don't know.

-Okay.

But you don't own one?

-No.

It's illegal.

-Okay.

Well, enjoy your quokka, and good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Here's 9th grader Oliver.

-Hello.

-Oliver, welcome back.

You wrote on your bio here that you have counted the number of times you've been on PBS.

-That is six times.

-There you go.

So you're familiar?

-A little bit.

-What were you doing the first time you were here?

Was it, is it all-- -It was a lot of nerves, that's for sure, because the lights were actually too bright.

Like, that's not even-- They were too bright.

-But you're old hat now.

You got this.

-Oh, yeah.

-Well, thanks for being here again, and good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Here's 9th grader Max.

Hi, Max.

-Hi.

-This says that you are a member of the All-State Band.

-I am.

-What do you play?

-I play percussion.

-Excellent.

Did you guys already do your thing?

Is there something coming up?

-Oh, no.

It's January 28th.

-All right.

Well, by the time this gets on TV, it'll be over.

So let's just say it went great.

Max, good luck with the band and the percussion.

Ladies and gentlemen, South CTA, the brand new school.

[cheers and applause] Hey, the bonus round is coming up.

Going into Round 2, here's the score: Silverado has got 15 points to South CTA's 45.

Silverado is keeping all of their current players.

We got two new players for South CTA.

We say hello to Raeey.

-Hi.

-Was I close?

-Yes.

-All right.

And Lei.

Hi, Lei.

-Hello.

-Nice to have you here.

So this round is timed at six minutes, and that time starts as I read this question.

In China, they symbolize wealth, power, and leadership.

What mythical animals were emperors believed to be descended from in China?

Silverado, Naomi: dragons -That is correct.

Bonus questions now for Silverado only about China.

First, in 1997 Beijing regained sovereignty over this territory; second, what huge Chinese industrial city was nicknamed the Paris of the East?

[students deliberate] Captain?

-For the first question, Hong Kong.

And for the second one, Beijing.

-Hong Kong, is correct.

The second one was Shanghai.

You get some bonus points on top of the points for the original question.

And now we move on to this question for both teams.

Founded in 331 BCE by Alexander the Great, and Cleopatra was born in this Egyptian city 262 years later.

South, Oliver: Cairo -Incorrect.

Silverado, Naomi: Alexandria -That is correct.

Bonus questions now for Silverado only about Cleopatra.

First, whose forces defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra in battle?

Second, Cleopatra was the last of the Ptolemies.

They weren't Egyptian but were what nationality?

[students deliberate] Captain?

-For the first question, Alexander the Great.

And for the second, Greek.

-The first one is Octavian, so no bonus points there.

But we will take Greek for the second one.

Some bonus points on top of the points from the original question.

Question for both teams now.

Written by British musician Elton John and composer Hans Zimmer, what song from The Lion King begins with Zulu lyrics?

Silverado, Naomi: the "Circle of Life" -That is correct.

Bonus questions for Silverado only about songs in movies.

First, what jazz-inspired animated movie features "Almost There" and "Friends on the Other Side"?

Second, this more recent movie includes the songs "The Wizard and I" and "Popular."

[students deliberate] Captain?

-The first one, The Princess and the Frog.

And the second, Wicked.

-You got both of them, so you got bonus points on top of the points from the original question.

And now this question for both teams.

Name this type of machine that, once set in motion, would continue in motion forever with no additional energy-- And that's going to be Silverado, Naomi: perpetual motion -Yes.

Bonus science questions now for Silverado only.

First, what's the process called when a gas turns into a solid without first becoming a liquid?

Second, as the medium becomes warmer, what happens to the speed of sound?

[students deliberate] -Captain?

-First, no answer.

Second, increases.

-That is correct.

So the first one was deposition.

So you get some bonus points on top of the original points.

And now a question for both teams.

Students, it's a calculation question.

If 3 more than twice a number is 11, what is the number?

I'll repeat.

3 more than twice-- And we'll go with South CTA, Oliver: 4 -Correct.

Bonus calculation questions now for South CTA only.

First, what is 2 to the 5th power divided by 2 cubed?

Second, a right triangle has legs of lengths 5 and 12.

What's the length of the hypotenuse?

[students deliberate] -Captain?

-Our answers are 4 and 44.

-4 is correct.

The second one is 13.

So some bonus points, not all.

The original points stay.

Next question for both teams.

They sit just below the rib cage one on each side of the spine.

What twin organs in humans have a legume-- South CTA, Oliver: kidneys -Correct.

Bonus questions about the human body now for South CTA only.

First, when stretched out, this body part is longer than a minivan.

It's where most nutrient absorption happens.

Second, name the specialized connective tissue that's made up of cells in a fluid matrix.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-Our answers are small intestine and spinal fluid.

-Small intestine is correct.

The connective tissue is blood.

Some bonus points, not all.

You have the points from the original question.

And, okay, here's a question for both teams.

Part of the National Hockey League's Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference, what's the name of Buffalo New York's-- And that's going to be South CTA, Oliver: the Sabres -Correct.

We continue with bonus points for South CTA only about the National Hockey League.

First, this Edmonton team is named after someone who greased machines on ships, trains, and steel mills or in mines.

Second, name this championship trophy that's been used as a cereal bowl, a dog food dish, and a baby bath.

You have 10 seconds.

-We have our answers.

-Go ahead.

-Our answers are the Edmonton Oilers and the Stanley Cup.

-And they are both correct.

You got bonus points.

So that wraps up the bonus round, but don't go anywhere.

The speed round coming up.

Going into Round 3, here's your score.

We got a game.

Silverado has got 60 points to South CTA's 80 points.

Silverado, for whatever reason, has the exact same players as they did in the last round.

South CTA, we have one new player and two returning players.

We say hello to Sophia O. Hi.

Welcome aboard.

Welcome back to Lukas and to Sofia C. All right.

Let's do this.

Which dramatic, emotional style of art and music followed the Renaissance in Europe?

Silverado, Naomi: Humanism -No.

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

Next question.

In a courtroom, who decides questions of law in a jury trial?

Silverado, Naomi: the judge -Yes.

Next question.

Which chemical compound created by humans breaks down protective ozone in the upper atmosphere?

South CTA, Oliver: carbon monoxide -No.

Silverado, Gareth: methane -No.

We were looking for CFCs, chlorofluorocarbons.

Next question.

Which Italian artist painted The Birth of Venus?

Silverado, Naomi: Leonardo da Vinci -No.

[buzzer sounds, bell chimes] I believe that was before, so South CTA, Lukas: Michelangelo -No.

We were looking for Sandro Botticelli.

Next question.

What major 1944 law gave World War II veterans access to education and housing?

South CTA, Oliver: American Veterans Act -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] Ask your parents and grandparents about the GI Bill.

Next question.

It's a calculation question.

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

What number is next in this sequence: 3, 64, 7, 60, 11, 56, 15?

And we'll go with South CTA, Sofia C.: 52 -That is correct.

Next question.

What art period followed the fall of Rome and included illuminated manuscripts?

That's South CTA, Oliver: the fall of Rome -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] It was Medieval.

Next question.

What's the name of the instrument used to measure wind speed?

South CTA, Sofia C.: barometer -No.

Silverado, Natalia: wind turbine -No.

It's an anemometer.

Barometer is air pressure.

Next question.

What open-air marketplace served as the center of public life in Greek city-states?

[bell chimes, time expires] -Okay.

And we were looking for agora.

Next question.

What term describes soil that's rich in minerals for growing crops?

Silverado, Naomi: fertile -That's right.

What genre uses the same elements as a short story but is longer and more complex?

South CTA, Oliver: novel -Yes.

What term describes a legal dispute between private individuals rather than legal charges against someone by the state?

South CTA, Sofia C.: lawsuit -Lawsuit?

No.

Silverado, Naomi: class action -No.

It's a civil case.

Next question.

The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement of art, music, literature centered in what decade?

Silverado, Naomi: the 1920s -That's right.

The Nittany Lions are the football team from what university?

South CTA, Oliver: Penn State -You got it.

Which prehistoric site features cave paintings in France?

[bell chimes, time expires] Lascaux.

Which root vegetable is a staple crop in Africa, used to make tapioca?

South CTA, Oliver: beet -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] It's the cassava.

Next question.

In medieval Europe, what trial method involves things like carrying a hot iron to prove innocence?

Silverado, Naomi: witch trials -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] You're close.

Trial by ordeal is what it's called.

Which art movement emphasized emotion and brushwork, as seen in The Scream?

South CTA, Oliver: impressionism -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] It's expressionism.

Next question.

Which early chemist identified elements as fundamental substances?

Silverado, Naomi: Mendeleev -No.

[buzzer sounds, bell chimes] I think that's in time.

South CTA, Oliver: Einstein -No.

It's Antoine Lavoisier.

Which 1893 economic event caused widespread bank and business failures?

South CTA, Oliver: The Panic of 1893 -Yes.

What type of compound releases hydroxide ions in water?

Silverado, Naomi: basic -Yes.

Calculation question.

We don't repeat here in the third round.

Listen up.

A cylinder has radius 3 and height 5.

What is its volume?

That's Silverado, Naomi: 45pi -Yes.

Which featured serpent deity was often represented in temple carvings of the Olmec?

South CTA, Oliver: Hydra.

-No.

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

We're out of time.

Let's find out who won.

Final score, this was a close one.

Silverado, 85 points to South CTA's 100 points.

How about a round of applause for both teams.

Really an incredible game.

[cheers and applause] And congratulations to the brand new school in the CCSD, South CTA.

So they'll be facing Spring Valley for the Varsity Quiz Blue League Championship.

We hope you'll tune in.

It's going to be another exciting night of Varsity Quiz next Monday, 7:30, right here on Vegas PBS.