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

-Coming up next on Varsity Quiz, it's Spring Valley... [cheers and applause] ...taking on Rancho.

[cheers and applause] This is Varsity Quiz!

♪♪ (Nathan Tannenbaum) Hello and welcome!

This is the 57th season of Varsity Quiz.

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

The road to the Blue League Championship begins when Spring Valley faces Rancho.

So we started with 18 schools in the Blue League, three different divisions.

Here we are.

It's the first of two semifinals.

Let's meet tonight's players.

Spring Valley was at the top of their division, and their starters are Savannah, Michael, Dylan, and Christina.

Coaches for Spring Valley, Donald Keith and Robert Feller.

Ladies and gentlemen, Spring Valley!

[applause] And for Rancho, they were also at the top of their division.

Their starters, Jacob.

Howdy, Jacob.

Jaden, Eduardo, and Ocean.

The coach for Rancho, Eric Bell.

[applause] Students, you ready?

Let's play Varsity Quiz.

Which part of the ear, that is responsible for balance, shares its name with an antechamber, or hall, next to the outer door of a building?

[bell chimes, time expires] We were going for a vestibule.

No points.

We move on to the next question.

What's the term for the scientific study of Earth's climate, typically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of at least 30 years?

And we'll go with Rancho, Ocean: meteorology -Incorrect.

Spring Valley, Christina: topography -No.

We were looking for climatology.

No points.

Next question.

In international law, what term refers to crimes so serious that any nation can prosecute them?

Rancho, Jacob: war crimes -Incorrect.

Spring Valley, Michael: terrorism -No.

We were looking for crimes against humanity.

We keep moving.

Digitalis is a drug obtained from the dried leaves of the common foxglove plant and is used in medicine to strengthen contractions of what muscle?

Rancho, Jaden: the heart -That's correct.

Points on the board.

Let's keep moving.

Painted by Diego Velazquez in 1656, what's the name of the Spanish masterpiece that shows a royal family and their attendants?

[bell chimes, time expires] You'll be looking up Las Meninas.

Next question.

Although some think that this marine eukaryote is a jellyfish colony, it's actually a different colony of species.

So what animal is really a group of zooids who all have a different job like hunting or digestion and cannot live separately?

And that's Rancho, Jaden: a man-of-war -Correct.

Though it sounds like the name of a habitat, what's the name for the firmware that initializes hardware during boot-up before a computer's operating system starts?

Spring Valley, Michael: drivers -Incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] Looking for BIOS.

All right.

Here we go.

What do we call the point where all medians of a triangle meet?

Rancho, Jaden: the epicenter -No.

That's close, but incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] Looking for centroid.

Next question.

What structure in a Roman home collected rainwater for household use, just as it still does in some homes that are not connected to public water supplies?

Rancho, Jaden: a aqueduct -Incorrect.

Spring Valley, Michael: a gutter -No.

It's a cistern.

Next question.

Which cells are primarily responsible for fighting infection in the body?

And that's Rancho, Jaden: white blood cells -I don't think that's the answer we're looking for.

Spring Valley, Savannah: blood cells -No.

We're looking for leukocytes.

Let's keep moving.

What ancient code of laws was famously inscribed on a large stone stele, or slab, around 1754 BCE in Babylon?

Spring Valley, Dylan: the Ten Commandments -Incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] The Code of Hammurabi.

We move on.

The Nigerian literary renaissance of the 1960s was launched with whose book called Things Fall Apart?

And that's Spring Valley, Christina: acenbe -Pardon me?

-Acenbe.

-I don't think we can take that as a correct answer.

Can we, judges?

No.

Okay.

[bell chimes, time expires] Achebe.

You were on the right track.

Next question is a calculation question, students.

If x over 4 equals 6 over 8, what's the value of x?

Let me repeat.

Okay.

We'll go ahead.

Spring Valley, Michael: x equals 3 -Correct.

We move on.

Points on the board for Spring Valley.

Let's keep going.

Influencing the law of at least 80 nations, William Blackstone wrote the "Commentaries on the Laws of..." which country in 1765?

Rancho, Jaden: England -Yes.

Points for Rancho and next question.

Shopping malls, Dungeons & Dragons, hair spray, cassette tapes.

After a three-year break, the retro hit Stranger Things came back to Netflix for its fifth and final season.

In which decade is the series set?

Spring Valley, Michael: the 1980s -That's right.

All right.

You guys are catching up.

Here we go.

Next question.

Along with Anna Karenina, this is regarded as Tolstoy's finest literary achievement.

Which novel is set during the Napoleonic Wars, was rewritten and published again in 1869?

Spring Valley, Christina: War and Peace -That's right.

Next question.

Which international tribunal tried Nazi leaders after World War II?

Spring Valley, Michael: the International Court of Justice -Incorrect.

Rancho, Jayden: the League of Nations -No.

It was called the Nuremberg Trials.

Next question.

What hyphenated term can be used to describe ectothermic animals but may also be used to describe people who harm others without care or concern?

Spring Valley, Savannah: cold-blooded -That's exactly right.

Next question.

What's the actual name of the painting that's more commonly referred to as the Mona Lisa of the North?

[bell chimes, time expires] He called it Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Next question.

Which lobe of the brain is responsible for vision processing?

Spring Valley, Dylan: occipital lobe -Yes.

Next question.

The Iliad is one of the oldest extant works of literature that's still widely read by modern audiences.

What's the original language of the epic poem?

Spring Valley, Christina: Greek -All right.

Points for Spring Valley.

We keep going.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, considered to be one of the greatest German literary figures in history, he's famous for his story of Faust bargaining his soul away.

What name for the devil did Goethe use in this work?

Rancho, Jaden: Lucifer -Incorrect.

And that's Spring Valley, Michael: Dante -No.

It was Mephistopheles.

Next question.

Which scientist often worked with radiation burns on both hands but also discovered two elements explained to the world a lot about radioactive materials in the process?

Spring Valley, Dylan: Marie Curie -Correct.

With the advent of cars for the masses, leading people to commute to work, what 1950s trend saw rapid housing growth outside of big cities instead of inside them?

Spring Valley, Christina: urban sprawl -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] -In too soon, or in after the fact?

[consults with judges] After?

Okay.

We were looking for suburbanization or the suburbs.

Next question.

Olympe de Gourges was a French woman who promoted women's rights in a pamphlet called "Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen" during what 18th century European intellectual movement?

And that's Spring Valley, Christina: the Enlightenment -That is correct.

And we have come to the end of the first round, but don't go anywhere.

Before we move on, we're going to meet each of our players and find out a little bit more about them.

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

We have 10th grader Savannah.

Hi, Savannah.

-Hi.

-Nice to have you here.

It says here that you are on the swim team at Spring Valley; is that correct?

-Yes.

-What event do you do, if there's one specific, or you do a whole bunch of them?

-I mostly do the 50 free and the 100 free.

-How's that going?

-It was pretty good.

-So the season's over?

-Yeah.

Well, the season's about to start.

-Oh, okay.

-It starts in February.

-Okay.

Well, good luck with that.

Thanks, Savannah.

Nice to have you here.

Here's 12th grader Michael.

Hi, Michael.

-Hi.

-Nice to have you here.

Some folks who are watching will understand what this is, but I want you to explain for just a second real briefly about robotics and what is FRC robotics.

-So FRC is a competition available for, like, all high schoolers, where they go to two to three competitions a year and compete to make robots that can play a certain game and score the most points.

And I've been doing that for the last four years.

And the last team I was on, we got to third rank in the state in our first year.

-Awesome!

Well, good luck with that.

Good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Michael.

Here's 12th grader Dylan.

Hi, Dylan.

-Hey, Nate.

-Are you on the bowling team there?

-Yes, sir, I am.

-Have you guys started, or are you finished?

How's that going?

-We are in the process, and we've been playing two to three matches a week for a few weeks now.

And we're closing in at the end of January.

-You feel pretty good?

-Yes, sir, I do.

-All right.

Go get them.

Good luck with bowling.

Good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Dylan.

And here's 12th grader Christina.

Hi, Christina.

-Hi, Nate.

-It says here something about theater arts, plays and musicals.

Do you guys-- Do you have shows over there at Spring Valley?

-Yes.

I'm currently in a production of The Play That Goes Wrong.

I play Sandra or Florence.

I have two characters, technically.

-Okay.

Well, keep up with the theater.

Good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Ladies and gentlemen, our team from Spring Valley.

[applause] All right.

Let's meet our players from Rancho.

We start with 12th grader Jacob.

Hi, Jacob.

-Hello.

-Says you're on the volleyball team?

-Yes, that's correct.

-Has competition started or ended?

-We're about to start a season pretty soon.

-And do you have a position that you play, or does everybody play everything?

-I play setter.

-Excellent.

Well, good luck with that.

Good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Jacob.

Here's 11th grader Jaden.

Hi, Jaden.

I know that all the cool kids know about Dungeons & Dragons and all that, but this is apparently a club over at Rancho?

-Yes, it is.

-What happens in a D&D club?

-Well, we just all play D&D together.

-Okay.

That's about it?

-Well, when, like, there's not a DM there, then everyone just hangs out, listens to music together.

We just hang out.

-Okay.

I'm dumb, Jaden.

What's a DM?

-A dungeon master, sorry.

The person-- -Everybody else knew that.

I didn't.

Good luck with the Dungeons & Dragons, and good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Jaden.

Here's Eduardo, 9th grader.

Hi, Eduardo.

-Hello.

-Nice to have you here.

It says you play a musical instrument.

-Yeah.

-What do you play?

-I play the trombone.

-Is that new?

You've been doing it for a while?

-Since 6th grade.

-Awesome.

Are you in the band over there?

-Yeah.

I'm in advanced band.

-Awesome.

Well, good luck with that.

Good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

And Ocean.

Hi, Ocean.

-Hello.

-A hobby of yours, crochet.

-Mm-hmm.

-How long you've been doing that?

-Since 4th grade.

-And what do you like to make?

Anything in particular, or do you make everything?

-I make stuffed toys mostly.

I've made some clothing items like hats, scarves, and stuff.

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

There's our team from Rancho.

[applause] And our bonus round is coming right up.

The score going into Round 2, Spring Valley's got 40 points to Rancho's 15.

We have one new player on each team.

For Spring Valley we say hello to Angel.

Hi, Angel.

Welcome aboard.

For Rancho, there's a new player.

It's Savannah.

Hi, Savannah.

Now, you got to remember this round is timed at six minutes, and time begins as I read this question: What type of order is used in a story in which the events follow the sequence in which they happened in time?

That's Rancho, Savannah: chronological -That's correct.

And here's bonus questions for Rancho only about literature.

First, it was an artistic, literary, musical, intellectual movement that originated in Europe toward the end of the 18th century.

With what era are authors William Cullen Bryant and Nathaniel Hawthorne associated?

Second question.

He was a Florentine diplomat, author, philosopher, and historian who lived in the Italian Renaissance.

Name the author of the 16th century handbook of wily statecraft called The Prince.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-For the first one we have the Renaissance, and for the second one we have-- We don't have one.

-That's all right.

For the first one, the answer was Romanticism; second one, Machiavelli.

No bonus points, but you have the points from the original question.

And now this question for both teams.

What's the term for a doctor who specializes in treating kidney problems?

Spring Valley, Christina: oncologist -No.

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

We move on to the next bonus question.

Part of the brass family, which musical instrument uses a sliding tube to change-- And that's Rancho, Savannah: the trombone -Correct.

Now bonus questions again for Rancho only about musical instruments.

First, popular in European music from the 16th century through the first half of the 18th, which keyboard instrument plucks its strings rather than striking them with hammers?

Second, Jimi Hendrix started his career in music playing this instrument, sometimes called the "devil's violin" because of its difficult technique.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-For the first one, we have harp.

For the second one, we have cello.

-Both are incorrect.

We were looking for harpsichord, which is the keyboard.

The harp is the big string thing.

And the second one is the viola.

No bonus points, but you get the points from the original question.

Now this question for both teams.

Their common name comes from their bipedal form.

What small desert rodent of the American Southwest can survive without ever drinking water, getting moisture entirely from its food?

[bells chimes, time expires] The kangaroo rat.

Next question.

In American football, what type of scores would combine to have a total of five points?

Rancho, Jacob: a field goal and a safety -That is correct.

Bonus questions now for Rancho only about sports.

First, in golf, what is the avian term for 1 under par?

Second, what's the term for the event in rodeo where a horse rider jumps off the horse and wrestles a steer to the ground?

[students deliberate] Captain?

-For the first one, we have an eagle.

For the second one, we have horse wrestling.

-Both are incorrect.

The 1 under par is a birdie.

2 under par is the eagle.

And for the rodeo, it's bulldogging or steer wrestling.

No bonus points, but you get the points from the original question.

All right.

Question for both teams.

And, students, this is a calculation question.

The ratio of boys to girls in a class is 3 to 5.

If there are 24 students total, how many boys are in the class?

And that's Spring Valley, Angel: 9 -That is correct.

Bonus questions now for Spring Valley only.

These are calculation questions.

First, two angles are supplementary.

One angle measures x degrees, and the other measures 2x degrees.

What is the value of x?

And, second, the price increases from $50 to $60.

By what percent does the price increase?

[students deliberate] -We have our answers ready.

-Go ahead.

-For the first one, x equals 60 degrees.

And for the second one, it's a 20% increase.

-20% is correct.

I believe the answer for the first one was supposed to be 60.

-That's what we said.

-He did say 60.

All right.

You got bonus points for both of them.

All right.

Next question for both teams.

It's composed mostly of iron and nickel and lies below Earth's mantle.

What layer of Earth-- [buzzer sound] And that's Rancho, Jaden: the core -That is an interrupt.

I'll complete.

That's incorrect, and let me finish reading the question.

What layer of Earth is liquid and generates the magnetic field?

Spring Valley, Angel: inner core -No.

We were looking for outer core.

We're out of time.

Speed round coming up.

Going into Round 3, the score: Spring Valley's got 55 points to Rancho's 25.

You know, anything can happen.

We only say that because it's true.

We do have a new player for Spring Valley.

We say hello to Sophia.

Hello.

And Dylan is back.

Hello, Dylan.

For Rancho, we have a new player.

We welcome Nusrat.

Hi.

Welcome aboard.

Here we go.

What happens to gas particle motion when temperature increases?

And that's Rancho, Ocean: gas particle movement increases -Yes.

What's the name-- What was the name of the award-winning fantasy novel that began as a bedtime story for J.R.R.

Tolkien's children?

Spring Valley, Sophia: The Hobbit -Correct.

All right.

We're rolling now.

What two-word Latin legal term means "the body of the crime" and refers to proof that a crime has occurred?

That's Rancho, Jaden: habeas corpus -Incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] Corpus delicti.

Next question.

What do we call plants that live on other plants but are not parasitic?

Rancho, Nusrat: neutralist -No.

[buzzer sounds, bell chimes] I think he got in, in time.

So that's Spring Valley, Michael: decomposers -No.

We were looking for epiphytes.

Next question.

Which art style used geometric shapes and multiple perspectives, including the 3D object in the name of the movement?

Spring Valley, Dylan: Cubism -Correct.

In English common law, what's the legal term for a written document that sets out accusations against a person?

Rancho, Nusrat: fines -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] It's an indictment.

Next question.

In November of 2025, a devastating fire tore through several high-rise apartment buildings, killing at least 128 people in what major city?

Rancho, Nusrat: Los Angeles -Incorrect.

Spring Valley, Sophia: San Francisco -No.

It was Hong Kong.

Next question.

What was the German air force called in World War II?

Rancho, Jacob: Luftwaffe -Correct.

A calculation question.

We don't repeat in the third round, so listen up.

A train travels at a constant speed of 60 miles per hour.

How many miles does it travel in 30 minutes?

That's Rancho, Jaden: 30 miles -Correct.

In Pride and Prejudice, who is Elizabeth Bennett's eventual husband?

[bell chimes, time expires] Oh, you were thinking about it.

Fitzwilliam Darcy.

We got to keep going.

Which component is responsible for generating the video output displayed on a monitor?

Spring Valley, Michael: graphics card -Can we take that?

Okay.

Very good.

It's the largest masonry dome in the world.

What famous dome did Brunelleschi design in Florence?

[bell chimes, time expires] They called it Duomo.

Next question.

Which element fuels stars through nuclear fusion?

Rancho, Jaden: hydrogen -Yes.

During which period of European history did churches start the practice of using stained glass to create windows?

That's Rancho, Nusrat: Renaissance -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] It was Medieval.

Next question.

What term describes the floating microscopic organisms forming the foundation of the ocean food web?

Rancho, Jacob: algae -No.

Spring Valley, Christina: zooplankton -Can we take that?

Very good.

Yes.

Aldous Huxley explored many themes.

In Brave New World, he presented his idea of a dystopia.

In the lesser known book Island, he presented what opposite concept?

Rancho, Nusrat: Utopia -Correct.

In Greek tragedy, what term refers to the audience's release of emotion after the downfall of a hero?

That's Rancho, Ocean: grief -No.

Spring Valley, Christina: catharsis -That's right.

Next question.

What absolute monarch built the Palace of Versailles and was known as the Sun King?

Spring Valley, Dylan: King Louis XIV -Correct.

What do we call the cleanup of pollutants using plants or microbes?

Spring Valley, Christina: reabsorption -No.

[bell chimes, times expires] Bioremediation.

Next question.

What kind of poems are these: "Leda and the Swan," by Yeats; "Ozymandias," by Shelley; and "On His Blindness," by Milton?

That's Spring Valley, Sophia: sonnets -Yes.

Next question.

What theorem states that the angles in a triangle add up to 180 degrees?

That's Spring Valley, Michael: the angle sum theorem -Pardon me?

-Angle sum theorem.

-Can we take that?

-Okay.

Judges say nope.

Rancho, Jacob: supplementary -No.

We needed triangle sum theorem.

No points.

We move on.

Who was the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty in England?

Spring Valley, Sophia: King Henry VII -Correct.

Which type of symmetry do most mammals exhibit?

Rancho, Nusrat: asymmetry -No.

[buzzer sound, bell chimes] I believe that's in time.

Spring Valley, Dylan: bilateral symmetry -Correct.

What do we call two angles across from each other formed by intersecting lines?

Spring Valley, Michael: vertical angles -Correct.

Which phylum of animals is characterized by having a notochord at some stage?

Spring Valley, Dylan: chordate -Can we take that?

Okay.

She says yes.

Next question.

In Greek theater, what group of the cast not only sang and danced, but also commented on the action?

Spring Valley, Christina: the chorus -Yes.

What-- Oh, we're out of time.

Let's find out who won.

Excellent match.

Congratulations to Spring Valley for the win.

The final: 115 to Rancho's 50.

So the Grizzlies will be facing the winner of next Monday's match when Silverado takes on the brand new school South CTA.

We hope you'll tune in for another exciting night of Varsity Quiz next Monday, 7:30, right here on Vegas PBS.