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

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

[cheers and applause] This is the Varsity Quiz Blue League Championship.

♪♪ -Hi 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.

Tonight the road to the Blue League Championship ends as Spring Valley faces South CTA.

We started with 18 schools in the Blue League in two divisions, and here we are at the championship match.

We're going to meet our starters.

For Spring Valley, there's Savannah.

Hi, Savannah.

-Hi.

-There's Michael.

-Hey.

-There's Dylan.

-Hello.

-And there's Christina.

-Hi.

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

And for South CTA, there's Raeey.

Hi, Raeey.

-Hi.

-There's Lukas.

-Hello.

-And Oliver.

-Hi.

-And Max.

And the South CTA coaches, Bryce Wada and Robert Davis.

Students, are you ready?

Let's play Varsity Quiz.

Legend has it that the first ones of these went to Washington, D.C.

's Willard Hotel to pester then President Ulysses S. Grant.

What do we call these representatives of special interest groups?

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

Points on the board for Spring Valley.

We move on.

What is the term for the emotional association or cultural meaning of a word?

Spring Valley, Michael: connotation -That is correct.

More points for Spring Valley.

Let's keep going.

Which theory states that one country's fall into communism-- And we'll go with Spring Valley, Dylan: domino theory -That is correct.

Which famous domed mosque in Istanbul was once a Byzantine cathedral?

South CTA, Oliver: the Grand Mosque -Incorrect.

Spring Valley, Dillon: the Hagia Sophia -Yes.

Next question.

What Prussian statesman used "blood and iron" to unite Germany?

South CTA, Oliver: Frederick the Great -Incorrect.

Spring Valley, Michael: Franz Ferdinand II -No.

We were looking for Otto von Bismarck.

Next question.

By putting the oculus in the center of the dome, which ancient Roman building was not only able to work with natural light from outside, but also reduced the pressure of being the largest concrete dome in the world for nearly two millennia?

South, Oliver: Sistine Chapel -Incorrect.

Spring Valley, Michael: the Grand Observatory -No.

It was the Pantheon.

We move on.

Which Mesoamerican civilization is credited with the first true pyramids as early as 1200 BCE, with the most famous being the Pyramid of La Venta?

Spring Valley, Dylan: the Myans -No.

South CTA, Raeey: the Incas -No.

We were looking for Olmec.

No points.

Next question is a calculation question, students.

What is the area of a circle with radius r?

Let me repeat that.

What's the area of a-- And we'll go with Spring Valley, Michael: pi r squared -Yes.

Next question.

President Franklin Roosevelt's weekly radio addresses explaining his policies had a name.

South, Oliver: Fireside Chat -Yes.

Which Abbasid Caliphate era round city was a center of science and architecture as well as their capital city on the Tigris-- Spring Valley, Dylan: Baghdad -Yes.

What's the term for the process where minerals are dissolved and carried away in water, leaving behind a porous structure?

South, Raeey: Erosion -No.

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

No points.

Next question.

Born into slavery in New York, which abolitionist was the first African American-- South, Oliver: Frederick Douglass -That is incorrect.

That's an interrupt.

Let me finish the question.

--the first African-American woman to speak out publicly against slavery?

She did meet with President Lincoln at the White House.

Spring Valley, Christina: Harriet Tubman -No.

It was Sojourner Truth.

Next question.

Which common metal is not magnetic but rusts easily?

South, Oliver: iron -No.

Spring Valley, Michael: zink -No.

It's aluminum.

Next question.

What do we call a genetic trait influenced by multiple genes?

Spring Valley, Christina: codominant trait -No.

South, Oliver: dominant trait -No.

It's polygenic.

Next question.

In the book Where the Crawdads Sing, what kind of environmental biome does Kya grow up in?

South, Oliver: jungle -No.

Spring Valley, Christina: swamp -I think that's close.

Okay.

So we were looking for marsh.

Okay.

No points.

Next question.

Rangoli is a traditional art form that uses colored rice, sand, and stones along with flower petals to create intricate designs on floors during festivals, such as Diwali, in what nation?

South, Oliver: India -Yes.

The Pacific Ocean is shrinking every year and will eventually disappear millions of years from now.

This is due to the movement of what?

South, Oliver: tectonic plates -That's right.

Who won Best New Artist at the 67th annual Grammy Awards in February 2025, securing her place as one of pop's biggest rising stars?

South, Oliver: Sabrina Carpenter -No.

Spring Valley, Christina: Chappell Roan -That's right.

Next question.

To the Maori and some other Polynesian peoples, this name was that of the first man created and of the statues and pendants of their religions.

What name was appropriated by the United States in the 20th and 21st century for Polynesian-themed restaurants that feature those statues?

South, Lukas: Tiki -That's right.

Next question.

Several marine mammals use sound waves for navigation, hunting, and understanding their environment, especially in murky depths.

What is this process called?

South, Lukas: echolocation -That's right.

Which 2007 coming-of-age novel by Sherman Alexie is told through cartoons and journals on a Spokane reservation?

[bell chimes, time expires] You want to get the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

We move on.

What ancient civilization in Mesopotamia built ziggurats, which were temples shaped like stepped pyramids?

South, Oliver: the Aztecs -No.

Spring Valley, Christina: the Incas -No.

It was the Sumerians.

Next question is a calculation question.

To the nearest hundredth, what is 1/8 of 12.5?

Repeating.

To the nearest hundredth, what is 1/8 of 12.5?

[bell chimes, time expired] No answer?

We were looking for 1.56.

Next question.

Which 1911 factory fire in Manhattan led to labor reform and safety regulations after 146 workers died?

[bell chimes, time expires] You'll want to look up the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.

Next question.

The famous United States versus Nixon trial led to the then President's resignation before he could be impeached.

Due to the place where the evidence against him was gathered, the trial is more commonly called the-- South, Oliver: Watergate scandal -That is correct, but we'll take Watergate trial.

Hey, that wraps up our first round, but don't go anywhere.

We'll get you a score, and we want to learn more about our players.

But how about a round of applause for these students?

Great job, you guys.

[cheers and applause] So we start with Spring Valley, and we say hello again to Savannah.

Savannah, good to see you again.

This says that you are a registered scuba diver.

-Yes.

-Where do you go scuba diving?

-Primarily, when I go on vacation, I go on cruises a lot.

So somewhere in the Caribbeans.

But I also go on the lakes and rivers nearby.

-Can you scuba dive at Lake Mead?

-You can.

There's-- It's very murky, so you don't really see a lot of things.

-Well, good luck with scuba diving, and good luck here on a Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Savannah.

Here's 12th grader Michael.

Hi, Michael.

-Hello.

-Good to see you again.

This says that you have been doing a sport or a hobby since you were six years old.

-Yeah.

I've actually ice skated since I was six years old.

It was one of the first things I learned when I came here to America.

I learned with one of my friends, and I've loved doing it ever since.

-Do you just skate for fun, or you play hockey or anything?

-For fun.

I initially wanted to play hockey but then saw it was a little too dangerous.

-All right.

Good luck with that.

Good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Michael.

Twelfth grader Dylan.

Hi, Dylan.

-Hi, Nate.

-It says you have already figured out what you're going to major at in college.

-Yes, sir.

I'm doing this special major called Operations Research and Management Systems.

-I don't even know what that means.

-So I'm going to work with companies and systems.

So I'm going to do a lot of coding and math and all that stuff.

-Wow!

And at Columbia, right?

-Yes, sir.

-Okay.

Congratulations.

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

And here's Christina.

Hi, Christina, 12th grader.

-Hi.

-You say you've already figured out what college you're going to.

-That's correct.

-Where you going?

-Yale.

-Oh, that's a big deal.

-Sort of.

-Do you have to declare a major already?

-No.

I have until the end of my sophomore year.

-Okay.

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

Those are our students from Spring Valley High School.

[cheers and applause] Now our students from South Career and Technical Academy, a brand new school, all 9th graders at the school for this first year.

We say hello to Raeey.

Hi, Raeey.

-Hi.

-Nice to see you.

This says that you've played a musical instrument for a while, but you don't do it anymore?

-Not anymore.

-What did you play?

-I used to play the viola in my middle school orchestra for five years, but I couldn't play anymore because I just started high school and I'm more focusing on my academics.

-Okay.

Well, that's all good.

Good luck with that.

Thanks for being here.

Good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Lukas, also a 9th grader.

You said something, that you have family all over the place.

Remember what you wrote?

-Yeah.

Well, in America, I have family in New York, Hawaii, Florida, and Washington state, so all four corners I have.

-Are these like cousins, sisters, aunts, uncles?

-All sorts of things.

-Okay.

Well, I hope you get to go visit them and visit the country.

Lukas, good luck with that.

Good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Here's Oliver again.

Hi, Oliver.

Good to see you.

-Hello.

-This says you participate in a sport or two?

-Yeah.

I'm trying to go for the tennis team next year over at Foothill because our current school doesn't offer sports, unfortunately.

-Okay.

Have you been playing tennis for a while?

-I've been off and on for a few years now.

My dad's a pretty good tennis player, so I practice with him.

-Good luck with that.

Good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Oliver.

And also Max.

Hi, Max.

-Hi.

-I don't remember if we asked you about this before, but would you tell me what is the Henderson Blue Ribbon Commission and what you have to do with that?

-Yeah.

So the Blue Ribbon Commission is a commission under the City of Henderson.

So our goal is to promote educational excellence around the city of Henderson and the Clark County School District.

-Well, keep doing that, and good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Max.

Those are our students from South CTA.

[cheers and applause] And our bonus round, coming right up.

Got a good match here.

The score going into Round 2: Spring Valley has 35 points to South CTA's 25.

We have two new players for each team.

So for Spring Valley we say hello to Sophia.

Hello.

-Hi.

-And Angel.

Nice to see you guys.

For South CTA, we welcome Lei.

-Hello.

-Welcome.

And Sofia C., because South has two Sophias.

Let's go!

Avocados, olives, and dark chocolate all have it.

What type of fat is considered good for heart health?

Spring Valley, Dylan: unsaturated fat -That is correct.

Bonus questions now for Spring Valley only about nutrition.

First, which vitamin do humans naturally produce when exposed to sunlight?

Second, anemia is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen.

Which mineral is essential for preventing it?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] -We have our answers.

-Go.

-First answer, vitamin D; second answer, iron.

-Both are correct.

You got bonus points.

Now this question for both teams.

Give the term that sounds like it's related to a swimming animal but means something that causes doubt or suspicion.

South CTA, Sofia C.: wary -No.

Spring Valley, Michael: fishy -Yeah.

Clever, huh?

We have bonus questions now for Spring Valley only that contain the word fish.

First, a pilot can use this maneuver to slow the speed of a landing airplane by swinging the rear end from side to side.

Second, a place where your activities are open to public view is sometimes called a what?

[students deliberate] Captain?

-First answer, fishtail; second answer, no answer.

-First answer is correct, and second one is fishbowl.

So you get some bonus points, not all.

You keep the original points from the question.

Now this question for both teams.

Calculation question, students.

The average of three numbers is 12.

Two of those numbers are 10 and 17.

What's the third number?

Let me repeat.

The average of three numbers is 12-- We'll go with Spring Valley, Michael: 9 -Correct.

Bonus calculation questions now for Spring Valley only.

First, a circle's radius is increased by 10%.

By what percent does the area increase?

Second, what is 1/2 + 1/3 + 1/6?

I'll repeat both questions.

First, a circle's radius increased by 10%.

By what percent does the area increase?

Second, what is 1/2 + 1/3 + 1/6?

[students deliberate] -We have our answers.

-Go.

-First answer, 21%; second answer, 1.

-Both are correct.

You got bonus points.

Now this question for both teams.

The Pleistocene epoch of extensive glaciation is more commonly called what two-word phrase?

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

The Ice Age.

Next question for both teams.

A magnetic storm is a global disturbance of Earth's magnetic field caused by disturbances where?

South, Oliver: from the sun -That is correct.

Bonus questions now for South CTA about weather.

First, there are six main components to weather: wind, humidity, precipitation, atmospheric pressure, cloudiness, and what final type?

Second question, which weather phenomenon forms like a tornado but over water?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-Our answers are temperature and hurricane.

-Temperature is correct.

The second answer is water spout.

So you get some bonus points, but not all.

You keep the original points from the question.

Now a question for both teams.

Nearly 1 in 3 U.S.

adults and more than 1 in 4 U.S.

children suffer from seasonal ones.

That's South CTA, Sofia C.: allergies -That is correct.

Bonus biology questions for South only.

First, what are the motor fibers of nerve cells?

Second, what is the first part of the small intestine where most chemical digestion occurs?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-For the first question, we have no answer; and our second one, we have digestive straight.

-Both are incorrect.

First one was axons, and the first part of the small intestine is the duodenum.

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

Now this question for both teams.

Seven different ones were used to portray Hedwig in the Harry Potter films.

South CTA, Sofia: owls -That's right.

Bonus questions about owls for South CTA only.

First, what do owls do to make up for their inability to move their eyes in their sockets?

Second, owls use their binocular vision to hunt their prey.

They are also similar to bats and raccoons who primarily hunt at night, meaning they are what type of animals?

-We have our answers.

-Go ahead.

-Our answers are they spin their head 360 degrees, and our second answer is nocturnal.

-I believe those are both correct.

All right.

You got bonus points.

Let's ask this question for both teams.

According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, how many successful escapes were made from Alcatraz?

South CTA, Sofia C.: zero -That is correct.

Bonus questions now for South CTA about Alcatraz.

First, it includes Berkeley and Oakland.

Which Bay is Alcatraz located in?

Second, Al Capone was finally jailed at Alcatraz in part because of the persistence of which President?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-Our answers are the San Francisco Bay and Calvin Coolidge.

-San Francisco is correct.

The President at the time was Herbert Hoover.

Some bonus points, but not all, and you keep the original points.

We are out of time for the second round, but we want to take a moment to say thank you to some folks who really help Varsity Quiz work.

Mainly, the Kiwanis Club of Las Vegas, because they provide score keepers for the in-school competitions that happened long ago in the school year leading up to where we are today.

And a big shout-out to the staff and the leadership of the Clark County School District's Student Activities staff.

They coordinate every step of the program from early in the school year all the way to the championships.

Speed Round next.

It's a close one.

The score going into Round 3: Spring Valley, 75 points, to South CTA's 65.

Now, for Spring Valley, a returning player, Christina.

Welcome back.

For South CTA, one new player.

Sophia O. Welcome aboard.

Let's go.

Which famous film festival has taken place in its namesake French Riviera city-- Spring Valley, Christina: Cannes -That's right.

The landmark U.S.

case Gideon v. Wainwright guaranteed the right to a lawyer, even if the accused cannot what?

Spring Valley, Michael: afford one -That's correct.

What colorless gas did Lavoisier name from the Greek for "acid former"?

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

So that's South, Oliver: ozone -No.

And the time is up.

The answer, oxygen.

Next question is a calculation question.

Now, we don't repeat here in the third round, so listen closely.

What is the value of the square root of 144 divided by-- [buzzer sound] I guess we have to take an answer.

Spring Valley, Michael: 2 -That's incorrect and an interrupt.

Let me finish the question.

--the value of the square root of 144 divided by 3?

South, Oliver: 4 -Correct.

What political ideology led by Mussolini rose-- South, Oliver: fascismo or fascism -That's correct.

Because their population increased by 17% in a decade, this black and white animal is no longer classified-- That's South, Oliver: giant panda -I think we can take that.

Yes, okay.

What gas is primarily released by livestock and-- South, Oliver: methane -That's right.

Which 2018 novel by Madeline Miller retells Greek myths from the perspective of a powerful sorceress?

[bell chimes, time expires] Circe is the name.

What occasion corresponds with the longest day of the year?

South, Oliver: summer solstice -Yes.

Frequently cited as the counterpart to the CIA, what-- South, Oliver: the FBI -That is incorrect and an interrupt.

Let me finish the question.

--what was the name of the Cold War era Soviet intelligence agency?

Spring Valley, Michael: KGB -Correct.

What term describes different versions of a gene?

Spring Valley, Christina: an allele -That is correct, yes.

As was fitting for the goddess of practical reasoning, which Greek goddess emerged fully grown from Zeus' head?

Spring Valley, Sophia: Athena -Correct.

What's the term for a word that comes from the name of a person or place?

Spring Valley, Christina: toponym -No.

South, Oliver: namesake -No.

It's eponym.

No points.

We move on.

The Rosetta Stone helps scholars finally understand what ancient writing systems?

Spring Valley, Sophia: hieroglyphs -Yes.

What movement in 19th-century art focused on painting real life subjects as they appeared, without idealization?

Spring Valley, Sophia: Realism -Yes.

Which psychologist developed the concept of the "id," "ego," and "superego"?

Spring Valley, Dylan: Sigmund Freud -Yes.

Which artistic movement uses everyday objects and mass media, as seen in the work of Andy Warhol?

South, Oliver: pop culture -Yes.

Which classic play by Arthur Miller explores witch trials as an-- Spring Valley, Christina: The Crucible -Yes.

The helots were the people who performed most of the manual labor in which ancient city-state?

South CTA, Oliver: Athens -No.

Spring Valley, Michael: Sparta -That's right.

In a failed attempt to overthrow communist ruler Fidel Castro, U.S.-funded-- South, Oliver: the Bay of Pigs -Yes.

Which insect group helps estimate time of death from decomposition?

South CTA, Sofia C.: flies -That's right.

What tough protein makes up hair and nails?

South CTA, Sofia C.: keratin -Yes.

Referred to as the "King of the Jungle," in what biome do lions-- South CTA, Oliver: the jungle -That's incorrect, and that is an interrupt.

--in what biome do lions actually live?

Spring Valley, Sophia: savannas -I don't-- Can we take that?

Okay.

We were going to look for grasslands, but if they'll take savanna, okay.

Next is a calculation question, students.

Remember, we don't repeat in the third round.

What is the geometric mean between 4 and 9?

Spring Valley, Michael: 6 -That's right.

In George Orwell's 1984, what is the totali-- South CTA, Oliver: Big Brother -No.

That is incorrect and an interrupt.

--what is the totalitarian government called?

Spring Valley, Christina: The Party -That's right.

In Islamic art, intricate patterns and what form of delicate writing is more common than human figures so as to avoid idolatry?

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

What Chinese philosophy emphasized respect for elders and social harmony?

That's Spring Valley, Dylan: Confucianism -Yes.

Which 1980s baseball-themed movie was adapted from the book Shoeless Joe?

Spring Valley, Christina: Stand by Me -Nope.

South CTA, Oliver: Field of Angels -No.

It's Field of Dreams.

Next question.

The Las Vegas Raiders recently parted ways with which NFL coach?

South CTA, Oliver: Pete Carroll -That's right.

We're out of questions.

Let's find out who won.

What a great match and a final score.

Spring Valley 145 to South CTA's 100.

Can we have a round of applause for both teams?

This was really a good match.

[cheers and applause] But congratulations to the Varsity Quiz Blue League champions, Spring Valley.

Mr.

Captain Dylan, you get the trophy and share it with the rest of your teammates.

And we hope to see the rest of you next week, because we're going to have a lighthearted all-star match, including the best players from all teams in the Blue League.

That's next week right here on Varsity Quiz on Vegas PBS.