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

-Coming up next, it's West CTA... [cheers and applause] ...taking on Green Valley!

[cheers and applause] This is Varsity Quiz!

♪♪ Hello and welcome.

This is the 57th season of Varsity Quiz.

We got the best and the brightest high school kids 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.

So we've crowned a Blue League champion a couple of weeks ago.

So we're on the road to the Silver League title, continues with West CTA taking on Green Valley.

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

West CTA was undefeated in their division.

Let's meet their starters.

There's Iris.

Hi, Iris.

-Hi.

-Eda, Lucas, and Pana.

And the coach for West CTA, Gary Crouch.

Ladies and gentlemen, West Career Technical Academy!

[applause] Now for Green Valley.

They had a record of 3-3.

They won a tiebreaker match in their division.

Let's meet their starters.

There's Caleb.

Hey, Caleb.

Jayden, Colton, and Franklin.

And the coach for Green Valley, Scott Otter.

You guys ready?

Let's play Varsity Quiz.

Meryl Streep played her in the movie Julie and Julia.

Which American chef popularized French cooking-- And that's going to be West, Eda: Julia Child -That is correct.

Points on the board for West, and we keep going.

Adult humans develop the capacity to digest which milk sugar around 10,000-- West CTA, Lucas: lactase -I think we can take that, yes.

Next question.

Insects have their circulatory fluid pumped into their body cavity uncontained.

What more efficient type of blood circulatory system do mammals have?

West CTA, Lucas: closed -That is correct.

More points for West CTA.

Let's keep going.

In copyright law, what doctrine allows limited use of copyrighted works without permission?

West, Eda: Creative Commons -That's incorrect.

Green Valley, Caleb: free use -No.

We were looking for fair use.

And you don't have to lean into the microphone.

We can hear you.

Thank you, Caleb.

Let's keep going.

In coordinate geometry, what is the midpoint formula?

Green Valley, Jayden: x + y/2 -Judge, I don't think that's correct.

No?

Okay.

West, Eda: (x1 + x2)/2, (y1 + y2)/2.

-That's the midpoint.

Thank you.

And we continue.

Although a bird's wing is different in function from a human arm, both have a radius, an ulna, and what bone above it?

West, Pana: a humerus -Correct.

Next question.

What's the term for the history of a word's development and changes-- Green Valley, Colton: etymology -Correct.

You're on the board.

Let's keep going.

What artistic style known for light, pastel colors, and playful subjects followed the grandeur of the Baroque era?

West CTA, Pana: Rococo -Yes.

Next question.

Stephanie Kwolek invented this incredibly strong, versatile material while trying to find better tire materials at DuPont in 1965.

What aramid product that's five times stronger than steel is used in a wide variety of products such as tires, police SWAT vests, and drumheads?

West CTA, Pana: kevlar -Yes.

The ancient Egyptians used what is now called a carpenter's square to align structures that resemble the letter A. What tool still used today did they use to ensure that the surface they built on was horizontally flat?

West, Lucas: level -Correct.

The 1950s Emmett Till case and the 1930s Scottsboro trial influenced which book with its own trial set in the 1930s' South?

West, Lucas: To Kill a Mockingbird -That's right.

What's the name for the study of linguistics and logic that looks for meaning in language and how that meaning is perceived?

That's West, Iris: philosophy -No.

Green Valley?

[buzzer sound, bell chimes] I think they got in, in time.

We'll try Green Valley, Jayden: logistical linguistics -No.

We were looking for semantics.

No points.

We move to the next question.

What ancient Greek sculpture depicts the goddess of victory without her head or arms and-- That's West, Iris: naik -No.

And I'll have to use that as an interruption and complete the question.

--is now housed in the Louvre?

[bell chimes, time expires] The Winged Victory of Samothrace.

No points.

We move on.

Which scientist discovered the electron using a cathode ray tube?

West, Lucas: Roentgen -No.

Green Valley, Jayden: Ernest Rutherford -No.

It was J.J.

Thompson.

Next question.

What's the term for the boundary between two different air masses that can cause mild changes such as temperature-- And we'll go with West, Eda: front -Yes.

What type of symmetry is involved when a composition is balanced due to the contrast in the elements of art instead of balanced by mirror imaging?

Green Valley, Colton: material -No.

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

No points.

Next question.

When studying the history of Mesoamerica, everything before the Spanish conquistadors arrived is called by which hyphenated term?

West, Lucas: Pre-Columbian -That's correct.

Which 1988 novel by Paulo Coelho features the journey of Santiago, a shepherd who dreams of treasure near the pyramids?

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

Green Valley, Jayden: Indiana Jones -Oh, that's a good guess, but no.

We were looking for The Alchemist.

You want to check that one out of your library.

Which New York industrialist dominated the oil industry-- Green Valley, Colton: Rockefeller -Correct.

Which art movement used chance, nonsense, and collage after World War I?

West, Lucas: Absurdism -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] Dada or Dadaism.

Next question.

Which literary genre, used to show derision of societal or political norms, did Jonathan Swift refer to as "a sort of glass wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own"?

West, Iris: dystopian -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] Looking for satire.

Here's your next question.

These are frequently stolen, in part because they're made of precious metals that are efficient at converting gasses.

Name-- Green Valley, Franklin: catalytic converter -That's correct.

Next question is a calculation question, students.

Evaluate the limit of the square root of x plus six minus three over x minus three as x approaches three.

I'll repeat.

Evaluate the limit of the square root of x + 6 - 3 / x - 3 as x approaches 3.

And we'll go with Green Valley, Colton: one over two square root x -I don't think that's correct.

West, Lucas: 1/6 -Yes.

Next question.

What's the name for the collective set of busses in a computer made up of the data bus, the address bus, and the control bus that together carry data between the CPU, memory, and other components on the motherboard?

Green Valley, Colton: blockchain -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] It's called the system bus.

And your next question, What U.S.

law in 1965 outlawed discriminatory voting practices-- That's West, Lucas: Civil Rights Act -That's incorrect, and it's an interrupt.

--voting practices like literacy tests.

[bell chimes, time expires] We were looking for the Voting Rights Act.

That is the end of the first round, but don't go anywhere.

We're going to take-- Let's have a round of applause for both of these teams.

They're doing great.

[applause] But we're going to take a minute or so to get to know our players.

We'll start with West CTA.

We have 10th grader Iris.

Hi, Iris.

-Hi.

-Nice to have you here.

You wrote that one of your hobbies is baking and that you make a particular item.

-Oh, yeah, I make beignets.

-Whoa.

Do you have any with you?

-No.

I made some last week.

You just missed me.

-Okay.

I'll bet you they're great.

-Oh, thank you.

I think they are.

-Keep making those beignets, and good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Iris.

Here's 9th grader Eda.

Hi, Eda.

-Hi.

-Nice to see you.

You wrote that I think is it you're on the Speech and Debate club or team or something like that?

-Yes.

-Have you guys gone to competitions already?

-Yeah.

I've already gone to two competitions, and I placed fourth in Extemporaneous Speaking in one and third in Congressional Debate in another.

-Wow.

Congratulations.

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

Thanks, Eda.

Here's 11th grader Lucas.

Hi, Lucas.

-Hello.

-You wrote that you and your pals combine a couple of things that you would never think of putting together when you go out somewhere.

Do you remember what you wrote down?

-Yeah.

We play chess and bowling at the same time.

We, we play a game of blitz in between each frame.

It's a lot of fun, actually.

-Okay.

I'll believe you.

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

Thanks, Lucas.

Here's 10th grader Pana.

Hi, Pana.

-Hi.

-Is there a Greek dance club at West CTA?

-No.

I do Greek dance through my church.

-Okay.

I mean, I don't want to be stereotypical, but does that just mean throwing plates around or-- -Uh, no.

It's a lot of like line and circle dancing.

-Okay.

-Yeah.

-Well, that's awesome.

Keep it up, and good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Ladies and gentlemen, West Career Technical Academy.

[applause] All right.

Let's meet our players from Green Valley.

We've got 9th grader Caleb.

Hey, Caleb.

-Hi.

-Nice to have you here.

You wrote that volleyball is a hobby or a club.

Are you on the team?

-I'm gonna try out for it.

-All right.

-Been doing intramurals.

-Okay.

Well, good luck with that.

-Thank you.

-Good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Caleb.

Here's 11th grader Jayden.

Hi, Jayden.

-Hi.

-You wrote that you're in the orchestra?

-Yes.

-What do you play?

-Violin.

-How long you been doing that?

-Like six years.

-Awesome.

I'm guessing you got some concerts coming up or whatever?

-Yeah.

We're going to San Fran in two weeks.

-Right on.

Good luck with that.

Good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Jayden.

Here's 11th grader Colton.

Hey, Colton.

-Hello.

-You wrote you have a particular favorite movie director.

-Oh, I said Wes Anderson is my favorite director.

-And do you have a favorite movie of his?

They're all pretty great.

-I, I love all of them, but I think it's kind of generic, but Grand Budapest Hotel.

-Oh, that's a good one.

All right.

Keep enjoying those Wes Anderson movies.

Good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Caleb.

And 11th grader Franklin.

Hey, Franklin.

-Hey.

-I don't think I've ever seen anyone write down as a hobby "cleaning."

-Oh, yeah.

-Is that a hobby?

-Yeah.

So sometimes the house can get bit interesting, so occasionally, whenever I find myself with time, I tend to clean and-- -Good for you.

Can you come over my house sometime?

-Of course.

-All right.

Ladies and gentlemen, that's our team from Green Valley High School.

[applause] And the Bonus Round coming up.

Going into Round 2, here's your score: West CTA has 50 points to Green Valley's 15.

We have one new player for each team.

We say hello to Cameron from West CTA.

Welcome aboard.

And for Green Valley, their new player is Alex.

Howdy, Alex.

Welcome aboard.

This is a timed round at six minutes, and that time starts as I read this question: Helium is the second most abundant element in the universe.

Name the process in which deuterium and tritium combine to form helium.

That's West CTA, Lucas: nuclear fusion -I think we can take that, yes.

Bonus points now-- bonus questions, sorry.

Bonus questions now for West CTA only.

These are science questions.

First, snakes lack external openings for what sensory organ?

Second, a cosmic year is the time it takes for the sun to complete an orbit around what?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-First is ears; second is Sagittarius A*.

-Ears is correct.

The second one was the Milky Way's center.

So you get some bonus points, not all.

And you get the original points from the first question.

All right.

Here's a question for both teams: The Library of Congress selected 25 movies for the National Film Registry in 2025 that were deemed culturally, historically, or esthetically significant to America's film heritage.

Included in the 25 were six movies dating from 1896 to 1926 that were what type of films?

West, Lucas: silent films -That is correct.

Bonus questions about the National Registry of Films for West CTA only.

First, in 2025, National Registry added this movie about a bullied teenager learning martial arts from a retired master.

"Wax on, wax off."

Second, also included in 2025 was what 1954 Christmas-themed musical that enshrined the chart-topping song of the same name in American popular culture?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-First is The Karate Kid, and second is A Christmas Carol.

- Karate Kid is correct.

The second one is White Christmas.

Again, some bonus points, not all.

But the points remain from the original question.

Here's a question, a toss-up for both teams: Beethoven's music teacher said of him when he was a 10-year-old boy, "If he goes on as he has started, he will certainly become a second [blank]."

West, Eda: wunderkind -Incorrect.

Green Valley, Jayden: Bach -No.

Mozart.

Here's a question for both teams: It's located in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, and half of the U.S.

seafood catch comes from this region.

What sea and namesake straight separates North America-- That's West, Pana: the Bering Sea -Yes.

Bonus questions about bodies of water for West CTA only.

First, traveling by boat from Detroit to Buffalo takes you across what lake?

And second, it's known as the "World Oil Reservoir" due to the presence of large oil and natural gas reserves.

What body of water lies between Saudi Arabia and Iran?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-First, Ontario-- Lake Ontario.

Second, Persian Gulf.

-Actually, Persian Gulf is correct.

The lake is Lake Erie.

So some bonus points, not all.

You retain the original points from the question.

And now for both teams: What begins on June 20th or 21st and is the longest day and shortest night of the year?

West, Pana: the summer equinox -No.

Green Valley, Alex: summer solstice -That's correct.

And now we have bonus questions about summer for Green Valley only.

First, President Harry Truman made June 14th what official national holiday?

Second, what two Mediterranean countries annually attract the most summer tourists?

You have 10 seconds.

[students debate] Captain?

-No answer for the first question.

For the second question, Spain and Italy.

-That is correct.

The first one is Flag Day.

So some bonus points, not all.

But you retain the points from the original question.

Next for both teams, a calculation question.

How many different arrangements are there of the letters in the word "level"?

I'll repeat.

How many different arrangements are there of the letters in the word "level"?

Green Valley, Colton: 120 -Incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] We were looking for 30.

We move on to the next question for both teams.

Filled with fluid and hair-like sensors, which part of the ear-- And that's West, Lucas: cochlea -That is incorrect.

That's an interrupt.

I'll finish the question.

Which part of the ear helps maintain balance?

Green Valley, Caleb: the eardrum -No.

We were looking for the semicircular canal.

Next question for both teams: They were key figures in the early 20th-century "Heroic Age."

What do the following people have in common: Amundsen, Peary, Cook, and Scott?

West, Eda: they're explorers -I think we need more.

-That crossed oceans?

-Incorrect.

Is that-- All right.

Green Valley, Alex: English explorers -No.

They were Polar explorers.

All right.

We've run out of time.

Speed Round's coming up.

The score going into the third round: West CTA has 75 points.

Green Valley has 25.

But anything can happen in this third round.

Before we begin, we welcome back Iris to West CTA.

Welcome back.

And Green Valley has a new player.

It's Roderick.

Hello, Roderick.

Welcome aboard.

Let's go.

What bone condition worsens in space due to weightlessness?

Green Valley, Caleb: arthritis -No.

West, Lucas: osteoporosis -That's the one.

What type of transformation flips a figure across-- That's Green Valley, Caleb: reflection -That's right.

Prince Henry of Portugal established a school for what professionals in 1418?

It was historically-- We'll go with Green Valley, Jayden: astronomers -No.

--it's historically known as the "School of Sagres."

West CTA, Pana: navigators -That's right.

What word refers to the main weather patterns of an area, differentiating-- That's Green Valley, Colton: climate -That's right.

What 1648 treaty ended the Thirty Years' War and is credited-- We'll go with West, Lucas: Peace of Westphalia -That's right.

What's the term for the answer to a division problem?

Green Valley, Jayden: quotient -That's right.

Although not nearly as well known as his business partner, Paul Allen was a pioneer in the personal computer field.

In fact-- Green Valley, Colton: Apple -No.

That's an interrupt.

Let me finish reading the question.

--is responsible for giving what name to their ground-breaking company?

West CTA, Eda: Microsoft -That's right.

What do we call the art of city layout design, including the layout of buildings?

West, Iris: architecture -No.

Green Valley, Jayden: urban design -That's right.

What 1960s movement opposed U.S.

involvement in the Vietnam War?

West, Eda: isolationist -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] [buzzer sound] I think that was after the buzzer.

Yeah, okay.

We were looking for the Anti-war Movement.

Next question is a calculation question.

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

A right triangle has legs of length 9 and 40.

What is the hypotenuse?

West, Lucas: 41 -That's right.

Which satirical American writer criticized Gilded Age greed in works like The Gilded Age?

Green Valley, Jayden: Upton Sinclair -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] -Looking for Mark Twain.

Next question.

What grain was the staple food of ancient Roman diets?

Green Valley, Caleb: barley -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] -Wheat.

Next question.

The Shinkansen has operated for over six decades connecting major Japanese cities without a single passenger injury.

What two-word term is often used-- West CTA, Eda: bullet train -That's right.

The SATA, or Serial Advanced Technology Attachment, connects the hard drives and other storage devices to which main computer part?

West, Lucas: CPU -No.

Green Valley, Jayden: motherboard -That's right.

Commensalism is one form of what type of relationship?

West, Eda: symbiosis -That's right.

In March of 2025, Suzanne Collins' anticipated prequel to The Hunger Games arrived on the scene.

What's the name of that book?

That's West, Pana: Sunrise on the Reaping -It is.

What Spanish general led a fascist dictatorship from 19-- West, Lucas: Francisco Franco -That's right.

What term describes a court order preventing an action until a trial is held?

Green Valley, Caleb: probation -No.

West, Eda: cease and desist -No.

We were looking for injunction.

No points.

Next question.

What Habsburg ruler of Austria faced challenges from Prussia and eventually became Holy Roman Empress?

West, Lucas: Maria Theresa -Yes.

What genetic tool predicts offspring traits using letters in a grid?

West, Eda: Punnett square -Yes.

Which London skyscraper is nicknamed "The Shard"?

Green Valley, Colton: The Shard -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] The London Bridge Tower.

Next question.

Which gas do legumes release into the soil through nitrogen-- That's West, Iris: nitrogen -No.

[bell chimes, time expires] [buzzer sound] That's after the buzzer.

It's ammonia.

No points.

Next question.

Who was the lead singer of the rock band Queen?

Green Valley, Colton: Freddie Mercury -Yes.

Which part of the brain is responsible for regulating body temperature and hunger?

West, Eda: amygdala -No.

Green Valley, Caleb: the temporal lobe -No.

It's the hypothalamus.

Next question.

Although all original pieces were completed in 1992, both improvements and new plans continue the program.

What national infrastructure project began in the 1950s under President Eisenhower?

That's West, Eda: Interstate -I think we can take that, yes.

What's the real first and last name of "Ender" in the book by Orson Scott Card?

West, Lucas: Andrew Wiggin -Yes.

What Renaissance innovation allowed painters to achieve more realistic depth by projecting lines toward a vanishing point?

West, Eda: perspective -Do we need more?

We need more.

-Art perspective?

-No.

[buzzer sound] I think we get him a chance to ring in.

Green Valley, Caleb: forest perspective -No.

It's linear perspective.

We're out of time.

Let's find out who won.

So here's our final score: West CTA 140 points to Green Valley's 45.

How about a round of applause for both teams, an excellent match.

[applause] Congratulations to West CTA.

You move on with your win.

Now, we invite you to tune in next week because A-Tech, Advanced Technologies Academy, is going to be taking on Palo Verde.

That's going to be another great matchup right here on Varsity Quiz on Vegas PBS.