>> Join us tonight as Deerfield Academy goes up against Wahconah Regional High School.

The historic 64th season of Western New England's award winning high school quiz show begins tonight as schools match wits.

>> The members of the Massachusetts Teachers Association are working together to ensure that all students have the resources they need to succeed.

The MTA over 175 years of fighting for the public, schools and colleges our communities deserve.

>> You can see the difference from the first couple of minutes that you walk onto this campus.

You realize that it's not just the campus.

>> It's a community.

It's a family.

It's.

Good evening and welcome back to.

As schools match Wits coming to you from the campus of Westfield State University.

I'm your host, Beth Ward, once again.

High schools from throughout our region will go head to head in qualifying matches to see who can score enough points to finish in the top eight and compete in this season's championship tournament.

In tonight's season opening match up, we have Deerfield Academy going up against Wahconah Regional High School.

Let's take a second to meet the teams, starting with Wahconah Regional, coached by Sean Therrien and Matt Pecorari.

>> Hi, my name is Thomas Santano and I'm a senior at Waconia Regional High School.

>> Hi, my name is Logan Kundi and I'm a senior at Wahconah Regional High School.

>> Hi my name is Charlotte Flanders and I'm a junior at Wahconah Regional High School.

>> Hi my name is Caitlin Spratt and I'm a sophomore at Wahconah Regional High School.

And for Deerfield, coached by Forrest Reid.

>> Hi, I'm Austin chang.

I'm a senior at Deerfield Academy.

Hi, I'm John Woo, and I'm a junior from Deerfield Academy.

>> Hi, I'm Melody Joe, and I'm a junior at Deerfield Academy.

>> Hi.

I'm Kevin Young, and I'm a senior from Deerfield Academy.

As we do at the start of each match, we begin with the challenge round.

Both teams will have a chance to buzz in and answer questions for ten points each.

All right.

Good luck to both teams.

Here we go.

First question of the evening.

And with our new season.

All right.

Beginning with the letter V, name the chambers of the human heart, which receive blood from a corresponding atrium and from which blood is forced into the arteries.

Time is up.

Correct answer.

There is ventricles.

Let's try this one.

What famous United States document begins with the line we the people of the United States.

Deerfield.

The Constitution.

Constitution.

Yes.

That's right.

Grab your pens for this.

An event planner has a budget of $200 for an event.

The venue charge is $10.25 per attendee.

What is the greatest number of event attendees allowed within the $200 budget?

Deerfield 1919.

Yes, that's correct.

All right.

Complete the following relationship.

Phoenix is to Arizona as what capital city is to the state of New Mexico.

Deerfield.

>> Albuquerque.

I'm sorry.

That is incorrect.

All right, since Deerfield got that wrong, that means wahconah.

You get the chance automatically to answer.

Head scratcher on this one answer is Santa Fe.

Name the entrepreneur who on April 25th, 2022, acquired the social media network Twitter.

Elon Musk.

Yes, Elon Musk, that is correct.

What Charles Dickens novel begins with the lines it was the best of times.

It was the worst of times.

Wahconah tale of two cities.

Yes.

That's correct.

Grab your pens.

Once again, a certain rectangle has an area of 108in .

If two sides of the rectangle are each 18in long, what is the length of each of the other two sides?

Wahconah.

72.

72.

I'm sorry.

That is incorrect.

All right.

Deerfield Academy.

That gives you the chance to answer six.

Yes.

Six inches is the right answer.

Let's try this one at the 2022 Grammy Awards.

The song Easy on Me won the award for.

All right.

Deerfield.

Adele for best pop solo performance.

That is the artist.

Nice job.

Here we go with the next one.

A music group made up of four classical musicians.

Musicians is called a what?

Deerfield quartet.

Quartet?

Yes.

That's right.

The Jones-shafroth act was signed into law on March 2nd, 1917, which granted U.S. citizenship to the people.

Of which Caribbean island was it?

Deerfield.

Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico didn't have to finish that one.

Nice job.

A parallelogram is a quadrilateral with opposite sides that are parallel and equal to each other.

Spell the word parallelogram.

Deerfield.

P a r a l l e g r a m. I'm sorry.

That is incorrect.

Wahconah.

Can you answer the question?

Spell parallelogram.

P a r a l l e l o g r a m. Deerfield forgot the.

Oh.

So.

Yes.

Wahconah.

You are correct.

Let's move on.

Mount Everest, the Earth's highest mountain above sea level, is located between China and.

What?

Deerfield.

Repeat, please.

Nepal?

Yes.

That other Asian nation.

Nepal.

Very nice job.

Let's try this.

Poseidon was one of the six children of Cronus and Rhea and brother of Zeus.

What earthly realm?

Deerfield.

>> Hades.

I'm sorry.

That is incorrect.

Let me finish the question.

What earthly realm was Poseidon most known as the ruler of?

All right, Wahconah, can you answer?

The seas.

The seas?

Yes, that is correct.

On the periodic table, what transition metals element is designated with the letters T, I. Wahconah.

Titanium?

Yes.

Titanium is correct.

In our solar system.

Ganymede is one of the four Galilean moons.

Deerfield.

Jupiter?

Yes.

That orbits around.

Which of the following planets?

You got the answer right.

Don't need to finish that.

Nice job.

Grab your pens once again.

What is the measure of the third angle of a triangle?

If one angle measures 45 degrees and the other 70 degrees.

Deerfield.

65.

65 degrees.

Yes.

That's correct.

Princeton University can be found.

In which U.S. state.

Deerfield.

New Jersey.

New Jersey is right.

Try this.

A Rhode Island red is a type of.

What is it?

Tree chicken or a tomato.

Deerfield.

Tomato.

I'm sorry.

That is incorrect.

Wahconah.

Can you answer?

Chicken.

Chicken?

Yes.

That's correct.

If you travel due south from Pierre, South Dakota, what is the first state border that you'll cross?

Deerfield.

Nebraska?

Yes.

That's correct.

Next question.

In the US presidential election of 1800, this incumbent vice president from Virginia defeated the incumbent president, John Adams, from Massachusetts.

Deerfield.

Thomas Jefferson.

Yes, that is correct.

And that marks the end of our challenge round.

Now, let's take a minute to meet the team from Wahconah Regional High School.

Hi, I'm McKenzie Gaudet from Westfield State University.

We asked the team from Wahconah Regional.

What's your favorite pizza topping?

My favorite pizza topping is mushroom.

My favorite pizza topping is sausage.

My favorite pizza topping is sausage.

I like cheese.

Let's move on now to the first lightning round of the match.

Each team will have a chance to buzz in and answer questions for five points each.

Buzz in and answer correctly.

You win five points.

However, if you answer incorrectly, your team loses five points.

All right, well, in this lightning round, we look at common bonds.

What specific common bond does each of these elements share?

You have 90s starting right now.

Superior Michigan and Ontario.

Deerfield.

Great lakes?

Yes.

That's correct.

Cirrus.

Cumulus and Stratus.

Deerfield.

Clouds.

Clouds is correct.

Brooklyn.

Sydney Harbor and Tacoma.

Narrows.

Deerfield.

Bridges.

Bridges is the right answer.

Humpback.

Baleen and South Pacific.

Deerfield.

Whales.

Yes.

Whales is correct.

Water moccasin.

green Anaconda and Bushmaster.

Wahconah.

Snake snakes.

Yes.

That's right.

Crimson seedless.

Concord and flame.

Seedless.

Wahconah.

Grapes.

Grapes.

Yes.

That's right.

Bow tie.

Angel hair and fettuccine.

Deerfield.

Noodles.

Correct answer is pasta, HTML, JavaScript and C plus script Wahconah programming languages.

Yes, that is correct.

Willy nilly.

Scirocco and Chinook.

Deerfield.

Helicopter type of wind.

A e I o u and sometimes y. Deerfield.

Vowels.

Vowels.

Yes.

That's right.

It.

Misery and Kerry.

Stephen King books is the right answer there.

Gala.

Braeburn and McIntosh.

Waconia.

Apples.

Apples.

Yes.

That's right.

Clove hitch.

Anchor bend and Sheepshank.

Wahconah.

Knots.

Yes.

That's right.

Saint Thomas, Nantucket and Madagascar.

Deerfield Islands.

Islands is correct.

Mambo, Foxtrot and quickstep.

Wahconah.

Dances is the right answer.

Galahad, Percival and oh, there's the bell.

The answer to that last question is Knights of the Round Table.

However, that Bell does mark the end of our first lightning round.

We have a quick clarification to make.

In that first lightning round, we asked for the common bond of bow tie, angel hair, and fettuccine.

We were looking for the answer of pasta.

However, Deerfield answered noodles and the judges are going to accept that answer.

The score is adjusted accordingly.

All right, let's continue on now with the capitalization round.

That's where teams get the chance to pick a category and a point value.

They'll need to answer a qualifying question first before they can continue on for points.

Now, if they fail to answer that qualifying question correctly, their opponents will have the opportunity to capitalize and get those points.

All right.

At the moment, wahconah you are a bit behind, but that also means you get the very first opportunity to pick a category and a point value.

What's it going to be?

General knowledge for 30.

General knowledge for 30.

Here we go with your qualifying question.

We have a video qualifier.

Please take a look at your screens.

>> Hi, I'm Peter Sokolowski, editor at large for Merriam-Webster in Springfield, Massachusetts, with your qualifying question.

The word acquiescence is a noun defined as a readiness or willingness to yield to the wishes of others.

Here's how it's used in a sentence.

I was surprised by his quick acquiescence to their demands.

To qualify, spell the word acquiescence.

I'm sorry.

Time is up.

All right.

Deerfield academy, can you capitalize.

A q u I e s e n c e. I'm sorry.

That is incorrect.

Correct answer is a c q u I e s c e n c e. All right, let's move on with Deerfield.

For the first time of the evening, please pick a category and a point value.

Math and science 30, please.

Math and science for 30.

Here's your qualifying question.

You'll need your pens and paper for this one.

And listen very carefully.

Take the square root of 169, then multiply by four, then add one.

What is the result?

53 yes, 53 is correct.

More about the number 53 for ten points each.

First is 53 Prime or composite?

Prime.

Prime.

Yes.

That's correct.

What is the next prime number after 53.

5757, 57?

Correct answer there is 59.

Let's try this.

Finally, grab your pens and paper once again and add 59 to the cube root of 125, then divide by eight.

Multiply that result by four and add 15.

Then tell me, is the result Prime or composite?

Prime.

Prime.

Prime.

Prime.

Yes, 47 is the answer.

Very nice job.

All right.

Wahconah, once again it is your turn to please pick a category and a point value.

Uh, world events for 30.

World events for 30.

Here's your qualifying question.

Take a look at your screens, please.

As a Republican from the state of Ohio, this future U.S. president was elected governor of Ohio in 1892 and ascended to the presidency five years later.

Name him.

I think it's.

McKinley.

McKinley.

Yes, that is correct.

Let's move on.

More about American presidents for ten points each.

Take a look at your screens once again.

First, this US presidential candidate received a popular plurality three times, though he took office only twice, in 1884 and in 1892.

Name him.

Martin Van Buren.

Grover Cleveland is the right answer there.

All right, let's try this one.

This 27th president went on to become chief justice of the United States.

He was known for being a trustbuster and for having a rather large physique.

Name him.

Roosevelt.

Correct answer.

There is William Howard Taft.

All right.

Finally, let's try this one.

The winner of the 1919 Nobel Peace Prize.

This president is known for his involvement in creating both the League of Nations and the Federal Reserve System.

Name him.

Woodrow Wilson.

Woodrow Wilson.

Woodrow Wilson is the right answer.

Nice job.

Dear field, once again, your turn.

Social studies.

30, social.

Studies for 30.

Here's your qualifying question to qualify.

Take a look at your screen with a height of approximately 2717ft.

The Burj Khalifa has been the world's tallest building since its completion in 2010.

You'll find it.

In what world?

City.

Dubai.

Dubai?

Dubai?

Yes.

That's correct.

More about some of the world's tallest buildings for ten points each.

Take a look at your screen again.

First, in January of 2020 for the 2227 foot, Merdeka, 118 became the second tallest building in the world.

In which Malaysian city will you find the Merdeka 118 building.

Kuala Lumpur?

Yes, that is correct.

Try this.

Opened in 2014.

The building seen here, which stands at 1776ft in height, is currently the tallest building in the United States.

Name it.

The World Trade Center.

One world trade center.

Yes you specified and yes it is correct.

One World Trade Center.

Finally, let's try this one.

Taipei 101 was ranked as the world's tallest building from 2004 until the Burj Khalifa opened in 2010.

On what self-governing island will you find?

Taipei 101.

Taiwan.

Taiwan.

Yes.

Very nice job on that category.

All right, Wahconah, once again, your turn please.

Arts and entertainment for 30.

Arts and entertainment for 30.

Your qualifying question.

Take a look at your screens.

This actor first appeared as Beetlejuice in 1988 and came back in the sequel, Beetlejuice.

Beetlejuice in 2024.

Name this.

Actor Michael.

Keaton.

Yes, Michael Keaton is correct.

Nice.

More about the 2024 film Beetlejuice.

Beetlejuice.

These are for ten points each.

Once again, look at your screen first.

This actress first appeared in the 1988 Beetlejuice film as teenager Lydia Deetz, and came back in the 2024 sequel as the mother of a teenager of her own name, this.

Actress, Winona.

Ryder.

Yes, you are correct in Beetlejuice.

Beetlejuice.

Jenna Ortega plays the role of Astrid Deetz.

Ortega previously played the part of Gomez and Morticia Addams daughter on what Netflix series Wednesday.

Wednesday.

Yes, that is correct.

And finally, the director of the two Beetlejuice movies is also known for directing such films as Edward Scissorhands, Scissorhands, Dumbo and the TV series Wednesday.

Name him.

Tim Burton.

Tim Burton yes, that is correct.

All right, Deerfield, once again, please pick a category and a point value.

Math and science 25.

Nobody likes literature this evening.

All right, let's go with math and science for 25 to qualify.

Name the colorless and corrosive compounds that can be produced by dissolving gaseous hydrogen chloride in water.

Uh HCl.

Hydrochloric acid.

Yes, that is correct.

Let's move on.

Keep the prefix hydro spelled h y d r o in mind.

Each of the following answers begins with hydro for ten points each.

First, this scientific instrument is used to measure the specific gravity of a liquid.

Radiometer.

Hydrometer.

Yes, that is correct.

Here's the next one.

Name the technique of growing plants using a water based nutrient solution rather than soil.

Hydrostatics.

Hydroponics is the right answer there.

Finally, let's try this one for five points.

If you suffer from an unnatural fear of water, you are afflicted with this ailment.

Hydrophobia.

Yes, that is correct.

All right.

Wahconah, once again, please pick a category and a point.

Value literature.

For 30, please.

Going for the last of the 30s.

All right.

To qualify, you have picked the Westfield State University entrance exam question, answer the qualifier and all of the category questions correctly, your team will win an additional ten points.

All right.

Good luck.

Here we go.

The Dead Men of Dunharrow is a ghostly army that served the dark Lord Sauron.

In what?

J.R.R.

Tolkien trilogy.

Lord of the rings.

Yes, that is correct.

Let's move on.

More ghostly literature for ten points each.

Here's the first one, sir Nicholas, the Gray Lady, the Bloody Baron and the Fat Friar.

Are all ghosts present?

In what series of novels?

Harry Potter.

Harry Potter, yes, that's correct.

In this Charles Dickens novella, a series of ghosts visits Ebenezer Scrooge, who tried to turn him into a kinder, gentler man.

Name the novella.

A. Christmas Carol.

Yes, that is correct.

All right, let's move on with the last one.

In what William Shakespeare tragedy does, the ghost of a former king and father ask his son to avenge his death, as good sons did back in the Middle Ages.

Hamlet.

Hamlet.

Hamlet.

Hamlet.

Hamlet.

Yes.

Very nice job.

You have won the Westfield State University entrance exam.

Question.

Very nice job.

Your team wins an additional ten points.

All right, let's move on now.

Again with Deerfield, please pick a category and a point value.

Social studies 25.

Social studies for 25.

Here we go with your qualifying question.

In 1964, the East African countries of Tanganyika and Zanzibar united to form.

What sovereign state?

Lesotho.

I'm sorry.

That is incorrect.

Wahconah, can you capitalize?

Tanzania.

Tanzania?

Yes, that is correct.

Tanzania is the right answer there.

All right, let's move on.

Let's see what you know about Tanzania.

For ten points each, take a look at your screen first.

Which of the following is the name of Tanzania's capital city.

Is it Dar es Salaam, Moshi Moshi or Dodoma?

The first one.

I think the first one.

They're all tough to say, I know.

However, the correct answer is Dodoma.

Let's try this one.

Tanzania is home to the highest mountain in Africa at over 19,000ft.

Please name that mountain.

Mount Kilimanjaro?

Yes, that is correct.

Finally, for five Points, established in 1951, you'll find what National park and wildlife refuge in the north central part of Tanzania.

Serengeti National Park is the right answer there.

And that marks the end of our capitalization round.

Let's take a minute now to meet the team from Deerfield Academy.

Hi, I'm Sam Horton from Westfield State University.

We asked the team from Deerfield Academy, what's the weirdest food combination you actually love?

I like to put some salt in my coffee.

Um, honestly, my dad just started doing it, and I think it's pretty good, so I do it as well.

I like to dip my fries in mcflurries.

I like to pair my cold tomatoes with sugar because I've grown up eating it.

A weird food combination that I love is hot pot.

It's a traditional Chinese food where we put a lot of meats and different vegetables into a pot and eat them while they cook.

Let's move on to the final lightning round of our first match of the season.

Each team will have a chance to buzz in and answer questions for five points each.

Buzz in and answer correctly.

You win five points.

Answer incorrectly and your team loses five points.

We'll call this the authors last word, all given author's name and the beginning of a book title.

You give me the last word of that title.

You have 90s starting right now.

Doctor Seuss, green eggs and blank.

Deerfield.

Ham.

Ham is.

Correct.

Irving stone.

The agony and the.

Ecstasy is the last.

Is the right answer there?

F Scott Fitzgerald.

Tender is the blank.

Night is the right answer William Shakespeare.

Much ado about.

Nothing.

Nothing is correct.

Bruce Catton, the blue and the blank.

Gray is the right answer.

Oh, Henry, the gift of the blank.

Wahconah.

Magi.

Yes, that's.

Correct.

J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Deerfield.

Secrets.

Secrets is right.

Shel Silverstein, the giving blank.

Wahconah.

Tree.

Tree is right.

William Faulkner.

The sound and the.

Fury is the right answer.

Jane Austen.

Pride and Deerfield.

Prejudice.

Prejudice is correct.

Lucy Maud Montgomery.

Anne of Green.

Deerfield.

Gables.

Gables is right.

Mark Twain, the Prince and the pauper.

Pauper is the right answer Edgar Allan Poe, the pit and the.

Deerfield.

Pendulum.

Just in.

Time.

Yes, that's right, Kenneth Grahame.

The wind and the.

Willows is the right answer.

Leo Tolstoy, War and Deerfield.

Punishment.

Peace is the right answer there.

William Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra is the right answer.

Ah, and that bell marks the end of our last lightning round.

It also marks the end of our first match of the season.

What a great way to kick off our historic season.

I want to say to what a great job.

You really picked it up, especially during the capitalization round.

However, Deerfield, you started off strong and you just kept going.

So congratulations to you on a job well done to see the season's roster and for more information, be sure to log on to our web page at npr.org.

Or you can look for us on Facebook and Instagram.

I'm your host, Beth Ward.

Good night, and be sure to tune in again next time.

As schools match.

>> Wits with the members of the Massachusetts Teachers Association are proud to support high quality programming on public television.

The MTA over 175 years of fighting for the public, schools and colleges our communities deserve.

>> To excel is to recognize that you want to continue to grow and transform and evolve into a better person.

Westfield State is a fit for me because it's a campus that's big enough to host a community in which I can get to know different kinds of people.

>> The impact I want to leave at Westfield State is to be a leader, to get involved.

Each person has their own excellence.

>> Hold on.

We drop this beat like.

Drop like jeopardy!