>> Join us tonight as Minnechaug Regional High School goes up against Amherst Regional High School.

The historic 64th season of Western New England's award winning high school quiz show continues 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, a diverse union of education workers committed to 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.

I drop this beat.

Like.

>> Drop like that first.

Good evening and welcome 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 are going 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 matchup, we have Minnechaug Regional High School going up against Amherst Regional High School.

Let's take a moment to meet the teams, starting with Amherst Regional, coached by Chris Gould and Stefan Bechtold.

>> Hello, I'm Henry Doyle and I'm a senior from Amherst Regional High School.

>> Hi, I'm Shayna Hayashi.

I'm a senior from Amherst Regional High School.

>> Hi, I'm Daniella Sherman and I'm a senior from the Amherst Regional High School.

>> I'm Lily Oldford, a senior from Amherst Regional High School.

And I'd like to acknowledge our alternates.

Felix Getchell and Yuri Davidovich.

And for Minnechaug regional, coached by Teal Lipinski.

>> Hello.

I'm Anthony Cianflone, and I'm a junior at Minnechaug Regional High School.

>> Hi, my name is Nico Pena.

I'm a junior at Minnechaug Regional High School.

>> Hi.

My name is Marek Epperson and I'm a junior at Minnechaug Regional High School.

>> Hi.

My name is Kayla Bartos and I'm a senior at Minnechaug Regional High School.

Once again, as we do each match, we start off with the challenge round.

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

Good luck to both teams.

Let's begin with the first question of the evening.

What is the name of the pair of organs in the human body that remove waste and extra water from the bloodstream?

Minnechaug.

Kidney?

Yes, that is correct.

According to the U.S. Constitution, no person can be a member of the House of Representatives who has not attained the age.

Of which of the following is it 25 years?

30 years or 35 years?

Minnechaug 35 years.

I'm sorry.

That is incorrect.

Amherst, can you answer the question?

30 years.

Correct answer 25 years.

Grab your pens for this.

An event planner has a budget of $400 for an event.

The venue charges $12.25 per attendee.

What is the greatest number of event attendees allowed within the $400 budget?

And is that correct?

Not quite in time.

Sorry about that.

Correct answer is 32.

Let's try this.

Complete the following relationship.

Columbus is to Ohio as what capital city is to the state of Kentucky.

Amherst.

Frankfort.

Yes.

That's right.

On October 5th, 2021, the Windows 11 desktop operating system was released by what technology company?

Minnesota.

Microsoft.

Yes.

That's right.

In what?

E.B.

white novel.

Will you hear the lines?

You have been my friend.

That in itself.

Amherst.

Charlotte's web is a tremendous thing.

Yes, that is correct.

You'll need those pens again.

A certain rectangle has an area of 98in .

If two sides of the rectangle are each 14in long.

What is the length of each of the other two sides?

Amherst 35.

Sorry, that is incorrect.

Minnechaug.

That gives you the chance to answer.

28.

Our answer is seven.

Let's move on.

On February 4th, 2024, the Grammy Award for Best Country Song, titled White Horse was won by what?

Singer songwriter.

Amherst.

>> Taylor Swift.

I'm sorry.

That is incorrect.

Let me finish the question.

Was it Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers, or Chris Stapleton?

Chad.

Zach.

Bryan.

Chris Stapleton is the right answer there.

Let's try this one in a four part musical chorus.

Which group sings the second highest voice parts?

Amherst.

Alto.

Yes, Alto is correct.

On Tuesday, November 7th, 1944.

44.

What person was the only U.S. president to be elected to an unprecedented fourth term in office?

Amherst.

Roosevelt.

Yes.

That's correct.

The word dichotomy is defined as a division into two groups that differ greatly.

Spell the word dichotomy.

Amherst d I c h o t o m y.

Yes.

That's right.

Nice.

With a summit elevation of 21 of 20,190ft above sea level.

What is the name of the highest mountain peak in North America?

Amherst.

Denali?

Yes.

Denali is right.

In Greek religion and mythology, Artemis is the goddess.

Of which of the following.

Is it the arts, the hunt or the rivers?

Amherst.

The hunt.

The hunt?

Yes.

On the periodic table.

What element in the transition metals is designated with the letters AG.

Amherst.

Silver.

Silver is correct.

That's what I heard first.

In our solar system, Europa is one of the four Galilean moons that orbits around.

Which of the of the following Jupiter?

Amherst?

Yes.

Didn't have to finish that one.

You are correct.

Pick up those pens once again.

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

If one angle measures 75 degrees and the other 80 degrees Minnechaug 95.

Sorry, that is incorrect.

Amherst.

That gives you the chance to answer.

2525.

Is the right answer.

Rice University can be found in which U.S. state.

Amherst.

Texas.

Texas is correct.

A baton spelled b I t t e r n is a type of what?

Amherst.

Bird.

Yes, that is correct.

If you travel due north from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, what is the first state border you'll cross?

Amherst.

Kansas.

Kansas is correct.

In this sentence, the patient remained in the ICU until her heart rate stabilized.

Intensive care unit?

Yes.

That is the abbreviation for Intensive Care unit.

Very nice job.

President Abraham Lincoln's final Emancipation Proclamation was issued, on which date in 1863 was it January 1st?

April 4th or July 4th.

Minnechaug April 4th.

Sorry, that is incorrect.

All right.

Amherst.

July 4th.

Correct answer January 1st.

Grab your pens again as quick as you can.

What is the answer to this multiplication problem?

Four times.

Seven times.

Amherst.

Oops!

28.

That is.

Incorrect.

Let me finish the question.

Four times seven times eight.

All right, Minnechaug, can you answer the question?

224 yes.

The correct answer is 224.

And that marks the end of our challenge round.

Let's take a moment now to meet the team from Amherst Regional.

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

We asked the team from Amherst Regional what's something you'd like to accomplish before you turn 20?

I like to hike Mount Rainier.

Um, I'd really like to study abroad somewhere.

Um, because I've never been outside the country.

I'd like to gain some valuable research experience in a chemistry lab.

I'd like to finish my TBR list.

Books I want to read.

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

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.

You lose five points.

Well, this is a round we call which came first all.

Name two events.

You tell me.

Which came first chronologically.

All right.

You have 90s starting right now.

First walk on the moon.

Or the first run of the four minute mile.

Amherst, run to the four minute mile.

Yes, that's right, the movie Wonka or Christopher Robin.

Christopher Robin.

Yes.

You're right.

Presidency of George W Bush or Bill Clinton.

Bill Clinton?

Yes.

You're right.

Founding of Microsoft or Apple?

Microsoft?

Yes.

That's correct.

The Hindenburg explodes.

Or Titanic sinks.

Miniature Titanic.

Sinks.

Yes.

You're correct.

Harry Potter.

Order of the Phoenix or Chamber of Secrets.

Amherst.

Chamber of secrets.

Yes.

You're right.

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher or Tony Blair.

Amherst.

Thatcher.

Yes, Thatcher is correct.

The Jurassic period or the Cretaceous period.

Cretaceous period.

Jurassic is the correct answer.

Presidency of John Quincy Adams or John Adams.

Amherst.

John Adams.

John Adams.

Is right.

Statehood for Hawaii or Alaska.

Amherst.

Alaska.

Alaska is correct.

Nobel prize to Martin Luther King, junior, or mother Teresa.

Mother Teresa.

Martin Luther King, jr. Is the right answer there?

The rule of Napoleon Bonaparte or Benito Mussolini?

Napoleon Bonaparte.

Yes, that's right, the Civil War, battle of Gettysburg or Antietam.

Battle of Gettysburg.

Tatum is the right answer.

Birth of Nicolaus Copernicus or Alfred Einstein.

Amherst.

Copernicus.

Yes.

That's right.

Presidency of Woodrow Wilson or Theodore Roosevelt.

Theodore Roosevelt.

Yes.

That's correct.

Founding of the State of Israel or Kosovo?

Correct answer is State of Israel.

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

We continue 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.

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, Minnechaug, you are a bit behind.

That also means that you get the first opportunity to pick a category and a point value.

What's going to.

Be we're going to do social studies for 30.

Social studies for 30.

Here's your qualifying question.

Take a look at your screens for this.

Which European country's flag is shown here?

Germany.

Germany.

Yes.

That's right.

Let's test your European flag fluency.

We'll show you a flag.

You name the country for ten points each.

Take a look at your screen.

First one.

Spain.

Spain.

Yes.

That's right.

And this one?

Turkey.

Turkey is correct.

And finally, how about this one?

Norway.

Norway.

Very nice.

Clean sweep.

Good job.

All right, Amherst, your turn.

First time of the evening to please pick a category and a point.

Value literature for 30.

Literature for.

30.

Here's your qualifying question.

How you picked the Westfield State University entrance exam question.

Answer the qualifier and all of the category questions correctly.

Your team wins an additional ten points.

All right.

Good luck.

Here we go with the question.

Complete this title of the fourth and final novel by F Scott Fitzgerald.

Tender is the blank.

Night.

Night.

Yes.

That's correct.

Let's move on.

Each of the following clues describes a literary work whose title contains the word knight somewhere in it.

This is for ten points each.

First, this Shakespeare comedy consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta.

Name the comedy.

A midsummer Night's Dream.

Yes.

You're correct.

This classic children's bedtime story by Margaret Wise Brown was first published in 1947.

It's about a child who says good night to just about everything.

Name the.

Story.

Good night moon.

My favourites.

Yes, that is correct.

Finally.

First published in 1823, it has become a tradition in many families to read the poem A visit from Saint Nicholas during the holiday season.

What is the more familiar title of this Clement Clarke Moore poem?

The Night before Christmas?

Yes, that is correct.

All right.

Nice job.

You got all of the questions correct.

That means your team has won the Westfield State University entrance exam and an additional ten points.

Very nice job.

All right, Minnechaug, please pick a category and a point value.

Arts and entertainment for 30.

Arts and entertainment for 30.

To qualify, complete the title to this 2021 Disney animated action adventure film.

Raya and the Last Dragon.

Dragon.

Dragon.

Yes!

That's right.

More films featuring the word dragon in their titles for ten points each.

Take a look at your screen.

First up, the tagline for this 2016 remake describes the film as the adventures of an orphaned boy and his best friend Elliott, who happens to be a dragon.

Name the film.

Pete's dragon.

Yes.

Pete's dragon.

That's right.

The direct to video prequels to this 1996 fantasy adventure film were subtitled The Sorcerer's Curse.

Battle for the Heartfire and vengeance.

Name the 1996 original film.

Dragonheart is the right answer.

Finally, let's try this one.

This 2014 Dreamworks animated film features these characters toothless, the Night Fury, and Hiccup, as well as their friends Astrid and quarrelsome twins Tuffnut and Ruffnut.

Name the film.

How to Train Your Dragon.

Yes.

That's correct.

Nice.

Amherst.

Once again, your turn.

General knowledge for.

30.

Don't know.

Knowledge for 30.

Here's a qualifying question.

Pick up your pens for this.

If there are 12in in a foot, how many square inches are there in two square feet?

288?

Yes.

Very quick to answer that one.

Nice job.

Let's move on.

Mathematical manipulations with common units of measure.

For ten points each.

First up, if there are ten millimeters in a centimeter, how many cubic millimeters are there in three cubic centimeters?

9000.

1000.

1900.

9000.

9000.

Answer there!

3000.

Let's try this.

There are three feet in a yard.

If there are 5280ft in a mile, how many yards are there in ten miles?

Oh, God.

No.

I'm going to get.

There in time.

No, no, we won't get in.

17,600 is the right answer.

All right, let's try this one.

Finally.

If there are eight ounces in a cup, how many ounces are there in 12 cups?

70.

No.

80.

96.

Yes.

96 is the right answer.

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

Well, the events for 30.

World events for 30.

Here's your qualifying question.

Take a look at your screens for this.

President Grover Cleveland officially dedicated what national landmark on October 28th, 1886.

The Statue of Liberty.

Yes.

That's right.

Let's move on.

The Statue of Liberty has proudly stood on Liberty Island in New York Bay for over 138 years.

Let's see what you know about that iconic landmark.

This is for ten points each.

First up, the statue was a gift from the people of what country?

On the occasion of the United States 100th anniversary.

France?

Yes, France is correct.

The Statue of Liberty was designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, and the metal framework was built by what French civil engineer, who also has a famous tower in Paris named after him.

I fall.

Yes, Eiffel is correct.

Finally, which structure was completed first?

The Eiffel Tower or the Statue of Liberty?

The Statue of Liberty.

86.

Yes.

Eiffel tower.

1889.

Very nice.

All right.

Amherst.

Once again.

Your turn.

Math and science for 30.

Last of the 30s.

Here we go with your qualifying question.

Take a look at your screen.

Which of the inert gases has the electron configuration you see on the screen?

Hydrogen.

No.

No no.

Helium.

Yes.

That's right.

Let's move on.

Sticking with electron configurations for each of the following questions.

These are for ten points each.

Take a look at your screens once again.

First, it is the is the most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere.

Nitrogen.

Nitrogen.

Yes.

That's right.

This element is one of two which make up table salt.

Chlorine.

Sodium.

Sodium.

Sodium.

Sodium.

Sodium.

Yes.

Finally.

This one's a non-magnetic metal.

Non.

Red.

Mercury.

Yeah.

Mercury.

Correct answer there.

Aluminum.

Nice job on the other ones, though.

All right.

Minnechaug, once again your turn.

Social studies for 25.

Social studies for 25.

Here we go with your qualifying question.

Take a look at your screens.

In economics, this curve illustrates a theoretical relationship between rates of taxation and the resulting levels of the government's tax revenue.

Name that curve.

Angle curve.

Sorry, that is incorrect.

Amherst, can you capitalize.

The Laffer curve?

Laffer curve?

Yes, that is right.

Sticking with economic curves.

See if you can identify each of these curves.

From the brief definitions that I give for ten points each.

Take a look at your screen first step.

This curve describes the relationship between household income and expenditure on a particular service or good.

The Lorenz curve.

That would be the Engle curve.

Let's try this.

According to the curve to this curve, that is the rate of unemployment is inversely related to the rate of inflation.

The Phillips curve.

Yes that's correct.

Finally for five points.

This curve relates to the cumulative proportion of income units to the cumulative proportion of income received when units are arranged in ascending order of their income.

Name this curve the wrong curve.

This one is the Lorenz curve.

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

World events for 25.

World events for 25.

To qualify, the First Battle of Manassas, as it was called in the South, was the first major engagement of the American Civil War.

By what name was this battle known in the North?

>> Do not know.

Any guesses?

Sorry.

Time is up right now.

Can you capitalize?

Everybody's scratching their heads on this one.

The first battle of Bull Run is the right answer there.

Okay, once again, please pick a category and a point value.

Arts and entertainment for 25.

Arts and entertainment for 25.

To qualify, take a look at your screen.

Originally called Gallups Grove when it opened in 1870 and more recently as Riverside Park.

What is the current name of this Massachusetts amusement park?

Six Flags New England?

Yes.

That's correct.

Let's move on.

Continuing with destination amusement parks in the United States.

All named a park.

You tell me in what U.S. state you would be in if you visited there.

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

Dollywood.

Tennessee.

Tennessee is correct.

How about Kings Dominion?

Louisiana.

Correct answer.

There is Virginia.

Finally for five points, Walt Disney World.

Florida.

Florida.

Yes.

That's right.

All right.

Amherst.

Once again, your turn.

Lit for 25.

Literature for 25.

Here's a qualifying question.

In what year was Herman Melville's classic novel Moby Dick published?

Was it 1794, 1829?

1851 or 1888?

1888?

Sorry, that is incorrect.

Minnechaug.

Can you capitalize.

1851?

Yes.

1851 is the right answer.

Let's see what else you know about Melville's great tale for ten points each.

First, what is the name of the Nantucket whaling ship commanded by the mysterious Captain Ahab and his crew?

The Queequeg.

Correct answer.

There is the Pequod.

Close.

Very close.

Likened by scholars to the archetype of the Shakespearean fool.

What is the name of the Pequod's cabin boy who goes crazy after being left to drift in the ocean.

Kip is what we're looking for.

Finally, this one's for five points.

We know the name of Ahab's ship was the Pequod.

Spell the word Pequod.

P e a q u a d. Close p e q u o d. And that marks the end of our capitalization round.

Let's take a moment now to meet the team from Minnechaug Regional High School.

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

We asked the team from Minnechaug Regional, what's one thing you want to learn before you graduate?

Before I graduate high school, I'd like to learn how to make a song because I've always liked music since I was a little kid.

So I would like to have a song that commemorates, like, my time in high school and everything I've learned and liked since I started.

One thing I'd want to learn is how to run my own business, because I want to be a self-employed person, be able to employ my own people and work for myself.

Before I Before I graduate, I'd like to learn how to do my taxes and more about, um, personal finance management.

Before I graduate.

I aspire to become well-versed in financial literacy so that I can make good money decisions when I enter the workforce.

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

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

This is how it works.

Buzz in and answer correctly.

You win five points.

Answer incorrectly.

Your team loses five points.

Well, you're not done yet in this round.

Each correct answer will begin with the letter Y as in the word.

Yet you have 90s starting right now.

You may do this if you're tired.

Amherst.

Yawn.

Yes.

That's right.

A 36 inch wooden measuring device.

Ice miniatures.

Yardstick?

Yes.

That's correct.

The day before today.

Amherst yesterday.

Yesterday is right opposite of yin in Chinese miniature.

Yang.

Yang is correct.

A collapsible domed tent.

Amherst.

Yurt is the right answer there.

Material used in weaving or knitting Amherst.

Yarn.

Yarn is correct.

A system of physical postures and meditation.

Amherst Yoga.

Yoga is correct.

Custard like food made from milk curdled by bacteria.

Amherst yogurt.

Yogurt is correct.

A name for a young urban professional.

Minnechaug.

Yuppy yuppy is right a race of brutes in Gulliver's Travels.

Minnechaug.

Yahoos is the right answer to shout loudly at someone.

Amherst.

Yell, yell is correct.

National Park located in the U.S. northwest.

Amherst.

Yellowstone.

Yellowstone is right to pull on something suddenly.

Yank.

Yank is correct.

Spoken word.

If you like the food.

Amherst.

Yes.

Yum or yummy is the right answer.

The yellow part of a fried egg.

Amherst yolk.

Yolk is right.

The opposite of being old.

Amherst.

Young.

Young is correct.

2024 was one.

Year.

Year is correct.

A sailboat used for racing.

Amherst.

Yacht.

Yacht is correct.

Ah.

That bell marks the end of our last lightning round.

It also marks the end of our match.

It's always great when you see a lot of smiles at the end of the match.

I want to say to Minnechaug.

Great job tonight.

You really hung in there.

But Amherst Regional, you are the winners tonight.

Congratulations to you for a job well done.

We'll see how this all shakes out by the end of the season.

And to see this season's roster.

And for more information, be sure to log on to our webpage at npr.org.

You can always 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.

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

The MTA 180 years of commitment to 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.

Do you want to see when your school's match is scheduled?

Want to know who the past ASM champions are?

Have a question you'd like to see us ask?

Then log on to the As Schools Match Wits web page at npr.org.

You can see this season's roster, a listing of past ASM champions, and even submit a question of your own, which may be used in a future episode.

It's all just a mouse click away.