This week on Granite State Challenge, the Titans of Nashua High School North... take on the Bobcats of Oyster River High School.

Only one team will advance.

Granite State Challenge starts now.

Major funding for the production of Granite State Challenge is provided by Unitil.

Additional funding provided by Safety Insurance, NEA New Hampshire, and viewers like you.

Thank you!

Get ready.

It's time for New Hampshire high schools to match wits in a high-stakes scholastic showdown.

It's time for Granite State Challenge.

Here's your host, Jon Cannon!

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Granite State Challenge.

If you've been tuning in, you know we're working our way through the first round of season 44.

Six teams have already moved on.

We've got two more this week hoping to join them.

Let's introduce them to you.

First up, we have the team from Nashua High School North.

Hi.

My name’s Colin, and I'm a senior.

My name's Ryan.

I'm a senior.

My name is Daniel.

I’m a senior.

My name's Ethan, and I'm a senior.

The alternates are Marie and Benjamin, and the team is coached by social studies teacher Timothy Bosch.

And they are the Titans of Nashua High School North!

[applause] And facing off against them this week is the team from Oyster River High School.

Hi.

I'm Ben.

I'm a senior.

Hi.

I'm Lydia.

I’m a junior.

I'm Griffin.

I'm a senior.

Hi.

I'm Ryan.

I'm a senior.

Their alternates are Peter, Carson, and Felix, and the team is coached by English teacher John Monahan.

And they are the Bobcats of Oyster River High School!

[applause] Those are our teams this week.

But back again is our beloved judge on the Ann Cam, Ann Boulanger!

[applause] All right, teams, introductions are out of the way.

Go ahead and grab those signaling devices.

We're going to jump right into the game.

We play Granite State Challenge in four rounds, and in round one, we do ten- point toss-up questions.

So, Nashua North, Oyster River, good luck.

Here we go.

This Carthaginian general is famous for trying to cross the Alps with elephants.

Daniel of Nashua North.

Hannibal.

Yes.

This William Golding novel explores the breakdown of order when a group of boys is stranded on a deserted island.

Daniel of Nashua North.

Lord of the Flies Yes.

This French composer, famous for Boléro, also composed two completed operas and three unfinished ones.

Ethan of Nashua North Liszt.

Sorry, no.

Oyster River.

It is Maurice Ravel.

All right, teams, this word which is used for fictional robots found in the Star Wars movies was registered as a trademark by Lucas Films in 1977.

Daniel of Nashua North.

Droid.

This Egyptian queen is famous for her alliance with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.

Benjamin of Oyster River.

Cleopatra.

What is the name of the fictional African country featured in Black Panther?

Colin of Nashua North.

Wakanda.

Yes.

A nitrogen atom has seven of these subatomic particles with a negative charge orbiting its nucleus.

Benjamin of Oyster River.

Electron.

Yes.

In a poem by Robert Frost, the poet sees bent trees and imagines they were bent because a boy was swinging on them.

The bent trees all belong to this family of trees, which is also the state tree of New Hampshire.

Daniel of Nashua North.

Birch trees.

Birch tree’s right.

Teams, which pop artist is known as the Princess of Pop and released Hit Me Baby One More Time.

Colin of Nashua North.

Britney Spears.

She's the one.

All right, teams, our next question is our Unitil Power Question.

This is a 20-point toss-up question coming to you on your monitors.

Take a look.

Hi.

I'm Amanda Vicinanzo with Unitil, and here is your Power Question.

In hockey, this is what you call a period of play when one team has a numerical advantage over the other team because of a penalty.

Ryan of Nashua North.

Power play.

It's a power play.

That's right.

At around 4,132 miles long, this river is most likely the longest river in the world.

It flows north from Lake Victoria and empties into the Mediterranean Sea.

Daniel of Nashua North.

Nile River.

Yes.

Los Angeles will host the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Which city hosted the 2024 Summer Olympics?

Daniel of Nashua North.

Paris.

Yes.

If you travel to Plymouth, Massachusetts, you can visit Plymouth Rock.

The rock had this landing year for the pilgrims on the Mayflower carved into it in 1880.

Ryan of Nashua North.

1492.

Sorry, no.

Oyster River.

Benjamin.

1692.

Sorry, no.

Little closer 1620.

All right, teams.

Our next question is a video question coming to you on your monitors from last year's champions, Merrimack High School.

Hi.

I'm Erin, and we are the 2025 Grand State Challenge champions from Merrimack, and we have a question for you.

In an 1823 message to Congress, this president asserted that the United States would remain neutral in European conflicts and would not tolerate European interference in American affairs.

Daniel of Nashua North.

Monroe.

Yes.

All right, teams, you've got pencil and paper for a math question, if you’d like.

If a car travels 60 miles in 90 minutes, what is its average speed in miles per hour?

Daniel of Nashua North.

45 mph.

Sorry., no.

Oyster River.

Sorry.

Close.

It was 40 mph.

All right, teams, this pop song was performed by Lil NAS X, then became famous for a viral dance challenge.

Griffin of Oyster River.

Old Town Road.

That's right.

This art movement in the 1960s, which challenged traditional art by incorporating commercial imagery and mass media, was exemplified by the works of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.

Daniel of Nashua North.

Pop art.

Right.

All right, teams, our next question is our Semiquincentennial Question.

This is a 25-point toss-up to celebrate America's 250th anniversary.

Take a look.

Hello.

I'm author and teacher John Herman, and I've got a question for you.

In Great Britain, this 1770 confrontation which led to British soldiers killing five colonists, is known as the Incident on King Street.

Colin of Nashua North.

Boston Massacre.

That's right.

Napoleon Bonaparte sold this to the United States in 1803 for a price of $15 million.

Benjamin of Oyster River.

Louisiana Territory.

We'll take that.

Yes, sir.

This hockey player, known as the Great One, scored 894 regular season goals in the NHL.

Daniel of Nashua North.

Wayne Gretzky.

Yes.

This DJ, credited with creating the Quick Mix Theory, was part of the Furious Five.

It was Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

All right, teams, go ahead and take a look at your monitors for the next question.

You are looking at a porcelain incense burner from this dynasty that ruled China from 1368 to 1644.

Colin of Nashua North.

The Ming Dynasty.

Ming Dynasty is right.

This 1953 play by Arthur Miller set during the Salem witch trials explores mass hysteria and integrity, and is an allegory for the Red Scare of the McCarthy era.

Daniel of Nashua North.

The Crucible.

Yes.

This American artist is famous for the work Flag, which was created between 1954 and 1955, two years after he was discharged from the Army.

Sorry, Colin, not quite in time.

That artist was Jasper Johns.

And that sound means we are at the end of round one, and it looks like Nashua North out to a quick lead by a score of 175 to 40.

[applause] All right.

We're building up some momentum in round one, but we're going to take a pause in the action and get to know our players a little bit better.

And we're going to start with the team from Nashua High School North.

Of course, Nashua High School North is located in Nashua.

There are 1,650 students or so enrolled, and down here at the end, we're going to start with Ethan from among that number.

And Ethan, you are a bit of a musician.

You’ve played an instrument for a long time.

What do you play?

I play the trumpet.

Okay.

How long have you played?

Nine years.

Okay.

Nine years.

So you're pretty invested in it, right?

Why did you choose the trumpet?

It has three valves, and I thought that that would be simple.

And you thought it would be simple.

Okay.

Are you planning on continuing to play the trumpet after high school?

I'm going to college for music.

Going to college for music.

Music performance?

Yeah.

Fantastic.

Excellent.

All right.

Joining Ethan is Daniel.

And he doesn't play an instrument, but if he did, which hand you probably use?

The left hand.

So you are left-handed.

Are you the only one in your family that's left-handed?

No.

My brother's left-handed.

Yeah.

Just you and your brother.

Just me and my brother.

Not a big family of left-handers Does that make you unique in your family?

Does it make you a little ostracized in your family?

Not really.

It doesn't really make me unique, but, you know, it's a loaded question I gotta figure out something.

All right.

Excellent.

Well, keep on keeping on.

All right.

We're going to move on to Ryan.

Ryan is an athlete.

Plays all the seasons.

What sports you play?

Play soccer and run track.

You play soccer and run track.

So do you do winter track and spring track?

Yes.

Okay, excellent.

Do you have a preference between soccer and track?

I'd say I like soccer better.

Yeah, it’s more fun.

I don't know.

I played it for longer too.

Just like it a little better.

Play a little more with your friends on the field.

Scoring goals is pretty fun.

That sort of stuff.

What are your events in track?

I do like mid-distance, so 600 is definitely my favorite.

And I also run the 4x8.

All right.

Excellent.

All right.

And joining Ryan is Colin.

Another musician, but plays a different instrument than the trumpet.

What do you play?

I play the guitar.

Okay.

How long you been playing the guitar?

I've been playing for about six years.

What got you into playing guitar?

Yeah.

So, my mom actually got a hand-me-down guitar from her old boss, and that's what got me started playing it.

And then from there, I've never actually paid for my own guitar.

I found people who were giving them away.

I've asked friends in the hallways if they were giving them away.

And now I have a collection that I like to play.

Now you're collecting guitars, and it's a lifelong hobby to have.

Oh, yeah.

This is Colin, and this is the team from Nashua High School North!

[applause] All right.

Their opponent this week is the team from Oyster River High School.

Oyster River is in Durham, New Hampshire, but it serves the towns of Durham, Lee, and Madbury.

And of the 840 students enrolled, we come to Rayan down here at the end.

A bit of a linguist.

Ryan, how many languages do you speak?

Three.

Three languages.

What are they?

Arabic, Spanish, and English.

Okay, so Arabic, Spanish, and English.

So, how did you learn Arabic and Spanish?

Well, Arabic, I learned it from my family.

Do you speak it at home?

Yep.

My mom and dad, they taught me since they're from Morocco.

Okay.

Oh, very cool.

You speak it at home.

Yes.

Okay.

Very cool.

And Spanish in school.

All right.

Excellent.

Very, very cool.

Joining him is Griffin, who is also an athlete a competitive athlete.

What sport do you compete in?

I do crew.

So this is rowing.

Now, does Oyster River have a team?

No, I do a local club team.

So, a local club team with kids from other schools.

Do you compete against other schools?

Other clubs?

Who do you compete against?

Against other schools and other club teams around the New England region.

And you guys are pretty good, right?

It says here you're going to nationals.

I have a good feeling I will be.

Okay, very good.

And where will nationals be?

They'll be down in Sarasota, Florida.

Okay.

Well, travel safe.

And good luck.

All right.

Another linguist on the team up here is Lydia.

In addition to English, speaks two languages.

What are they?

I speak French and Mandarin.

Okay.

And how did you come about learning these languages?

Well, I grew up in France from the age of four till seven, and then, from there, when I moved to Singapore, I had to take Mandarin for school.

So, I've been taking that since second grade.

All right.

So, lived around the world, learned all the languages.

That's fantastic.

It's a good skill to have.

All right.

And last but not least, captain of the team Ben is attempting to learn to do something that sounds really, really hard to me.

What is it?

Yeah, I'm trying to learn how to solve a Rubik's Cube blindfolded.

Okay, So just solving a Rubik's Cube is, like, enough of a difficulty for me, but you're trying to do it blindfolded.

How's that work?

So you basically have to memorize like, you look at the Cube, find out where all the pieces are at the start, and then you go one by one, and you do the algorithms to get them all into place.

And have you solved it yet?

Soon, hopefully.

Soon, hopefully.

All right, I hope so, too.

That's Ben, and that is the team from Oyster River High School!

[applause] All right, teams, thanks for letting me take that break in the action, get to know you a little bit better.

We're gonna roll right into round two of the show.

So in round two of Granite State Challenge, we do our three strikes and you're out round.

The way this round works, each team gets ten questions.

Each player gets one of those questions right down the line.

We'll give you ten points for each correct response that you get, and we'll keep going until all ten questions are asked or until three strikes and you're out.

You can pass.

Each team has three passes, so you can pass your teammate next to you.

And just as a reminder, look for a clue in the previous question to your question.

Okay.

So we're going to do this alphabetically.

That means starting with you Nashua North.

So Colin, this is your question.

This 1939 novel by John Steinbeck portrays the Joad family who migrates from Oklahoma to California during the Dust Bowl.

That is The Grapes of Wrath.

Ryan.

In this song by Julia Ward Howe set during the Civil War, The Lord is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored.

You may know it as the Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Daniel.

The Republic is a Socratic dialog written by this ancient Greek philosopher in 375 BC.

Plato.

Correct.

Ethan.

Pluto is an animated dog owned by this famous rodent.

Mickey Mouse.

Correct.

Colin.

Center fielder Mickey Mantle spent his entire professional career playing for this team.

The Yankees.

That's right.

Ryan.

Yankee Magazine is a bi-monthly magazine which focuses on life in New England and is based in this New Hampshire town that shares a name with the capital of the Republic of Ireland.

Concord.

Sorry, it is Dublin, and that is your third strike and the end of your round.

[applause] All right, Oyster River, we come to you.

We're going to repeat the same process, starting with you, Ben.

This is your question.

If you visit the Ernest Hemingway House and Museum in Key West, Florida, you will likely see Polydactyl ones of these.

I don't know.

Pass.

Pass to Lydia.

Cats.

Cats is correct.

Griffin.

The musical Cats is based on this author's 1939 poetry collection, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.

He was also the author of the poems The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and The Wasteland.

Pass.

Pass to Rayan.

Not sure.

It's T.S.

Eliot.

All right, Benjamin, we come back up to you.

Actor Elliott Gould played Trapper John McIntire in this film by Robert Altman about a mobile Army surgical hospital that was later turned into a long-running TV sitcom.

***H.

***H is right.

Lydia.

the Mashed Potato is a dance from the early 1960s that looks a bit like the Twist.

The Twist was made popular in a song by this artist.

Louis Armstrong.

Sorry, no.

It is Chubby Checker.

Griffin.

This future president gave a speech to defend himself against accusations of taking bribes that was named for their family dog, Checkers.

Biden.

Sorry, no.

It was Richard Nixon.

And that is your third strike and the end of your round.

[applause] All right, so round two is in the books.

We're going to roll into round three.

Alternates, I'd like you to come on up and join your teams at the podiums for our 60-second round.

So in the 60-second round, each team gets ten questions in a category.

You can talk together and work together as a team.

We’ll give you ten points for each correct response, and a bonus of ten if you get them all correct.

Oyster River, as the team trailing, you get to decide first from our three categories.

They are: Crisscross, For the Birds, and Nobel Pursuits.

Crisscross, For the Birds, and Nobel Pursuits.

Crisscross.

Okay.

So, the answers to the following will all be individuals with the sound of criss in their name.

So Benjamin, you can talk to your team, but I will take your answer as the team answer.

You have 60 seconds.

Start the clock.

He sailed the ocean blue in 1492.

Christopher Columbus.

Correct.

He was governor of New Hampshire right before Kelly Ayotte.

Chris Sununu.

Yes.

He and his brother Martin teach kids all about animals.

The Kratt brothers.

Chris Kratt.

Correct.

A.A.

Milne based this character on his son.

It is Christopher Robin.

She became the United States Secretary of Homeland Security in 2025.

Kristi Noem.

Correct.

She is the voice of Anna in Frozen and she loves sloths.

Don’t Know.

It’s Kristen Bell.

She is the first Asian-American to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics.

Don't miss Kristi Yamaguchi.

He plays Peter Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy.

Chris Pratt.

Correct.

He was slapped by Will Smith at the Oscars.

Chris Rock.

Correct.

This actor had a fever and the only prescription [was] more cowbell.

Don’t know.

It was Christopher Walken.

I apologize for the terrible impression.

Six out of ten on your 60-second round!

[applause] All right, Nashua North, Oyster River is done.

So, Colin, you and your team can choose from For the Birds and Nobel Pursuits.

For the Birds.

Okay.

So in this category, the correct responses will all be names of birds that are also a word for other things.

Names of birds that are also a word for other things.

So Colin, I will take your answer as the team answer.

60 seconds.

Start the clock.

Someone who is fearful.

It’s chicken.

What you do when a ball is thrown at your head?

Duck.

Correct Something that is dark black could be called this.

Crow.

Sorry, it's Raven.

Bragging about something.

Peacock.

That is now the time for crow, but think about that answer, judges.

What Ben Franklin used along with a key to prove a point about electricity.

Kite.

Correct.

Two strokes under par on a hole in golf.

Birdie.

Is an eagle.

A country that borders Europe and Asia.

Turkey?

Correct.

When you repeat something.

Woodpecker.

It is a parrot.

When you complain about something.

Chickadee.

It is grouse.

And what you do after you chew food.

Swallow.

You swallow.

Yes.

Fun category.

Tough category.

We're counting them up.

Five out of ten on your 60-second round!

[applause] All right.

Thank you so much, alternates.

You can go ahead and take your seats again as we get ready to get into round four.

In round four, we're going to pick back up with our toss-up questions, but we're going to do two things We're going to double the point value to 20 points, but we will be deducting 20 points for incorrect responses.

So, playing smart and strategically, Nashua High School North and Oyster River, let's play.

This rapper is known for the song Humble and his feud with Drake Daniel of Nashua North.

Kendrick Lamar.

Yes.

This Pennsylvania colony was founded by William Penn I'm sorry.

The Pennsylvania colony was founded by William Penn in 1681 as a haven for members of this religion.

Ethan of Nashua North.

Quakers.

Yes.

Who wrote The Prince, a famous work on political power during the Renaissance.

Ethan of Nashua North.

Machiavelli.

Yes.

All right, teams, for this next question, go ahead and take a look at your monitors.

This species of large cat is an endangered species in New Hampshire.

A breeding population was present in the northern part of the state until the 1950s.

Colin of Nashua North.

Bobcat.

Sorry, no.

Oyster River.

Benjamin.

Lynx.

I need you to be more specific.

Northern Lynx.

It is the Canada Lynx.

All right.

These small shacks found on frozen lakes in New Hampshire in the winter are not places for people named Robert to live.

They are meant for fishing on the ice.

You see em every winter.

The bobhouses.

What is the physical appearance of an organism called?

It's called it's phenotype.

All right, teams, the Kamakura period in this country, which lasted from 1185 to 1333, saw the rise of samurai culture.

Lydia of Oyster River Japan.

Yes.

This architectural style is characterized by pointed arches, ribbed vaults and flying buttresses.

Lydia of Oyster River.

Gothic.

Yes.

In an era before the three-point shot, this NBA player scored 100 points in a single game in 1962, a record that still stands.

Ryan of Nashua North.

Wilt Chamberlain.

That is correct.

This Southeast Asian country was formerly known as Siam.

Griffin of Oyster River.

Thailand.

That is right.

José de San Martin is considered to be the liberator of Chile, Peru, and this large South American country.

Griffin of Oyster River.

Brazil.

Sorry, no.

Nashua North.

It's Argentina.

This solid form of carbon is the hardest natural substance on Earth and a girl's best friend.

Lady of Oyster River.

Diamond.

Yes.

All right, teams, what is the next prime number after seven?

Daniel of Nashua North.

11.

11 is right.

Who was the first European to land on the east coast of Australia in 1770?

Griffin of Oyster River.

Magellan.

Sorry, no.

Nashua North.

Captain James Cook.

This French king, often referred to as the Sun King, is considered by some to be the father of ballet.

The Royal Academy of Dance was founded in France in 1661 during his reign, Lydia of Oyster River.

Louis XVI.

Sorry, no.

Nashua North.

Ethan.

Louis XIV.

Louis XIV is the one.

In the 1800 presidential election, these two men each received 73 electoral votes.

One became president and the other became his vice president.

Benjamin of Oyster River.

Adams and Jefferson.

Sorry, no.

Nashua North.

Jefferson was one.

Aaron Burr was the other.

A poem by Carl Sandburg describes this city as the Hog Butcher for the World.

That was Chicago.

This Greek tragedy by Sophocles tells the story of a woman who defies the king to bury her brother.

That story is Antigone.

This member of the Griffin family can talk despite being a baby.

Lydia of Oyster River.

Stewie.

Stewie is right.

This famous Black dancer and choreographer is known for modern dance and the Revelations suite.

It is Alvin Ailey, and that sound ends the game.

And with a strong front-to-back game, Nashua North will be moving on to the next round.

[applause] Congratulations, Nashua North, on a good win.

We'll see you in a couple of weeks in the second round.

And Oyster River, tough loss today, but we had fun having you here.

We hope you had fun being here.

And we hope you had fun at home as well joining us this week on Granite State Challenge.

We hope that you join us next week for our final first round match between Bishop Guertin and Salem.

That'll do it for us.

We hope you learned something because I did as well, and we'll see you next time.

[applause] Major funding for the production of Granite State Challenge is provided by Unitil.

Additional funding provided by Safety Insurance, NEA New Hampshire, and viewers like you.

Thank you!

♪