This week on Granite State Challenge, the Royals of Mascoma Valley Regional High School... take on the Bobcats of Plymouth Regional 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.

We are halfway through the first round of season 44 of Granite State Challenge.

Four teams have already punched their ticket to the next round, and two teams are here this week hoping to join them.

Let's introduce them to you.

First up, we have the team from Mascoma Valley Regional High School.

I'm Adeline, and I'm a senior.

I'm Carl.

I'm a junior.

I'm Abby.

I'm a junior.

I'm Isaac.

I'm a sophomore.

Their alternate is R(e)il(l)ey, and the team is coached by social studies teacher John Sweetland.

And they're the team from Mascoma Valley Regional High School!

And facing off against them this week will be the team from Plymouth Regional High School.

I'm Abe.

I'm a junior, and I'm the captain for Plymouth.

I'm Yuriy.

I'm a junior.

I'm Leif.

I'm a sophomore.

I'm Ezra.

I'm a junior.

Their alternates are Aurora, Cam, and Olivia, and the team is coached by drafting teacher Jay Fogarty and world languages teacher Troy Harris.

And they're the team from Plymouth Regional High School!

Those are our teams this week.

But we do have one more introduction, of course, 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 as we get ready to play some Granite State Challenge.

As you know, we play in four rounds, and in round one we play ten- point toss-up questions.

So, Mascoma Valley, Plymouth Regional, good luck, and here we go.

The ancient city of Troy is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site called Hisarl k, located in this country.

Carl of Mascoma.

Turkey.

Yes.

In the first rendition of what would become Mickey Mouse’s pet, this dog appeared as a bloodhound chasing Mickey Mouse after he escaped from prison in the 1930 animated short The Chain Gang.

Carl of Mascoma.

Pluto.

Pluto's right.

This Chinese philosophy founded between 551 and 479 BCE emphasized family loyalty and respect for elders, along with moral uprightness.

Abe of Plymouth.

Confucianism.

Yes.

This Dreamworks film features a bear voiced by Jack Black who becomes a martial arts master.

Adeline of Mascoma.

Kung Fu Panda.

Yes.

Teams, this novel by Stephen Chbosky uses letters to tell the story of a socially awkward high school student.

Abe of Plymouth.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Correct.

This southern rapper is known for popularizing crunk music and big hits like Yeah!

Carl of Mascoma.

Usher.

We'll think about that.

Sorry, no.

Plymouth?

It was Lil Jon, featuring Usher.

Sorry.

This popular animated show featuring Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny was created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker.

Ezra of Plymouth.

South Park.

Yes.

This Roman amphitheater used for gladiator contests and public spectacles is known as the Flavian Amphitheater, or this more recognizable name.

Leif of Plymouth.

The Colosseum.

That's right.

You can easily remember these three main subatomic particles of an atom with the mnemonic device PEN.

Abe of Plymouth.

Proton, neutron, and electron.

Correct.

All right, teams, it’s time for our Unitil Power Question.

So 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.

The German Eurodance group Snap!

claimed they had this in a 1990 song.

Yuriy of Plymouth Regional.

The Power.

The Power is right.

With 33,900 miles of coastline, this U.S.

state has the longest coastline in the country.

Abe of Plymouth.

Alaska.

Yes.

Teams, what is the maximum score in a single frame of bowling?

Abe of Plymouth.

300.

Sorry, no.

Mascoma.

Abby.

Ten.

Sorry, nope.

It is 30... in a single frame.

All right, teams, a math question for you.

You have pencil and paper if you want.

What is the next number in the sequence?

2, 6, 18, 54.

Carl of Mascoma.

162.

Correct.

This Black medical researcher and surgeon improved blood storage techniques and invented bloodmobiles.

In 1941, he was named director of the first American Red Cross blood bank, a position he resigned from in 1942 over the Red Cross policy of segregated blood donation.

His name was Charles Richard Drew.

All right, teams, this tennis player has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles in her career.

Ezra of Plymouth.

Serena Williams.

She's the one.

In a metric world, this novel by Ray Bradbury might have been titled Celsius 232.7.

Adeline of Mascoma.

Fahrenheit 451.

That's right.

All right, teams, it’s time for our Semiquincentennial Question.

This is a 25-point toss-up question celebrating America's 250th anniversary coming to you on your monitors.

Hello.

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

The 1783 Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the American Revolutionary War, was signed by Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and this future president.

Abe of Plymouth Regional.

Thomas Jefferson.

Sorry, no.

Mascoma.

Carl.

John Adams.

John Adams is the one.

This Austrian composer is known for his Symphony No.

40 and many operas, including The Marriage of Figaro, and Don Giovanni.

Abe of Plymouth.

Beethoven.

Sorry, no.

Mascoma.

Carl.

Mozart.

Mozart's the one, yes.

This could be a common decoration at Christmas, what you use to open a walnut, or a ballet first performed in 1892.

Ezra of Plymouth.

A nutcracker.

Yes.

The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee explores racism and injustice in the Deep South through the eyes of this young girl.

Abe of Plymouth.

Scout Finch.

Yes.

Dmitri Mendeleev is often referred to as the father of this elemental guide.

Abe of Plymouth.

The periodic table.

That's right.

The total dollar value of everything a country produces during a set period like a quarter or a year is known as GDP.

What does GDP stand for?

Abe of Plymouth.

Gross domestic product.

That's right.

This river made famous in a waltz by Austrian composer Johann Strauss II flows through four national capitals Vienna, Austria; Bratislava, Slovakia; Budapest, Hungary; and Belgrade, Serbia.

Leif of Plymouth.

[inaudible] Say it again.

[pseudomemory] Sorry, no.

Mascoma.

Carl.

The Danube.

The Danube is the river, yes.

And that sound ends round one.

And we've got a pretty tight game here, folks, with Plymouth out to a slight lead.

Great first round, teams.

We're going to take a quick break in the action, get to know our players a little bit.

We're going to start with the team from Mascoma Valley Regional High School.

Mascoma Valley Regional High School’s up in Canaan, but there are five towns served by this high school.

And we're going to start down here at the end with Isaac.

So Isaac, you can do something fairly unique, I think, with your thumbs.

Tell us.

So, I have hypermobile thumbs, meaning I can bend them behind my knuckles.

Okay.

Now, for the folks at home enjoying that, is that a when did you learn you had this skill?

This ability?

I learned this in seventh grade.

Okay.

And does it give you any benefits?

If you're video gaming, playing piano, anything like that?

Absolutely not.

Nope.

Just something you can show off to friends.

All right.

Excellent.

Joining Isaac is Abby.

Abby, when you were on in your wild card game, we talked about how you were learning languages.

And since that time, you've added a fourth language to your repertoire of learning.

What is it?

It's Malay.

Malay.

So this is a language they speak in Malaysia?

Yes.

Okay.

And how come Malay?

My school is hosting a Malaysian student this upcoming semester, and I figured I'd learn their language.

So you've got an exchange student coming to school, thought you'd learn their language, make them feel a little more welcome.

Yep.

Fantastic.

I love that.

All right.

Joining Abby is Carl.

Carl, in addition to being a great sweater vest wearer, is also a runner.

Three running sports.

What are the three running sports you do?

Cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track.

Okay.

And of those three, do you have a preference?

Cross country.

Okay.

So why do you like cross country the most?

Running laps on the track gets boring after a while, and cross is just much more interesting.

You get to enjoy some scenery, some outdoors.

I understand, I understand.

Very good.

And last but not least, captain of the team Adeline is a musician.

Been playing the same instrument now for nine years.

What instrument’s that.

I play the trumpet.

Okay.

Why did you decide on the trumpet?

My best friend wanted to be a Boy Scout, so he wanted to learn the trumpet, and it kind of became a We want to learn the trumpet.

Gotcha.

So you and your friend, you're doing this together?

You both still in band together?

Yes.

All right.

Anyone first chair?

I'm first chair in concert band.

He's first chair in jazz band.

So still sharing like good friends do.

Excellent.

All right, that's Adeline, and that's the team from Mascoma Valley Regional High School.

[applause] Their opponent this week is the team from Plymouth Regional High School, located in Plymouth but serving nine towns up in Grafton County.

And of all of the students there at Plymouth Regional High School, we're going to start down here at the end with Ezra.

All right, we just talked to Adeline about her musicianship.

You're a musician too.

What do you play?

I play the alto saxophone.

The alto saxophone.

Okay.

And why did you choose the saxophone?

It just seemed like the coolest one.

It does kind of seem like the coolest one sometimes.

Yeah.

So, are you in the band?

I'm in the jazz band.

Okay.

Do you prefer jazz band to, sort of, concert band?

Jazz band is much more fun.

A little more fun.

All right, I got you there.

All right.

Joining Ezra is Leif.

Got to go on a really cool trip recently.

Where’d you get to go?

I got to go to Washington, D.C.

And was this something you did with school or with family?

I went with my mom.

Okay.

What would you say the highlight of your trip was?

The overall highlight was getting to, like, bike around the monuments at night and just seeing how they were all lit up and everything.

It was a good experience.

So a self-guided evening bike tour.

I love that.

I can think of nothing better.

Awesome.

All right.

Yuriy is working on a hobby right now.

You’re modeling what?

3D models in Blender.

So 3D models on a computer program called Blender?

Yes.

Is that how it works?

Okay.

And what types of things are you making models of?

Random things mostly, but I recently made a statue for my dad.

Okay.

As like a gift?

Yeah.

Oh, fantastic.

How did he like it?

He liked it.

All right.

Is this just a hobby?

Something you're doing for a class?

A club hobby?

A hobby.

Just a hobby.

All right.

Excellent.

And, captain of the team is Abe.

And Abe’s got a pretty cool job.

A good summer job, I would say, but unexpected, right?

Where do you work?

I work on a Christmas tree farm.

So you work on Christmas tree farm during the summers.

All right.

And, what do you do on a Christmas tree farm during the summer?

We plant little trees, and then we shear the big trees to make them look nice for the winter.

Awesome.

And, do you like it?

Do you like the job?

You like working outside or is it tough?

I like it.

It's hard sometimes, but it's a lot better than being behind a counter, I think.

There you go.

Yeah.

Nothing better being outside in the sun.

That's Abe.

And this is the team from Plymouth Regional High School!

[applause] All right, teams, thanks so much for that break in the action.

We're going to move into round two of the game, which is our three strikes and you're out round.

The way this round works is each team gets ten questions and we go down the line player by player asking each question.

We'll give you ten points for each correct response.

And each team has three passes, so if you don't know the answer to the question, you can pass to your teammate next to you.

And just as a reminder, every question has a little clue in it for the next question.

We'll keep going until all ten questions are asked or until three strikes and you're out.

We'll do this alphabetically, so Mascoma, that means we start with you.

And Adeline, this is your question.

This plan helped rebuild Europe after World War II.

Pass.

Pass to Carl.

Marshall Plan.

Marshall Plan is correct.

Abby.

Rapper and writer Marshall Mathers is better known by this name.

No answer.

It is Eminem.

Isaac.

This band, known for songs like Jump, Panama, and Running with the Devil, ask for M&Ms to be placed backstage at their concerts as long as the brown M&Ms were removed as a way to check to see if promoters were reading their contracts.

Ooh, sorry.

Ran out of time there.

The band we were looking for is Van Halen.

Adeline, back to you.

Martin Van Buren served as vice president from 1833 to 1837 under this president, whose face is found on the $20 bill.

Andrew Jackson.

Correct.

Carl.

The video for Michael Jackson's song Thriller was directed by John Landis, who also directed this film starring John Belushi and set at Faber College, which was partially based on life at Dartmouth College.

Pass.

Pass to Abby.

Sorry, time ran out.

That's Animal House, and that is the third strike to end your round.

[applause] All right, Plymouth, we turn our attention to you.

Same procedure.

Abe, we'll start with you.

This is your question.

This song by Queen features a little silhouetto of a man, and the singer asks if you will do the fandango.

Bohemian Rhapsody.

Correct.

Yuriy.

Rhapsody in Blue was written for solo piano and jazz band by this man in 1924.

No answer.

It is George Gershwin.

Leif.

George Harrison, guitarist for this band, wrote the songs Taxman, Here Comes the Sun, and Something.

The Beatles.

Yes.

Ezra.

This actor, who also played Batman three times, was the title character in the movie Beetlejuice.

No answer.

It is Michael Keaton.

Abe, back to you.

Michael J. Fox, who played conservative teenager [Alex] P. Keaton in the sitcom Family Ties, also played this character in the Back to the Future movies.

Marty McFly.

Yes.

Yuriy.

Rizzo, Frenchy, Jan, and Marty were all members of this group in the musical Grease.

Sorry, it is the Pink Ladies, and that is the third strike to end your round.

[applause] All right, round two is done.

We're going to roll right into round three, our 60-second round.

Alternates, I'd like to invite you to come on up and join your teams at the podiums.

In our 60-second round, each team gets ten questions in a category.

You could talk together and work together as a team.

And, Mascoma, since you are the team currently trailing, you get to select first from these categories All for One, Family Feud, and Climb Every Mountain.

Adeline, you can talk to your team to decide the category.

All for One, Family Feud, and Climb Every Mountain.

All for One.

All right.

So the answers to the following will all include the number 1.

All right, Adeline?

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

60 Seconds.

Start the clock.

Boyband with Harry Styles.

One Direction.

Correct.

Rhyming Doctor Seuss book about Jay and Kay and the creatures they meet.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Flue Fish.

Correct.

Norman Lear series from the 1970s about a mom and her two daughters remade in 2017.

Skip.

It's One Day at a Time.

1975 film starring Jack Nicholson, based on a 1962 novel by Ken Kesey.

Skip.

It is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Novel by Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Márquez about the Buendía family.

Skip.

It is One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Bob Marley wants everyone to get together and feel all right in this song.

One World.

It’s One Love.

Basketball game played between two individuals.

One-on-one.

Yes.

Freddie Mercury asks, Are you ready for this?

in this takedown song.

Pass.

Another One Bites the Dust.

Her loneliness is killing her in this Britney Spears song.

Hit Me Baby One More Time.

Yes.

In this 2011 novel by Ernest Cline, people use VR to escape reality.

That was Ready Player One.

And adding them up.

Four out of ten on your 60-second round.

[applause] All right, Plymouth, we turn over to you.

And Abe, you and your team can choose from Family Feud or Climb Every Mountain.

We're gonna go with Climb Every Mountain.

Climb Every Mountain, okay.

So for this category, the answer to the following will all include the word mountain or mount.

All right.

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

60 seconds.

Start the clock.

Bright green carbonated drink.

Mountain Dew.

Yes.

This is the highest peak in New Hampshire.

Mount Washington.

Yes.

In 79 A.D., it blew its top and buried Mount Vesuvius.

Yes.

There ain't no valley low enough in this song by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.

Ain't No Mountain High Enough.

American primatologist Dian Fossey studied these primates.

Mountain gorillas.

Yes.

This large feline species is also known as puma or Mountain lion.

Yes.

This was the home of the father of our country.

Mount Vernon.

Yes.

This volcano in Washington state erupted in 1980.

Mount Saint Helens.

This freestanding mountain in Tanzania is the tallest mountain in Africa.

Mount Kilimanjaro.

Yes.

This is the second highest peak in New Hampshire.

Mount Monadnock?

Sorry, it is Mount Adams.

But a good round.

Nine out of ten on your 60-second round.

All right, alternates, thank you so much.

You can go ahead and take your seats as we get ready for round four.

In round four, we're going to pick back up with our toss-up questions, but we're going to change the point value to 20 points, and we'll be deducting 20 points for incorrect responses.

So, still a pretty tight game going into round four.

Mascoma and Plymouth, Good luck.

Here we go.

This could be the name of a 1997 movie starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage or the beginning of a hockey game.

Carl of Mascoma.

Face/Off (or face-off).

That's right.

Go ahead and take a look at your monitors, teams, for this next question.

You are looking at the 1929 painting Chop Suey by this American painter known for urban realist scenes like Nighthawks and Automat.

Abe of Plymouth.

Hopper.

Hopper is right.

This colony was founded in 1634 as a refuge for Catholics under a charter granted to the Calvert family by King Charles I. Carl of Mascoma.

Maryland.

Yes.

All right, teams, we've got another math question for you.

If a right triangle has legs of lengths 6 and 8 inches, what is the length of the hypotenuse?

Carl of Mascoma.

Ten inches.

Ten is right, yes.

This could be the breed of Charlie Brown's dog or the survey ship Charles Darwin sailed on to South America.

Abe of Plymouth.

The Beagle.

Yes.

These can be served poached, scrambled, deviled, or even green.

Adeline of Mascoma.

Eggs.

Yes.

After challenging Puritan religious beliefs, this woman was banished in 1638 from the Massachusetts Bay Colony and went on to establish a settlement with her followers in what is now Portsmouth, Rhode Island, Abe of Plymouth.

Anne Hutchinson.

She is the one.

All right, teams, go ahead and take another look at your monitors.

You are looking at the top of the Chrysler Building in New York City.

It opened in 1930 and is famous for this architectural and design style popular in the 1920s and 1930s.

Abe of Plymouth.

Art Deco.

Correct.

This ballet tells the story of a prince who falls in love with a princess who is cursed to be a bird by day.

Adeline of Mascoma.

Swan Lake.

Correct.

In 1066, William the Conqueror defeated Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon King of England, in this battle.

Carl of Mascoma.

Battle of Hastings.

Yes.

This could be the basic unit of life or where you might spend a lifetime sentence for murder.

Leif of Plymouth.

Cell.

Yes.

The International Tennis Hall of Fame is found in this Rhode Island city famous for its seaside mansions.

Abe of Plymouth.

The Hamptons.

Sorry, no.

Mascoma.

You'll find it in Newport, Rhode Island.

All right, teams, our next question comes to you on your monitors from New Hampshire's Kid Governor.

Take a look.

Hi.

I’m Liv Crete-Sayer, New Hampshire's 2026 Kid Governor, and here's my question for you.

This president and former actor known as the Gipper, served as governor of California from 1967 to 1975.

Carl of Mascoma.

Ronald Reagan.

He is the one.

This epic poem is about the king of Uruk and his adventures, including his search for eternal life.

Abe of Plymouth.

The Epic of Gilgamesh.

Yes, in the immersive technology world, what does the acronym VR stand for?

Yuriy of Plymouth.

Virtual reality.

That's right.

Austrian WWE wrestler Gunther comes out of the ring to music from this symphony by Czech composer Antonin Dvo ák.

Symphony No.

9.

All right, teams, Who was the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty in England?

That was Elizabeth I. This 1927 film starring Al Jolson is famous for being the first feature length talkie.

That was The Jazz Singer.

Louis the 14th, who was known as the Sun King, ruled France from 1643 until his death in 1715, making him the longest- reigning monarch in history.

What is 14 in Roman numerals?

Abe of Plymouth.

XIV.

Correct.

This man was the founder and first president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, or North Vietnam, from 1945 until his death in 1969.

Abe of Plymouth.

Ho Chi Minh.

Yes.

The 1757 Battle of Plassey led to the establishment of this company's rule in India.

Carl of Mascoma.

British East India Company.

That is right, Bela Lugosi, Gary Oldman, and even Adam Sandler have all played this character in the movies.

Isaac of Mascoma.

Batman.

Sorry, no.

Plymouth?

It was Dracula.

This novel by John Steinbeck set during the Great Depression follows the Joad family as they travel west to California.

Abe of Plymouth.

Grapes of Wrath.

Grapes of Wrath is correct.

And that sound ends the game.

And with a strong round four, Plymouth Regional will be moving on to the next round.

[applause] Congratulations, Plymouth, on a great win.

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

And Mascoma Valley, congratulations on your wild card win, but tough loss today.

But we hope you had fun being here.

We had fun having you here.

And we hope you had fun, as well, at home.

We do hope that you tune in next week to see the teams from Bow High School and Hopkinton High School face off.

That'll do it for us this week on Granite State Challenge.

And, I learned something, and I hope you did as well.

We'll see you next time.

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!

♪