This week on Granite State Challenge, the team from Merrimack High School takes on the team from Souhegan 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 NEA New Hampshire, Safety Insurance, The New Hampshire Lottery, D.F., Richard Energy, Cognia, HRCU.

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 thank you so much for joining us this week on Granite State Challenge.

Our first round is in the books.

We've got eight teams that are moving on in the quarterfinals.

We've got two of those teams hoping to make it to the semifinals.

Let's introduce them to you.

First up, we have the team from Merrimack High School.

They are led by senior Captain Jack and Jack to get ready for today's Granite State challenge match.

What did you guys do?

I decorated good luck cupcakes, each with a picture of my teammates on them.

Okay.

Did you make the cupcakes?

Alli, bake them.

I decorate a new decorated.

And how they turn out.

It lived up to my artistic ability.

They were appreciative, but little horrified about what I created.

Did they taste good?

Yes.

Okay, good.

That's what matters.

All right.

Jack is joined by Rainier, who has a ranking list that I'm particularly interested in.

What is it?

It's a chocolate milk rating list of different restaurants around New England.

Okay.

Different restaurants around New England.

Who's near the top of the list right now in your ranking?

Longhorn Steakhouse and Casey's Rib Shack currently have a bowl rating.

Okay.

And what makes a good chocolate milk?

Good.

Definitely.

It's flavor.

The good, the actual quality of the milk and if it's grainy or not.

Okay.

So lots of different elements make for good chocolate milk.

Awesome.

All right.

Rainier is joined by senior Aris who's a musician.

How many instruments you play?

I play 12 instruments.

Okay.

We could name them.

We may not have time for that.

So let me ask you this.

Do you have a favorite on the list?

Definitely.

Flute.

Flute.

Was that your first instrument?

Technically, trombone was my first instrument, but flute was my first formal instrumental training.

Gotcha.

And what's the next instrument you're going to learn?

I really want to learn one of the double reeds like bassoon or oboe.

Well, good luck with that.

And Aris is joined by Senor Alli.

And Alli, you've played soccer for 14 years.

You love soccer.

I do love soccer.

Okay.

What's what's your favorite part about playing soccer?

My favorite part is definitely the team and the community aspect, as well as all the opportunities I've gotten from.

Oh, well, there you go.

It's good to be part of a team, right?

All right.

Speaking of which, the team from Merrimack Alternate are juniors Keyshawn, Trey and Liam.

And the team is coached by Sara Campbell and Sally Eagle.

They're the team from Merrimack High School.

All right, thanks.

Merrimack Facing off against them this week is the team from Souhegan high school.

Now, the team is led by senior Captain PJ, whose favorite food is barbecue.

Barbecue.

Is it your favorite food?

That or pasta.

All right.

But you work at a barbecue place, right?

Yeah, I work at the smokehouse on 101a.

Nice.

And if if I'm going to go to the smokehouse, what should I get?

Probably the brisket.

All right, cool.

Excellent.

PJ is joined by sophomore Kasen, who's a fan of which musical performer?

Weirdo.

Weird.

Al, How many weird Al concerts you've been to?

Two.

2 wierd Al concerts.

Were they good concerts?

Yes.

Yes, very funny.

What is he like about Weird Al?

He's funny and has some really smart stuff.

All right.

Yeah, I'm a big fan.

Plus, the accordion is pretty great, too.

All right.

Kasen is joined by Andrew.

A senior, wrote a research paper on what?

Fractional calculus, Fractional calculus.

I'm familiar with calculus.

I'm not so familiar with fractional calculus.

What makes a difference?

Well, calculus, like normally you would take like, the first order derivative or the second order fraction will be somewhere in between, like a three half derivative.

All right.

And how did that turn out?

How'd that paper turn out?

It was good, actually.

I got a good grade.

I did well.

It was fun, so.

All right, well, there you go.

That's fantastic.

And rounding out the team is Junior.

Alec And Junior Alec, you earned what, at karate?

I earned a black belt.

You earned a black.

About how long did it take you to get that black belt?

Like, seven years.

Seven years?

All right, that's not bad.

And, you know, it's a proud accomplishment.

And you proud of that accomplishment?

I am good.

You should be.

All right.

The team alternates are sophomore Caleb and Junior Tolush, and the team is coached by Nicholas Drinkwater and they are the team from Souhegan.

High School.

All right.

And one more introduction, and that is, of course, our judge back with us this week is Ann Boulanger.

All right.

Team's introductions are out of the way.

Go ahead and grab those devices.

We're going to play some Granite State challenge.

And, you know, in round one, we play for ten point toss up question So Merrimack, Souhegan good luck.

And here we go.

Before she had a hit with her 1985 song Running Up.

That Hill, Kate Bush had a number one hit in the UK with a 1978 song based on this novel by Emily Bronte, Aris of Merrimack.

Wuthering Heights.

That's correct.

The barn bombing of Granicus Spain by the German Luftwaffe in 1937 is the subject of a 1938 black and white painting by this artist Rainier of Merrimack.

Picasso.

Yes.

The first Groundhog Day was celebrated in 1887 in this Pennsylvania town, Rainier of Merrimack.

Punxsutawney, Yes.

This suspension bridge in California takes its name from the strait it crosses and not its color.

Aris of Merrimack, the Golden Gate Bridge.

True.

That is the thing I learned this week.

This pop boy band whose members include Lance Bass, Justin Timberlake, Jack Jazzy, Chris Kirkpatrick and Joey Fatone had hits with the songs.

Bye Bye Bye and I Want You Back.

Alli of Merrimack.

NSYNC.

Yes.

London was founded by Romans as Londinium around 47 to 50 ad on this river.

Rainier of Merrimack.

The Thames?

Yes.

In 1902, the first college Bowl game, the Rose Bowl was was played in this California city.

The Michigan Wolverines defeated Stanford University by a score of 49 to 0.

Jack of Merrimack.

Pasadena.

Yes.

This piece of music in E-flat.

Major by Tchaikovsky was composed in 1880 to commemorate the Russian defense against Napoleon's invading troops.

It includes a finale featuring cannon fire and is often used in firework displays.

Rainier of Merrimack, 1812 Overture.

That is right.

This singer songwriter was the front man for the Miracles.

The miracles are known for the songs.

You've really got a hold on me.

I second that emotion, the tracks of my tears and the tears of a clown.

It was Smokey Robinson.

All right, Teams, The first U.S. nuclear submarine launched in Groton, Connecticut, in 1954 was named for this Marine Mollusk, whose name is derived from the Greek word for Sailor Jack of Merrimack.

Nautilus Correct.

Russia at 1,542,600 square miles is the largest European country covering over 230,000 square miles.

This is the second largest jack of Merrimack, Canada.

Sorry.

Nope.

Looking for a large country in Europe.

Second largest country in Europe is Ukraine.

This band's 1969 rock opera, Tommy featured the songs.

Pinball Wizard and I'm Free Alli of Merrimack, The Who.

Yes.

Jack Offenbach's comic opera Orpheus in the Underworld features the Gallop Infernal In the final scene.

The Moulin Rouge and Folies Bergere use the music to the Gallop Infernal to accompany this dance.

Jack of Merrimack.

The Cancan.

That is right.

All right, teams, we've come to the UNITIL power question, which is a 20 point toss up question coming to you on your monitors.

Take a look.

Chadwick.

Boseman starred as T'Challa, the leader of this fictional technologically advanced country in Africa in the 2018 movie Black Panther, Aris of Merrimac Wakanda.

Yes, this element has an atomic number of 15, is identified with the letter P in the periodic table and is never found as a free element on earth.

Ali of Merrimack.

Phosphorus.

Yes.

Grover Cleveland is the only U.S. president to serve two Nonconsecutive terms.

He was both the 22nd and 24th President who was the 23rd president Kasen of Souhegan.

Benjamin Harrison Correct.

Prolific TV producer Norman Lear created the sitcoms.

Maude Sanford and Son One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons and Good Times and this groundbreaking series featuring Archie Bunker and his family.

That show was all in the family.

In 1870, politician and Minister Hiram Revels was elected by a vote of 85 to 15 by this state legislature to fill the seat vacated by Albert Brown, who vacated the seat when the state seceded from the union in 1861, Hiram Revels became the first black man to serve in either chamber of Congress.

Jack of Merrimack, South Carolina.

Sorry.

Nope.

Souhegan?

It was sorry Kasen, not quite in time.

It was the state of Mississippi.

And that is a sound that ends around one in Merrimack.

Off to a fast start in round one.

All right, teams.

Now we're going to move into round two.

And in round two are three strikes and you're out round.

Here's how it works.

Each team gets 10 questions.

We go down the line, player by player, and we go until all ten questions are answered or until three strikes and you're out.

Each team has three passes and as a reminder, the inspiration for each question can be found in the previous question.

All right, Jack, we start with you.

This is your question.

English actor Orlando Bloom is known for his role as Legolas in The Lord of the Rings movies and as Swashbuckler.

Will Turner in this series of movies, Pirates of the Caribbean, correct.

Rainier.

Orlando, Florida is the home to Disney World, which opened in 1971.

This city in California is the home to Disney Land, which opened in 1955.

Pass.

Orange.

Sorry, it is Anaheim.

This group had a huge hit in 1977 with their song Hotel California.

The Eagles.

Correct.

Jack Hotel New Hampshire is a 1971 novel by this Exeter, New Hampshire native who also wrote The World According to Garp and The Cider House Rules.

John Irving, Correct.

Rainier The World According to Garp was made into a 1982 movie starring this actor who also voiced the character of the Genie in the Disney movie Aladdin.

Pass.

Robin Williams.

Correct?

Alli The story of Aladdin is included in a collection of Persian Tales 1001 nights.

The tales are told by this storyteller who is trying to avoid execution by her husband, by keeping him entertained with one story a night pass.

Jack Shahrazad That is correct.

And you're out of passes.

Rainier.

How would you write 1001 in Roman numerals?

MI.

Correct.

Aris.

This fictional secret agent created by Ian Fleming works for MI6, James Bond.

Yes.

Alli, the singer of the 2020 James Bond film No Time to Die, was this artist also known for the song Ocean Eyes, Billie Eilish.

Correct.

And Jack, Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in a tennis match played in 1973 in the Houston Astrodome in what was known as the battle of this the sexes.

Correct.

And that is the end of your three strikes rounds.

All right.

Nice job, Merrimack.

Souhegan we're going to turn our attention to you.

And same drill.

PJ, This is your question.

While the California Gold Rush began in 18 49ers.

Correct.

Kasen, Gold has an atomic number of 79, is it?

And is known by this chemical symbol.

AU.

Correct.

Andrew This mineral is an iron sulfate and is also known as fool's gold.

Pass pass.

Alec Pyrite is correct.

P.J., back to you.

This band's song, Fool on the Hill is found on their 1967 Magical Mystery Tour album, The Beatles.

Correct.

Kasen.

This species of Beatle is known for rolling balls of excrement, dung beetle.

Correct.

Andrew While this deck of a ship shares its name with a term for excrement, it is actually taken from the French word for stern.

The poop deck.

Yes.

Alec Actor Daniel Stern voiced the adult Kevin Arnold in the series.

The Wonder Years and played the robber Marve Merchant in this 1990 movie starring Macaulay Culkin.

Home Alone.

Yes, P.J., when she wasn't being Wonder Woman, this superhero was known by this name Pass.

All right.

Same question.

I don't know.

It is Diane.

Diana.

Prince Andrew.

Singer songwriter.

Prince was born and raised in this Minnesota city where he played basketball for his high school team and according to his coach, was, quote, a darn good basketball player.

I don't know.

It's Minneapolis, Alec.

On August 4th, 2022, WNBA player Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison on smuggling charges.

She was released on December 8th, 2022, in a prisoner exchange with this country, Russia.

Correct.

And that is the end of your three strikes rounds.

All right, Teams, at this time, we're going to move into round three, which is our 60 second round.

And at this time, I would like to invite two alternates from each team to join their teams up at the podium in this round.

Each team gets ten questions in a category.

We will give you guys ten points for each correct response and a bonus of ten points if you get them all correct.

You guys can work and talk as a team and I will take the captain's answers as the team answers.

Souhegan as the team trailing right now.

You guys get to select first from these categories.

They are tower time, girl power and animal habitats.

Tower time.

Tower time.

All right.

The answers to all of the following will be related to towers.

All right.

Again, P.J., I'll take your answer as the team answer.

60 seconds.

Start the clock.

This building in New York City bears the name of the 45th president.

Trump Tower.

Yes.

This building in Italy is a bit tilted leaning Tower of Pisa.

Yes.

This chess piece looks like a tower.

Brook.

Yes.

This butte in the Black Hills of Wyoming, is featured in the 1977 movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind Devil's Tower Yes.

This structure in Paris was built for the 1889 Eiffel Tower.

Yes.

All of Great Britain's fanciest and most regal jewels can be found here.

Tower of London?

Yes.

This tower in Toronto was built by Canadian National and was the tallest freestanding structure in the world until 2007.

Tower.

So it's the CN tower.

The Dark Tower is a series of eight novels and one children's book by this author Stephen King.

Yes.

This is the second volume in J.R.R.

Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Two Towers.

Yes.

Monty Python alum John Cleese played innkeeper Basil Fawlty in this British sitcom.

Tower.

Sorry it's Fawlty Towers.

And at the end of your round, eight out of ten on your 60 second round.

Great job Souhegan we're going to turn our attention over to Merrimack and Jack.

You could speak for your team.

You can choose from our remaining categories Girl power and animal Habitats.

Girl power, please.

Girl Power.

It is.

The answers to the following will be female characters in children's and young adult literature.

Okay, Jack, I'll take your answer as the team answer.

60 seconds.

Start the clock.

She kept Peter Pan and her brothers in order.

Wendy?

Yes.

She was best friends with Harry and Ron at Hogwarts.

Hermione Granger?

Yes.

She spied on friends and family.

Harriet.

Harriet?

Yes.

She is a pest and brave in a series of books by Beverly Cleary.

Ramona.

Ramona?

Yes.

She is the narrator of the Hunger Games trilogy.

Katniss Everdeen.

Yes.

She is sent to school to a school run by the tyrannical Miss Trunchbull.

Matilda?

Yes.

This team solved mysteries in books written by authors writing as Carolyn.

Keene.

Nancy Drew?

Yes.

She grew up with her sisters, Mary Carey and Grace on the Prairie and other places.

Engels Wild.

Judges think about that.

This character in a novel by Jean Craighead is lost in the wild and lives with a wolf pack.

Princess Mononoke.

No, it is Julie, this character created by Louisa may Alcott, dreams of being a writer.

Joe.

Yes.

We'll take that.

And what is that again?

Nine out of ten on your 60 second round.

All right.

Great Jobs, teams, alternates.

You can go ahead and take your seats as we roll into round four.

And in round four, we'll pick back up with our toss up questions.

But we're going to double the point value.

So 20 point toss up questions and we will be deducting 20 points for incorrect responses.

So a lot to play for here.

Merrimack and Souhegan Here we go.

Actor Harrison Ford played pilot Han Solo in the Star Wars movies and archeologist Indiana Jones in the Indiana Jones movies.

Spell archeologist.

Kasen of Souhegan.

A.r.c.h.e.o.l.o.g.i.s.t.

Yes, sir.

Well done teams.

In what novel will you find Captain Ahab sailing in the Pequod Jack of Merrimack.

Moby Dick.

That's it.

In the Scopes trial, Clarence Darrow was the attorney defending John Scopes and this U.S. representative from Nebraska, three time presidential candidate of the Democratic Party.

And former secretary of State, known for his oratory, was the prosecutor, Jack of Merrimack.

William Jennings Bryan.

That is right.

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

This.

CORNISH New Hampshire native served as chief justice of the US.

Supreme Court from 1864 to 1873.

He was also the 23rd governor of Ohio, the 25th US secretary of the Treasury and a U.S. senator from Ohio.

His name was Salmon P Chase.

All right, teams the OWN network 0wn is named for this influential television host, producer and actor jack of Merrimack.

Oprah Winfrey.

Yes.

The skin is the largest organ of the integumentary System Integumentary System.

Well, let's say that or outer layer of the human body, the largest solid interior organ is this organ, which is about the size of a football in an adult.

Andrew Lungs.

Sorry.

No, Merrimack?

The liver was what we were looking for on August.

In August of 1957, this US senator from South Carolina launched a 24 hour and 18 minute speaking filibuster on the Senate floor to block a vote on the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

To date, this is the longest single person filibuster in Senate history.

Jack of Merrimack.

Strom Thurmond.

Yes.

This Londonderry, New Hampshire native was an officer of the British Army during the French and Indian War and a major general in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

He is often referred to as the hero of Bennington for his participation in the 1777 Battle of Bennington.

Aris of Merrimack.

John Stark Correct.

All right, teams, you have pencil and paper in case you need it.

For a little math question here, There are 25 students in a class and 20% of them forget to bring in a permission slip for a field trip.

How many students failed to bring in a permission slip and will now have to spend the rest of the day in the library writing an essay about forgetfulness.

Andrew of Souhegan.

20.

Sorry No Jack of Merrimack.

Five five Yes.

Five.

Forgot that permission slip On this date in 1776, the Continental Congress approved a resolution submitted by Henry Lee of Virginia that stated, quote, that these United Colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is and ought to be totally dissolved.

Jack of Merrimack, July 4th.

Sorry, no.

Kasen of Souhegan.

July 2nd.

July 2nd.

Yes.

In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed an executive order adding this phrase to the Pledge of Allegiance.

Jack of Merrimack under God, Yes.

This country, founded in 1932 by King Abdulaziz, also known as Ibn Saudi, is an absolute monarchy.

Jack of Merrimack, Saudi Arabia.

Correct.

All right, teams, Our next question is a science question from the New Hampshire Science Teachers Association coming to you on your monitors.

Take a look.

Hi, I'm Leslie from the New Hampshire Science.

Teachers Association, and I have a science question for you.

In 1822, this polymath, considered by many to be the father of the computer, proposed a difference engine in a paper to the Royal Astronomical Society in England.

His name is Charles Babbage.

All right, teams.

In a 1946 speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri.

This World War Two leader stated in a speech that, quote, from Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent in what became known as his Iron Curtain speech, ushering in the Cold War.

Alec of Souhegan.

Churchill.

Yes.

Teams.

What do you call the chemical bonds that are formed as the result of the sharing of electrons between atoms?

Rainier of Merrimack Covalent.

That's right.

In 1864, this future President was appointed commanding general of the US Army, replacing Henry W Halleck.

PJ of Souhegan.

Grant?

Yes.

This 1869 work by Leo Tolstoy chronicles the French invasion of Russia and the impact of the Napoleonic era on Russian society through the stories of five Russian aristocratic families.

Jack of Merrimack, War and Peace.

Yes, Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote the poem.

Charge of the Light Brigade about the Battle of Balaclava.

During this war, that was during the Crimean War.

Teams, Who faces the monster.

Grendel in an old English epic poem.

Jack of Merrimack.

Beowulf.

All right.

This could be a southern fried corn fritter, a brand of shoes or what you tell your yappy young dog to do.

Sorry, Jack.

We're not going to get to that one.

But it was Hushpuppy.

And by an impressive score of 520 to 210, Merrimack will be moving on to the semifinals.

Congratulations Merrimack on a great win.

We'll see you in a couple of weeks in those semifinals.

Souhegan, a tough loss this time around, but a good win last time.

We hope you had fun.

And we thank you guys for joining us.

And we hope that you had fun as well.

We hope you join us next week.

While the team from Hopkinton and Saint Thomas Aquinas face off.

That'll do it for us.

I learned a lot this week, 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 NEA New Hampshire, Safety Insurance, The New Hampshire Lottery, DF Richard Energy, Cognia, HRCU, and viewers like you.

Thank you.