This match day draws a neat arc from the everyday (the wheat in your pasta) through interwar international law, Civil War battlefields and baseball history, mid‑century short fiction, Ohio’s outsized role in American popular music, and a physics term that doubles as a sci‑fi plot device. The range rewards players who recognize how a single word or place name (durum, mandate, Kennesaw, flux) can carry precise technical meanings across very different domains.

Several questions turn on words with layered identities. A “mandate” is not just a generic order but the specific League of Nations trusteeship used to administer former German and Ottoman territories such as South West Africa (later Namibia) and Palestine after World War I. “Flux” likewise has a rigorous definition in transport physics (rate of flow of a quantity through a surface per unit area) and a specialized role in metallurgy as a purifying, flow‑promoting additive, even before it shows up in Back to the Future as the “flux capacitor” that makes time travel possible.

You also see how cultural knowledge stitches things together: Kennesaw Mountain, the highest point in metro Atlanta, shares its name (minus a letter) with Kenesaw Mountain Landis, Major League Baseball’s first commissioner, who was named after the Civil War battle fought there. J.D. Salinger’s Nine Stories links three seemingly random story titles into a single landmark collection. The Ohio music question weaves together R&B (The O’Jays), new wave (Devo), industrial rock (Nine Inch Nails), indie rock (Guided By Voices), bubblegum pop (Ohio Express) and 1970s funk (Ohio Players), all pointing back to the same state. Finally, the food question anchors the set in real‑world labels: common wheat makes up roughly 95% of global wheat production, while hard durum wheat, milled into semolina, underlies most dry commercial pasta.

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Study Notes

Question 1: Durum Wheat & Semolina

Q1. FOOD/DRINK - The appropriately named common wheat accounts for about 95% of global wheat production. In second place is what hard variety, milled to make semolina flour and the source for nearly all commercially produced pasta? Answer: DURUM

Core concept: Common or bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) accounts for about 95% of world wheat output, while hard durum wheat (Triticum durum or T. turgidum subsp. durum) is the second‑most cultivated wheat species, representing roughly 5–8% of global production and providing the coarse semolina used in most dried commercial pasta.

Durum wheat facts:

  • Common wheat makes up about 95% of global wheat production, making it by far the dominant species.
  • Durum (Latin for “hard”) is a tetraploid wheat known for its very hard kernels and is the second‑most cultivated wheat species worldwide, accounting for about 5–8% of global wheat.
  • When durum is milled, the endosperm is ground into coarse granules called semolina; durum semolina’s high protein and gluten content make it especially suitable for pasta.
  • Commercially produced dry pasta (pasta secca) is made almost exclusively from durum semolina, which also gives pasta its characteristic yellow color from carotenoid pigments.

Connections

  • Reading pasta labels: Packaged dried pasta in U.S. and European supermarkets often lists “durum wheat semolina” as the sole ingredient, so anyone who cooks pasta regularly has seen the word on boxes (for instance, Trader Joe’s highlights “organic durum wheat semolina” on its imported fusilli pasta).
  • Couscous and bulgur: Many North African and Levantine dishes (couscous, kibbeh, some tabbouleh and pilafs) are traditionally based on durum semolina or cracked durum wheat, so Middle Eastern cookbooks frequently mention it.
  • Food writing & industry pieces: Articles aimed at bakers and food manufacturers emphasize that durum is the second‑most cultivated wheat type and describe its protein content and pasta uses, reinforcing the durum–semolina–pasta chain.
  • Agronomy and plant‑science sources: General wheat overviews and crop guides routinely contrast common wheat (95% of production) with durum as a smaller but important class, especially in arid Mediterranean and North American plains regions.

Sources

  • Common wheat – Confirms that common/bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) accounts for about 95% of global wheat production.
  • Durum wheat – Identifies durum as a tetraploid “pasta wheat,” the second‑most cultivated wheat species after common wheat, with roughly 5–8% of world production, and explains that milling its endosperm yields semolina used for pasta.
  • Wheat – General taxonomy and cultivation overview that also notes durum as the second‑most widely cultivated wheat type.
  • Semolina – Defines semolina as a coarse flour traditionally made from durum wheat, with high protein/gluten making it suitable for pasta.
  • “The case for durum wheat” – Trade article describing durum as the second‑most cultivated wheat species (5–8% of production), rich in protein and closely associated with pasta and semolina.
  • “Wheat” overview – Ingredient profile that reiterates that durum is the second‑most cultivated wheat (~5% of global production) and highlights its yellow endosperm and adaptation to arid climates.
  • Trader Joe’s Organic Fusilli Corti Bucati review – Example of consumer food writing that explicitly mentions high‑quality dried pasta made from in‑house‑ground organic durum wheat semolina.

Question 2: League of Nations Mandates

Q2. WORLD HIST - What was the name used for the form of international trusteeship devised by the League of Nations to administer former German and Ottoman colonies after World War I? By the end of WWII, some territories had achieved independence, with notable exceptions including Namibia and Palestine. Answer: MANDATE

Core concept: After World War I, the League of Nations created the “mandate” system, under which Allied powers administered former German and Ottoman colonies as “mandated territories” classified into A, B, and C mandates; South West Africa (now Namibia) and Palestine remained under mandate or quasi‑mandate arrangements long after others moved toward independence.

Key facts:

  • A mandate was an authorization from the League of Nations allowing a member state to govern a former German or Turkish colony; these territories were explicitly called mandated territories or mandates.
  • Article 22 of the League’s Covenant created a three‑tier system: Class A mandates (e.g., Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine) were considered closest to independence; Class B mandates managed former German African colonies like Tanganyika and Ruanda‑Urundi; Class C mandates, such as South West Africa and certain Pacific islands, were administered as integral parts of the mandatory’s territory.
  • South West Africa, formerly German South West Africa, was entrusted to South Africa as a Class C mandate; South Africa continued to administer it even after the UN General Assembly revoked the mandate in 1966, and it finally achieved independence as Namibia in 1990.
  • The Mandate for Palestine gave Britain administrative control over Palestine and Transjordan, former Ottoman territories, from 1923 until 1948 (Palestine) and 1946 (Transjordan, later Jordan).
  • Nearly all League mandates had transitioned either to independence or to UN trusteeship by 1990, but South West Africa/Namibia was notably delayed, remaining under contested South African control until its independence.

Connections

  • Middle East history & film/TV: The British Mandate in Palestine features heavily in histories of the Arab–Israeli conflict and in works like the British TV serial The Promise, which follows a young woman investigating her grandfather’s service in the final years of the mandate, and films like A Tale of Love and Darkness and Shoshana, both set in Mandatory Palestine.
  • Namibia’s independence story: Overviews of Namibian history routinely explain that it was a former German colony turned League of Nations mandate under South African administration, with the UN declaring that mandate terminated before independence in 1990—this background often appears in documentaries or news pieces about apartheid and decolonization.
  • General international‑law texts: Introductory IR or international‑law books explain the League’s mandate system as a predecessor to the UN trusteeship system, so the word mandate has a very specific interwar technical meaning beyond “order” or “instruction.”
  • Cultural memory of the British Mandate: Articles on Britain’s role in Israel/Palestine frequently note that in 1922 the League granted Britain the Mandate for Palestine and that debates over this period remain politically charged, a context echoed in modern films and political commentary.

Sources

  • Mandate – Clear definition of a League of Nations mandate, its legal basis in Article 22, and the A/B/C classification of mandated territories.
  • South West Africa – Describes South West Africa as a League of Nations mandate under South African administration, the UN’s termination of the mandate, and eventual independence of Namibia in 1990.
  • German South West Africa – Traces German colonial control and the post‑WWI transfer of the territory to South Africa under a League mandate and its later independence as Namibia.
  • League of Nations mandate – Broad overview of the mandate system, its post‑WWI origins, and the eventual transition of mandates into independent states or UN trust territories.
  • UNTAG historical background – UN account explaining that Namibia (South West Africa) was the only former African League mandate not placed under the UN Trusteeship System and summarizing the UN’s efforts to end South African rule.
  • Mandate for Palestine – Details the League of Nations Mandate for Palestine and Transjordan, including dates, legal basis, and Britain’s role.
  • “What role has Britain played in the history of Israel and Palestine?” – Journalistic overview of Britain’s involvement in Palestine, highlighting the Balfour Declaration and the League’s grant of the mandate.
  • The Promise – Example of a drama centered on the last years of British Mandatory Palestine.
  • A Tale of Love and Darkness – Notes that the film is set in Jerusalem in the last years of Mandatory Palestine and early statehood.
  • Shoshana – Describes a thriller set in 1930s–40s British Mandatory Palestine under the League mandate.

Question 3: Kennesaw Mountain & Kenesaw Mountain Landis

Q3. GEOGRAPHY - The name of the highest peak in suburban Atlanta is notable in its relation to the name of Major League Baseball’s controversial first Commissioner. What is that peak’s name? Answer: KENNESAW MOUNTAIN

Core concept: Kennesaw Mountain is a prominent peak in Cobb County, Georgia, whose summit (about 1,808 feet above sea level) is the highest point in the urban/suburban Atlanta metro area; its Civil War battle later inspired the name of Kenesaw Mountain Landis, Major League Baseball’s first commissioner, creating the name‑based clue in this question.

Key facts:

  • Kennesaw Mountain lies between the cities of Marietta and Kennesaw in Cobb County, Georgia, with a summit elevation around 1,808 feet (552 m) and is described as the highest point in the core metro Atlanta area.
  • The mountain and surrounding terrain were the site of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain (June 27, 1864), part of the Atlanta Campaign in the American Civil War, in which Confederate forces temporarily halted Union General William T. Sherman’s advance.
  • The area is preserved as Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, a roughly 2,900‑acre National Park Service unit established in the early 20th century to protect parts of the battlefield and the mountain.
  • The name “Kennesaw” derives from a Cherokee term (often transcribed “Gah‑nee‑sah”) meaning cemetery or burial ground, a fact referenced in both city and park histories.
  • Federal judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis (note the one‑“n” spelling) was named after the battle at Kennesaw Mountain, where his father was wounded during the Civil War; he later became baseball’s first commissioner in 1920 and served until his death in 1944.

Connections

  • Baseball history: Landis looms large in accounts of the Black Sox scandal and early 20th‑century MLB; his unusual given name is regularly explained as honoring the Civil War battle at Kennesaw Mountain, making the geography–baseball connection explicit in biographies and Hall of Fame/MLB profiles.
  • Civil War tourism and media: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park appears in Civil War travel guides and documentaries about the Atlanta Campaign, so Civil War buffs may recognize the mountain name even without Atlanta geography knowledge.
  • Atlanta suburbs & sports: The city of Kennesaw (home to Kennesaw State University) emphasizes its proximity to the mountain and battlefield in local history materials; Atlanta sports coverage sometimes mentions the park as a prominent local hiking destination.
  • Cherokee and place‑name etymology: Articles on Georgia place names note that “Kennesaw” comes from a Cherokee term meaning burial ground, useful for players who dig into Native American etymologies of U.S. geographic names.

Sources

  • Kennesaw Mountain – Provides the mountain’s location between Marietta and Kennesaw in Cobb County, summit elevation (about 1,808 ft), and notes that federal judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis was named after the battle there.
  • Kennesaw, Georgia – Describes Kennesaw as a suburban city northwest of Atlanta, explains that its name derives from a Cherokee word meaning “cemetery” or “burial ground,” and notes the summit as the highest point in the Atlanta metro area.
  • Battle of Kennesaw Mountain – Details the June 27, 1864 Civil War battle, its role in the Atlanta Campaign, and outcome.
  • Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park – Gives park size (about 2,900 acres), status as a National Battlefield, and establishment history.
  • Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park – Park overview summarizing Atlanta Campaign fighting and the Cherokee origin of the name “Kennesaw.”
  • “Actual Factual Cobb” on city names – Explains the Cherokee term “Gahneesah” and how it evolved into “Kennesaw” in local usage.
  • Kenesaw Mountain Landis biography – Official MLB profile noting Landis was named after Kennesaw Mountain (site of his father’s wounding) and that he served as baseball’s first commissioner.
  • Kenesaw Mountain Landis – Biographical detail on Landis’s birth, judicial career, commissionership (1920–1944), and role in the Black Sox scandal.

Question 4: J.D. Salinger’s Nine Stories

Q4. LITERATURE - “A Perfect Day for Bananafish”, “For Esmé - With Love and Squalor”, and “Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes” are three tales that, along with six others, make up a 1953 J.D. Salinger collection published with what two-word name? Answer: NINE STORIES

Core concept: J.D. Salinger’s 1953 short‑story collection Nine Stories (U.S. title) gathers nine pieces previously published in magazines, including “A Perfect Day for Bananafish,” “For Esmé - with Love and Squalor,” and “Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes”; in many other countries the same book appears as For Esmé - with Love and Squalor, and Other Stories.

Key facts:

  • Nine Stories was published by Little, Brown and Company on April 6, 1953, and consists of nine stories, including the three mentioned in the question.
  • “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” first appeared in The New Yorker on January 31, 1948, and became one of Salinger’s most acclaimed works, later reprinted in Nine Stories.
  • “For Esmé - with Love and Squalor” was originally published in The New Yorker on April 8, 1950 and anthologized in Nine Stories; outside the U.S. the collection often carries that story’s title.
  • “Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes” first ran in the July 14, 1951 issue of The New Yorker before being collected in Nine Stories.
  • The collection has been widely praised for its dialogue‑driven style, psychological insight, and recurrent Glass family characters, and is frequently cited as one of Salinger’s most important works, often taught alongside The Catcher in the Rye in American schools.

Connections

  • High‑school and college syllabi: Salinger’s works (The Catcher in the Rye, Nine Stories, Franny and Zooey) are staples in many U.S. literature curricula, so even if specific story titles are hazy, readers may recall that “Bananafish” and “For Esmé - with Love and Squalor” are grouped together in a volume whose U.S. title is simply Nine Stories.
  • Magazine readers & anthologies: The stories first appeared in The New Yorker and have been heavily anthologized in 20th‑century American short‑story collections, so frequent readers of those anthologies likely saw their credits linking back to Nine Stories.
  • Influence on other writers: Salinger’s short‑fiction style and Nine Stories in particular are often credited with influencing later short‑story writers; for example, accounts of his influence quote authors like Aimee Bender citing Nine Stories as inspirational, reinforcing the title’s visibility in writerly circles.
  • Glass family universe: Readers who know Franny and Zooey or Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction may remember that the Glass family first appears in “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” and recurs across Nine Stories, tying the whole collection together.

Sources

Question 5: Ohio’s Musical Exports

Q5. POP MUSIC - What state produced musical acts including Devo, The O’Jays, Nine Inch Nails, and Guided By Voices, as well as (perhaps in a more readily apparent sense) the bubblegum band who released “Yummy Yummy Yummy” and “Chewy Chewy” in 1968, and the funk band that had hits in the 1970s with “Fire” and “Love Rollercoaster”? Answer: OHIO

Core concept: All the listed artists and bands are tied to the U.S. state of Ohio: Devo (Akron), The O’Jays (Canton), Nine Inch Nails (formed in Cleveland), Guided By Voices (Dayton), bubblegum band Ohio Express (Mansfield) with “Yummy Yummy Yummy” and “Chewy Chewy,” and funk group Ohio Players (Dayton) with hits like “Fire” and “Love Rollercoaster.”

Key facts:

  • Devo is an American new wave band formed in 1973 in Akron, Ohio.
  • The O’Jays are an R&B group formed in 1958 in Canton, Ohio.
  • Nine Inch Nails, led by Trent Reznor, began as a project he created while living and working in Cleveland in the late 1980s; band histories and tour coverage regularly note that NIN was formed in Cleveland.
  • Guided By Voices is an indie rock band formed in 1983 in Dayton, Ohio.
  • Ohio Express is a bubblegum pop band formed in Mansfield, Ohio, known for 1968 hits “Yummy Yummy Yummy” and “Chewy Chewy”; both singles are closely associated with the band and the bubblegum genre.
  • Ohio Players, originally The Ohio Untouchables, are a funk/R&B band from Dayton, Ohio, best known for 1970s hits “Fire” and “Love Rollercoaster,” the latter a U.S. No. 1 single in 1976.

Connections

  • Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Located in Cleveland, the Rock Hall celebrates rock history and often features Ohio acts; the museum’s very presence in Ohio underlines the state’s broad influence on popular music, from funk and soul to new wave and industrial rock.
  • Pop‑culture ubiquity of the songs: “Yummy Yummy Yummy” appears in films and TV shows like Super Size Me, The Simpsons, and Monty Python’s Flying Circus, keeping Ohio Express’s Ohio‑branded name in circulation far beyond 1960s radio.
  • Sampling and covers: The Ohio Players’ “Love Rollercoaster” was famously covered by Red Hot Chili Peppers for the movie Beavis and Butt‑Head Do America, giving the song (and by extension the band) renewed visibility for listeners who may not know they hail from Dayton.
  • Devo in films and documentaries: Devo’s “Whip It” and their visual style have appeared in films, commercials, and, more recently, in a Netflix documentary about the band that emphasizes their origins as an Ohio art‑rock project.
  • Regional pride: Local histories of Akron, Canton, Dayton, and Mansfield, and Ohio‑centric music retrospectives, often string these acts together under the banner of “Ohio music,” mirroring the structure of this trivia question.

Sources

  • Devo – States that Devo is an American new wave band formed in Akron, Ohio, in 1973.
  • The O’Jays – Identifies the group as an R&B band formed in Canton, Ohio, in 1958.
  • Nine Inch Nails – Describes Trent Reznor’s formation of Nine Inch Nails while living and working in Cleveland in the late 1980s.
  • Nine Inch Nails tour article – Notes that Nine Inch Nails were originally formed in Cleveland, highlighting their Ohio roots.
  • Guided By Voices – Confirms that the band formed in Dayton, Ohio.
  • Ohio Players – Identifies the Ohio Players as a funk/R&B band from Dayton, Ohio, best known for “Fire” and “Love Rollercoaster.”
  • “Love Rollercoaster” – Gives release details, chart performance, and notes the Red Hot Chili Peppers cover for Beavis and Butt‑Head Do America.
  • Ohio Express – Describes Ohio Express as a bubblegum pop band formed in Mansfield, Ohio, and outlines their hit‑making period.
  • “Yummy Yummy Yummy” – Details the 1968 Ohio Express hit, chart positions, and uses in films/TV.
  • “Chewy Chewy” – Covers Ohio Express’s 1968 single, chart performance, and place in bubblegum pop history.
  • Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – Establishes the Hall’s location in Cleveland, Ohio, as a hub for rock‑music heritage.
  • AP/other coverage of Devo documentary – Recent articles about a Netflix documentary on Devo emphasize the band’s Ohio origins and ongoing influence.

Question 6: Flux in Physics, Metallurgy, and Time Travel

Q6. SCIENCE - In physics, it’s the flow of a substance through a surface; in metallurgy, an additive that promotes the flow of molten metal and removes impurities; and in a certain film series, something or other to do with time travel, apparently. What four-letter word is this? Answer: FLUX

Core concept: In physics, flux generally means the rate at which some quantity flows through a surface (often expressed as a flow per unit area); in metallurgy, a flux is a chemical agent added to molten metal to improve its flow and remove or prevent oxides and other impurities; and in the Back to the Future films, the “flux capacitor” is the fictional device that makes the DeLorean time machine travel through time.

Key facts:

  • In transport physics and vector calculus, flux is used for any effect that appears to pass through a surface; in many physical contexts it is defined as the rate of flow of a property (mass, energy, charge, etc.) per unit area of a surface.
  • Eric Weisstein’s physics reference describes flux as the rate at which a quantity passes through a fixed boundary per unit time, reinforcing the idea of “flow through a surface.”
  • In metallurgy, a flux is a reducing, cleaning, or flowing agent added in smelting and metal joining; it prevents or dissolves metal oxides and helps impurities separate into slag, thereby making molten metal easier to pour and improving joint quality.
  • Common historical fluxes include substances like sodium carbonate, potash, borax, lime, and charcoal, all used to protect molten metal from oxidation or draw impurities out.
  • In the Back to the Future franchise, the DeLorean time machine’s ability to travel through time is said to come from the “flux capacitor”; the films describe it as “what makes time travel possible” once the car reaches 88 mph and is supplied with 1.21 gigawatts of power.

Connections

  • Intro physics & engineering: Textbooks on electromagnetism, heat transfer, and fluid dynamics introduce flux early—electric flux through a surface, heat flux, mass flux—so anyone who’s taken those courses has seen the term used precisely in the “flow through a surface” sense.
  • Soldering and welding hobbies: Electronics and metalworking guides talk about soldering flux, brazing flux, or welding flux as materials that clean metal surfaces and improve wetting by molten solder or filler metal—practical encounters with the metallurgical meaning.
  • Back to the Future fandom & merch: The phrase “flux capacitor” is iconic; it appears on posters, T‑shirts, replica props, and even special‑edition gadgets like Casio’s calculator watch released for the film’s 40th anniversary, which features an engraved flux‑capacitor motif.
  • Everyday speech: Expressions like “in flux” (for something changing) echo the underlying Latin root fluxus (flow), a linguistic clue that can help bridge from colloquial usage to the technical physics/metalwork meanings.

Sources

  • Flux – General definition in mathematics and physics, including flux as an effect passing through a surface and as a flow rate per unit area in transport phenomena; also gives etymology from Latin fluxus (flow).
  • Eric Weisstein’s “Flux” – Defines flux as the rate at which a quantity passes through a fixed boundary per unit time and discusses energy flux as a common example.
  • Heat flux – Example of flux as energy flow per unit area per unit time.
  • Flux – Explains flux as a chemical reducing/cleaning agent used in smelting and metal joining to prevent oxidation, dissolve oxides, and help impurities form slag.
  • DeLorean time machine – Describes the DeLorean’s time‑travel mechanism, stating that its ability to travel through time is derived from the flux capacitor and noting the requirement of 88 mph and 1.21 gigawatts of power.
  • Casio Back to the Future calculator watch article – Reports on a special‑edition calculator watch with a flux‑capacitor engraving, showing the continued pop‑culture resonance of the term.