The Academic Decathlon (AcaDec) teams’s 6th regional earlier this year can be attributed to the community that supports the preparation involved.
On March 8-9 the team also placed second at the state championship in Carlisle, Pa.
Spanning from September up until mid-year competition dates, students gather together as a group to discuss, prepare, and support one another. The competition itself requires individuals to apply themselves.
According to AcaDec co-advisor Carolyn Scott, the preparation can be compared to training for a marathon, or any other sport. “You need to practice every day to prepare for that big game,” Scott said. “It’s the same kind of thing as AcaDec.”
Scott advises alongside science teacher Phil Cerami.
The competition is accompanied by the Honors Seminar course that competitors take to better prepare members.
“That’s when we kind of vibe and we’re learning the same information at the same time, and we talk about it,” Scott said.
For class, “Students read the material the night before,” AcaDec Captain Caroline Stout said, “and then discuss the material as a class the next day.”
The class includes students from all different academic levels.
“[Students] share their expertise, which again makes it more of that inclusive family atmosphere,” Scott said
Despite the wide array of subjects, students do well in assisting each other with the comprehension of their studies.
“They support each other if they are struggling with something,” Scott said. Just having a buddy to give your speech to, or do impromptu questions to prepare for speech and interview is nice.”
According to Scott, it is for kids that, maybe, the way they are being taught is not the best for their learning, and they find ways for them to learn, allowing them to learn better in their other classes.
“It’s really a place for students who like to learn,” Scott said. “It may not be the kid who gets all the A’s. We want the other kids that still like to learn.”
When competing against other teams, in the Eastern region, junior Ahsan Rahman said it’s similar to a “friendly rivalry.