Arcadia High School boasts a wide variety of academic teams and student organizations that compete at academically-oriented competitions. These range from the ‘Ocean Science Bowl’ to ‘Destination Imagination’; they vary in subject and form, whether they are comprised of tests, buzzer rounds, or more physical activities. Three of such teams are the Academic Decathlon, Applied Engineering, and Quiz Bowl.

The Academic Decathlon is the oldest academic competition in the country: it’s a test-based competition, featuring ten different subjects, ranging from the sciences to the humanities. Teams are split into three divisions: honors, scholastic, and varsity, based on the GPA of the students competing—a system that allows students of all types to take part in the competition. Competitions for the Academic Decathlon are centered around a theme; for example, the 2021-2022 theme is “Water: A Most Essential Resource”. Students would then be tested on everything to do with water in the ten subjects given, from hydrology to the influence of water in art. These competitions allow students to exercise their learning and test-taking abilities, involving heavy preparation.

“I think that Decathlon is the perfect way to exercise your proficiency in every subject. Whether you’re a star in history, english, math, science, or even speech, there’s always something for you to excel at in the Academic Decathlon,” said freshman Max Ma.

Formerly called the ‘Solar Cup,’ the ‘Applied Engineering Team’ is far from a test-taking competition. As the name suggests, this team involves application, specifically in building a solar-powered boat to race in competitions. The Solar Cup takes place over a seven-month period in which students build and race solar-powered boats, testing for endurance and speed. The event also shows the importance of water conservation and renewable energy by allowing students to take a hands-on role. While it may seem like a competition centered heavily around mechanical engineering, the ‘Applied Engineering Team’ has students of different specialties, including those working on the mechanics, the software, the electrical components, and even graphic design. This competition is one that allows a team of students to use more applied skills in order to build a working prototype, exercising skills that are beneficial in many ways.

“I like how everyone gets to choose what projects they work on. It’s allowed me to develop an area of expertise (microcontroller programming) and I feel proud knowing that my work is part of what will make our boat run,” said senior Ruth Berkun, secretary of the Applied Engineering team. “One benefit Applied Engineering offers its members is a supportive environment to try new things. We often try things just because they’re cool, resulting in many half-finished projects, but we also gain experience and occasionally create something useful.”

Quiz Bowl is a competition that is made up of buzzer rounds, similar to Jeopardy!, but much more academic in function. Students are read prompts from a variety of different topics, covering history, the arts, science, pop culture, and literature; the competitors are expected to buzz in with the correct answers. The open-ended nature of the competition allows students to show off their knowledge in all different fields: there is no confirmation as to what the questions will be like, which requires a thorough knowledge of all the different subjects involved. The range of subjects allows for students of different strengths to contribute to the team.

These are only three of the several academic teams at AHS but are a great example of the diverse range of knowledge that AHS students can employ. Show the academic teams some appreciation today.

Photographic Courtesy of  Keith Durflinger