Academic Decathlon is a ten-event scholastic competition for teams of high school students, where students compete in ten topics. Topics include Art, Economics, Science, Social Science, Mathematics, Music, Literature, Essay, Speech, and Interview. Decathletes are split up into three categories, based on GPA. These categories include: Honors (3.80-4.00 GPA), Scholastic (3.799-3.20 GPA), and Varsity (3.199-0.00 GPA), and students of each category compete with other students of the same level. 

This year, as the academic decathlon teams transition back to online like last year, many familiar settings were reintroduced. The Arcadia Academic Decathlon Team competed online last year, and this year, a few of the subjects were taken at home, while others were taken online in a school setting. These new conditions presented challenges to our decathletes, but it was also an amazing learning experience!

To start, Speech and Interview subjects were done at home, where students had to prop up and control factors ranging from their camera angle to their formal attire. One of the advantages of being able to do Speech at home was not having to actually stand in front of a judge and recite their speech. Additionally, being able to sit down in a home setting made the experience a lot less nerve-wracking, as being in a comfortable environment was beneficial.

However, speaking and competing at home also has its downsides. During topics like Interview and impromptu (part of Speech), decathletes sometimes felt like it was hard to make a connection with the judges, as they were not physically standing in front of them. One of the main points of the interview and impromptu is showing who you are as an individual, and being able to get your point across. 

Additionally, one of the downsides to not competing in person was that the decathletes couldn’t feel the energy and excitement that would have occurred in an in-person setting. At the competition, several other high schools within our region come together to compete, which brings a diverse group of students. Having your peers interacting with you and making new friends at the competition was something that students this year missed out on. 

The other written and test-taking subjects were taken in-person, in a classroom setting with all of the decathletes. Everyone was nervous, but similar to the speaking subjects, being in an environment that we were familiar with helped calm our nerves, and having our teammates by our side helped as well. In between-subject tests, everyone would chat for a bit, eat some snacks, and calm down our nerves. 

“I really liked how we could practice in person with my teammates since it helped me be in an environment where I was comfortable,” sophomore Michael Hum commented. “Although I was nervous, being with my teammates and being surrounded by positivity helped me get through it. It also helped reassure me that through our studies, I was ready.” 

Overall, despite the unfortunate and unique circumstances that were presented, decathletes from Arcadia Academic Decathlon did an amazing job and were able to adapt and pursue knowledge until the end! From pros like being more comfortable to cons like not getting to experience the energy and excitement, this year’s academic decathlon was still a success!

Photo Courtesy of MAXPIXEL