In celebration of academic achievement, the LA County of Education (LACOE) recently hosted the awards banquet for the 2023-2024 Academic Decathlon season on Feb. 15. Members of the team were invited to an Awards Banquet at the Sheraton, LAX to celebrate the accomplishments of this season.
The competition spans across 10 distinct events: Art, Economics, Essay, Interview, Math, Music, Literature, Science, Social Science, and Speech. Arcadia High School’s (AHS) Academic Decathlon team was ranked as 15th overall of the 64 schools. Apart from academic accomplishments, individual members have attained numerous medals and even secured cash prize scholarships.
Junior Avik Kumar emerged as the team’s top scorer, receiving gold in Economics, Math, and Interview, silver in Essay, Music, and Speech, and bronze in Social Science. In the Division II Honors category, Kumar secured the 1st position and received a scholarship of $250. Junior Olivia Cong earned silver in Essay and Math, along with a bronze in Speech. Junior Samarth Srikar achieved silver in Social Science and bronze in both Speech and Interview. Junior Carter Su was able to secure gold in Literature, silver in Economics and Math, and a bronze in Art.
“A couple of years ago, I would never have imagined myself studying and enjoying economics, but it’s been one of my strong subjects in Academic Decathlon this year” stated Kumar about his takeaways.
Kumar also adds, “more than just this, however, I’ve been proud of leading this team to competition this year and training others to also receive accolades of a similar caliber.
The first noteworthy point is the categorization of all 64 LACOE teams into three divisions. These divisions, determined by the team’s previous year’s score, positioned the AHS team in Division II. Within each division, gold, silver, and bronze medals were bestowed upon the top three scores for each event. For ties, each participant received the respective medal. The second critical aspect is the team’s internal structure, which is organized into three levels based on GPA: 3.80-4.00: Honors category, 3.20-3.79: Scholastic category, <3.19: Varsity category.
Medals were allocated within each level, signifying the top score achieved in their respective categories and divisions. Additionally, cash prize scholarships were awarded for the highest individual score in each level and division.
Cong shared her sentiments, stating, “My biggest achievement this season was probably receiving medals in multiple events. It was also equally rewarding to see my teammates who I know worked super hard also do an amazing job.”
The banquet, a pivotal aspect of this celebration, received commendation from Cong.
“The banquet was great! The food was really good. I was also inspired by how hard each school’s team cheered when a team member received a medal.”
Despite not having a full team, AHS managed to secure a position among the top 20 schools in the region. This competition represented the regional level for Academic Decathlon 2023-2024 in the LA county region. The AHS team dedicated considerable effort throughout the year, commencing their preparations since the summer of 2023, with a scrimmage in November serving as a preparatory event.
Even if these competitions sound hard and challenging, there’s no need to worry. There is a bracket specifically designed for individuals with GPAs ranging from 3.2 to 3.8 and below 3.2. In this separate level, individuals will be competing with others who share a similar GPA.
“In reality, it’s a lot of memorizing, a skill that a lot of members either already possess or develop early,” mentioned Kumar.
Furthermore, Academic Decathlon is often intertwined with the school curriculum. It delves deeply into specific topics within each subject area. For instance, it might explore historical periods, scientific concepts, or literary genres that go beyond the surface-level coverage often found in regular coursework.
“Academic Decathlon helps you strengthen fields that might overlap with school curriculum, but also provides an opportunity to learn subjects you would never explore on your own,” stated Kumar.
So, if participating in this banquet appeals to you, now might be an opportune moment to consider trying out for Academic Decathlon around April or May.
Photo courtesy of AHS Academic Decathlon
