Students put to the test
Before the Saints and Colts flex their muscles in Super Bowl XLIV, San Bernardino County students will face off at AcaDec XXVII.
From music to math, social science to the French Revolution, about 450 students will push their brains to the limit today at the 27th Academic Decathlon at Arroyo Valley High School.
"You're always going to be nervous before a competition," said Wil Jacobsen, AcaDec contender and Chaffey High School senior. "But it's crunch time, right now. It's all about study, study, study. Study, study, study."
Chaffey High School decathlon head coach Steven Mercado puts students to the test with a mock Super Quiz on the French Revolution on Feb. 4, 2010 in Ontario.
From music to math, social science to the French Revolution, about 450 students will push their brains to the limit today at the 27th Academic Decathlon at Arroyo Valley High School.
"You're always going to be nervous before a competition," said Wil Jacobsen, AcaDec contender and Chaffey High School senior. "But it's crunch time, right now. It's all about study, study, study. Study, study, study."
Chaffey High School decathlon head coach Steven Mercado puts students to the test with a mock Super Quiz on the French Revolution on Feb. 4, 2010 in Ontario.
For almost eight hours, students will compete for individual and team awards in the final round of the decathlon.
Students competed last Saturday in language/literature and economics. They also faced a panel of interviewers and gave impromptu and prepared speeches.
For the finale, teams compete in a Super Quiz, a college bowl-style event consisting of 30 multiple-choice questions.
This year's Super Quiz is on the subject of the French Revolution.
At an after-school study session Thursday, Chaffey High students broke up into groups for a Super Quiz relay.
With only about 15 seconds to answer, students responded to questions like:
In the 1790 the Church in France essentially functioned as a(an)?
• Which governing body abolished slavery in the French colonies?
• Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, served as?
"Some of the challenges that come with being on the decathlon team is time management," said Camille Brown, Chaffey High senior.
"They test you on such detailed facts so you need to manage your time so you're able to study efficiently no matter where you are. If not, you're going to feel a world of hurt on your first scrimmage."
This is Camille's second year on the decathlon team.
A first-year contender is Chino Hills High sophomore Nicole Freeman.
"At first I thought I was going to receive packets to study from. I never considered how much more work and time was going to have to be put into it," Nicole said.
"I spent the whole summer studying with my team. I spent more time with them than my own family."
Preparing for the decathlon requires more than just reading a couple extra books and calling it a night.
Students begin studying a year before the event. They gave up their weekends, mornings, after-school hours and even summer.
"Last year, we had a month and a half off after we got back from Sacramento (in March)," said Jacobsen, 18. "We waited until we had the new study material, then we studied intensely. It became a part of our lives."
Last year, Chaffey High came in first in the AcaDec competitions and had the highest county score in the event's 26 years.
Chaffey High defeated 28 other high schools from the county and advanced to the statewide competitions in Sacramento, where the locals came in ninth.
"I don't have any lucky charms," said Andrew Haney, Chaffey High senior and third- year decathlon competitor.
He said experience has allowed him to "study smarter, not harder."
"And that's a direct quote from our coach, (Steven Mercado)," he said. "So it becomes a habit instead of mantra."
The scholastic contest features 49 teams of high school students representing 29 high schools from 11 school districts and one private school. Students receive points by competing in 10 academic events.
Teams consist of nine students, three from each grade-point category: "A" - Honors, "B" - Scholastic and "C" - Varsity.
"Annually, the Academic Decathlon is one of the premier events for schools in our county," said Dottie Bryant, Decathlon coordinator for the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools.
The public is invited to attend the Super Quiz, which begins at about 2:30 p.m.
Winners and finalists from the Academic Decathlon will be announced at an awards banquet Thursday at the National Orange Show Events Center in the Valencia Room.
The winning team will represent the county at the statewide Academic Decathlon competition on March 12-15 in Sacramento.
"I worked these last 10 months for it to come down to these two days, but I've had a lot of fun while doing it," Nicole said. "It's all worth it."
Students competed last Saturday in language/literature and economics. They also faced a panel of interviewers and gave impromptu and prepared speeches.
For the finale, teams compete in a Super Quiz, a college bowl-style event consisting of 30 multiple-choice questions.
This year's Super Quiz is on the subject of the French Revolution.
At an after-school study session Thursday, Chaffey High students broke up into groups for a Super Quiz relay.
With only about 15 seconds to answer, students responded to questions like:
In the 1790 the Church in France essentially functioned as a(an)?
• Which governing body abolished slavery in the French colonies?
• Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, served as?
"Some of the challenges that come with being on the decathlon team is time management," said Camille Brown, Chaffey High senior.
"They test you on such detailed facts so you need to manage your time so you're able to study efficiently no matter where you are. If not, you're going to feel a world of hurt on your first scrimmage."
This is Camille's second year on the decathlon team.
A first-year contender is Chino Hills High sophomore Nicole Freeman.
"At first I thought I was going to receive packets to study from. I never considered how much more work and time was going to have to be put into it," Nicole said.
"I spent the whole summer studying with my team. I spent more time with them than my own family."
Preparing for the decathlon requires more than just reading a couple extra books and calling it a night.
Students begin studying a year before the event. They gave up their weekends, mornings, after-school hours and even summer.
"Last year, we had a month and a half off after we got back from Sacramento (in March)," said Jacobsen, 18. "We waited until we had the new study material, then we studied intensely. It became a part of our lives."
Last year, Chaffey High came in first in the AcaDec competitions and had the highest county score in the event's 26 years.
Chaffey High defeated 28 other high schools from the county and advanced to the statewide competitions in Sacramento, where the locals came in ninth.
"I don't have any lucky charms," said Andrew Haney, Chaffey High senior and third- year decathlon competitor.
He said experience has allowed him to "study smarter, not harder."
"And that's a direct quote from our coach, (Steven Mercado)," he said. "So it becomes a habit instead of mantra."
The scholastic contest features 49 teams of high school students representing 29 high schools from 11 school districts and one private school. Students receive points by competing in 10 academic events.
Teams consist of nine students, three from each grade-point category: "A" - Honors, "B" - Scholastic and "C" - Varsity.
"Annually, the Academic Decathlon is one of the premier events for schools in our county," said Dottie Bryant, Decathlon coordinator for the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools.
The public is invited to attend the Super Quiz, which begins at about 2:30 p.m.
Winners and finalists from the Academic Decathlon will be announced at an awards banquet Thursday at the National Orange Show Events Center in the Valencia Room.
The winning team will represent the county at the statewide Academic Decathlon competition on March 12-15 in Sacramento.
"I worked these last 10 months for it to come down to these two days, but I've had a lot of fun while doing it," Nicole said. "It's all worth it."
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