Academic Decathlon is a club here at WHS that is dedicated to recognizing and rewarding academic achievement among its members. School districts around the nation compete in teams consisting of up to ten students, ranging from “A”,”B”, and “C” grade classifications. During September, each team member receives a binder filled with subjects coving the a topic assigned for the year. Subjects include a literature novel, mathematics, music, social sciences, economics,literature, science, and art, accumulating to some five hundred pages! The subjects all relate to the assigned topic at hand, new alternatives in energy.

“The binder is the size of a grown child,” Junior Ariyah Flores responded when questioned on the bulk of her materials.

During late January, the group battles along-side local district teams in a competition spanning over two days. Here, each member is expected to put their reading and preparing into use, taking part in a written essay, interview,  two speeches, and multiple choice tests over each section. The final, most exciting segment of the entire conception is the “Super Quiz,” where members compete head-to-head, Jeopardy style, to test their preparation of the information. To complete the day, the scores from all fractions of the competition are totaled. The highest scoring team members receive metals, while the top teams with the highest combined scores advance onto state, followed by the national competition.

“This competition takes a lot of preparation and engery, but i am excited to compete against other schools,” Flores commented.

The WHS Academic Decathlon team is set to compete January 29th through the 30th in Frisco, Texas. Through leaders Mrs.Collins and Mrs.Huskisson, members have been preparing and utilizing teamwork in hopes to fully prepare for the competition and become one step closer to competing on the national level in Garden Grove, California.

“Through this club I’m able to work alongside my friends and develop skills that will benefit me later in life,” Junior Colton Osbourne said. ” In this year being my second time competing, I hope to have improved my skills. Most importantly, I hope that my hard work, diligently studying with my peers, pays off in the end with a dignified victory,” Osbourn added.