[The author of this article was involved, participated, and relevant to the story. However, the objectivity of events will be maintained.]

DECEMBER 2, MACES —- Chairs were lined up against the school corridors Saturday morning in preparation for the arrival of the Academic Decathlon Team from MACES and Huntington Park. Just the day before, they’d written their essays and finished that part of the subjective scrimmage – now, it was time for the second: speech and interview. Knees bounce and feet pitter-patter against the granite floor. The now-arriving Decathletes were nervous – rightly so. For many, it was the first time giving their speeches outside the walls of Ms. Cotta’s classroom, and the Interview was all but forgotten during practice. 

“I get really nervous when talking to a large crowd of people,” said Marcus Juarez, a senior. He’s one of the new additions to the Varsity AcaDeca team. “I can handle the interview — it’s just one person. But a speech with multiple people judging you makes it much more difficult to concentrate.”

The United States Academic Decathlon, commonly shortened to USAD or simply AcaDeca, is an academic competition in which high school students compete against other schools in a rigorous and very, very hard curriculum consisting of ten subjects: Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Economics, Music, Literature, Essays, Speech, and Interview. It’s renowned nationally and even featured in a certain Spider-themed superhero movie. Homecoming, anyone?

Since August, the Academic Decathletes have been preparing for their interviews and speeches. Writing, orating, and looking at examples from previous, more successful teams such as Granada Hills. These measures were in the previous year’s regimen, however, with an almost doubling of the class in little under a year, time has become scarce. “I think the schedule for this class is super inelastic. It doesn’t allow for time to leave because you have to practice all the time,” said Juarez. “We already have little time before the competition, so it’s no wonder we’re so strained.”

Academic Decathlon doesn’t just involve subjective tests, either. Last month on the fourth, the team rode the bus to Garfield High School, where they participated in an objective scrimmage. Objective scrimmages consist of taking seven tests; each test containing 50 questions – the only exception being math, with 35 questions – under a 30-minute time limit. During that time, they have to recount all they have learned – and some yet to be learned – in a multiple-choice format.

To prepare, Ms. Cotta hosts practice in the morning from 7:30 to 8:28 – when school begins. Even with an extra hour every day (a practice session often transitioning into second period AcaDeca), it’s no easy feat, and people who have been (or are) in the Academic Decathlon say as much.  

“It’s hard, but I think it’s worth it,” said Juarez. “Ultimately, it’s a choice, and it’s one we’ve all committed to.”