Although there are many different choices to pick from for expanding extracurricular activities, some students at Armuchee crave a competition with an educational focus. For those students, the Academic Decathlon is a great option to show off their knowledge and compete against teenagers just like them. The Academic Decathlon is a studious competition in which students from various high schools come to compete scores over various different topics, such as speech, literature, math, and many others. Participants for this competition must have high GPAs, leading to fierce competition between teams, urging students to work harder to master their subjects. Not only does this opportunity help students learn more, but it also gives them the chance to show other schools what Armuchee High School is all about.
As this competition is an extracurricular, students are not provided with time in school to study for their designated topics. While stressful at times, students boast about the benefits of having to manage their own study time. Tori Vitello, a Junior, said, “I have to study on my own time, it helps me have to manage my time wisely.” These students love having to study hard, despite the difficulty. They find their improvements encouraging each time they study.
Each student finds themselves with brand-new skills they acquired because of their preparations for the Academic Decathlon. Wyatt Hunton, A Junior, said, “I’ve learned how to pick important information from the non-essential information because our topics are so detailed.” Students know they must use everything they’ve learned to get the best score they can during the competition, and take this task seriously. They appreciate the difficult work of studying their topics, no matter how rigorous it is.
During the Academic Decathlon Season, students have the opportunity to represent Armuchee High School and show what our tribe is all about. Since this competition requires a lot of determination and discipline, students who take part in the Academic Decathlon know they have to be the best of the best in order for Armuchee stand out from the other competing schools. One way Armuchee students show what makes them great is their dedication to their teammates. Tori Vitello said “We use a lot of teamwork, we talk out problems together.” Armuchee competitors go above and beyond to work with each other. To anyone who sees the team, it is obvious that they work hard to show the loyalty of the Tribe. Mrs. Floyd, an advisor for the Armuchee Academic Decathlon team, said, “There is such great camaraderie on the team. They work together.” During competitions, Armuchee High School stands out with their commitment to the team. Each member works with another to ensure the Tribe is represented well.
Students have been greatly impacted by the benefits of the Academic Decathlon. Their ability to not only improve upon their scholarly skills, but also their team working skills as well. The pride they bring to the Tribe is unmistakable as they continue to represent Armuchee’s core principles. The students who participate in Academic Decathlon will remember their competitions for years to come, recalling the discipline and loyalty they demonstrated at competitions.
