Juneau-Douglas High School students got back Sunday from an \u201cexhausting\u201d three days competing against the best and brightest from around the state at the 33rd annual GCI Alaska Academic Decathlon held in Anchorage.<\/p>\n
This year, 13 students participated, said Academic Decathlon advisor Karina Reyes: Gillian Smith, Alex Eagan, River Reyes-Boyer, Ramiro Garcia, Finn Yerkes, Tasha Elizarde, Matthew Woodland, Theo Houck, Nowielle Corpuz, Janessa Goodman, Thomas Kappler, Emme MacDonald and Raven Ward.<\/p>\n
Students from across Alaska compete in the competition in individual and team events including economics, essays, art, interviews, language, literature, math, music, science, social science and speech.<\/p>\n
The Juneau team brought home more than 21 medals, Reyes said, placing fourth overall; winning third place in the Division 1 super quiz challenge. The team also received the Fleetwood Achievement Medal, which recognizes the school that had the highest percentage of improvement from the previous year\u2019s competition \u2014 67 percent or 14,000 points more than last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe competition was fierce but friendly,\u201d Reyes noted in an email to the team parents.<\/p>\n
In the honors category, Gillian Smith won a $1,000 scholarship as well as a silver medal in literature, silver in interview and bronze in music. Emme MacDonald won gold in interview. Alex Eagan won gold in science, silver in economics and bronze in social studies. Janessa Goodman showcased her speech, which won a gold in the honors alternate category. She also won a gold medal in math and gold in essay.<\/p>\n
In the scholastic category, Matthew Woodland won silver in math. Finn Yerkes won bronze in science. Tasha Elizarde won gold in literature and bronze in art.<\/p>\n
In the varsity category, Theo Houck won a $1,000 scholarship as well as gold in literature, silver in speech, silver in music and silver in interview. Nowielle Corpuz won bronze in science.<\/p>\n
The team will not be resting on its laurels for long, Reyes said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI give them a month\u2019s break,\u201d she said. \u201cAs soon as we know what the subject is for next year, we start studying.\u201d<\/p>\n
A suggestion that team members might get the summer off draws a hearty laugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe keep in touch via email or online,\u201d Reyes said, although she acknowledged the true studying starts in the fall.<\/p>\n
The team members meet every Saturday for at least three hours, she said, explaining that Academic Decathlon is not a class but an extra-curricular activity.<\/p>\n
Decathletes get a subject, or a larger thematic topic, for the year; they then get to study all the subjects connected to that topic.<\/p>\n
This year, the topic was World War II so they studied atomic and nuclear physics, the economic impact of the war, the music and art of the era, and literature from authors including Virginia Woolf, Reyes said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe beauty of this is that it\u2019s very interdisciplinary,\u201d she said. \u201cThe curriculum helps integrate all this information so that it makes sense to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
If the student joins the team as a freshman, Reyes says, they will graduate with what amounts to a well-rounded university education. The theme changes yearly. In the past few years, the decathlon has covered WWI, India, Alternatives in Energy, European Renaissance, Russia, China, and the Age of Empire.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really wonderful when we can get students as freshmen or sophomores \u2014 they recognize the value (of the team) and stay with us,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely time-consuming, but it\u2019s one of those things they carry with them the rest of their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
The team is not funded by the high school, but through fundraisers and donations, Reyes said, adding the cost for travel really adds up.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s open to everyone and anyone,\u201d she said., \u201cWe want to make sure everyone gets the opportunity to travel to state.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another big cost is the study guides, which run about $1,000. Without those, Reyes said, the team cannot be competitive with the other teams.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a very inclusive group,\u201d Reyes stressed. \u201cIt\u2019s for anyone interested in learning.\u201d<\/p>\n