Academic Decathlon Super Quiz is Saturday

Students from throughout Tulare County spent last Saturday interviewing, writing essays and scholastic testing during Tulare County Department of Education’s Academic Decathlon 2013.

On Saturday, they will compete on a Super Quiz — an event opened to the public. The awards ceremony, also open to the public, follows.

Among the local schools participating are Granite Hills High, Porterville High, Monache High and Harmony Magnet Academy schools. They will go up against schools from Visalia, Tulare, Orosi, Dinuba and Woodlake.

In addition, four at-large teams made up of students from Harmony Magnet, Monache and El Diamante will also participate simply for practice. These teams cannot advance to the state level and their scores will not be added to their respective high school team scores.

Academic Decathlon teams have six to nine members contending in 10 grueling events. The teams are made up of equal numbers, either two or three students, from the following grade point groups: Varsity students with a grade point average of 2.99 or less; Scholastic (3-3.74 GPA) and Honors (3.75-4 GPA). Team members will be tested on economics, social science, mathematics, music, art, language and literature, and science. In addition, the contestants present prepared and impromptu speeches, written essays on given topics and undergo interviews by a panel of judges.

The academic relay known as the oral Super Quiz is the final competitive event.

With a topic of Russia, the Super Quiz round of competition will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday at Mission Oak High School, 3442 E. Bardsley, Tulare.

The awards ceremony will begin at approximately 3:30 p.m.

“Academic Decathlon is a very competitive event with some strong rivalries among our schools. I particularly enjoy the level of friendly competition and excitement that always surrounds the Super Quiz finale,” said Tulare County Superintendent of Schools Jim Vidak.

For more information about the Academic Decathlon, contact Glenn Williams at 651-3047.