Alvin High School--Academic Decathlon
"Sports for the Brain"
Sponsor--Paul Summa
2016-17-Regional Qualifier
2016-17- 21st in State-AHS record high point score
Caitlyn Yin-State Medalist
2017-18-Regional qualifier and State qualifier
Regional record high score, State record High score
Erica Gonzales and Payton Neubauer-State Medalist.
2018-19-Regional qualifier and State Qualifier
Regional record high score, State Record High Score
2019-20-Regional Qualifier and State Qualifier
2020-21-Regional and State qualifier
Silvana Galicia and Jai Yann-State medalists
How Do the Events Work?
As a Decathlete, you'll participate in five different types of events. Below are the rules and guidelines you'll need to master them, one team practice session at a time.
Super Quiz™
In the Super Quiz™, you and your teammates will take turns solving tough multiple choice challenges in front of a live audience. At the national finals, you'll collaborate with two of your teammates to figure out the best answer to each question before time runs out. (You'd better have a plan for when you disagree!) The exact format of the Super Quiz™ varies from state to state, but it is always the last event, the loudest, and the most intense: a high-stakes celebration of all the subjects you've learned.
Speech
In the prepared speech, you'll speak for up to four minutes on any topic you'd like. A word of advice: choose early, practice often. Afterward, you'll be asked to speak off the cuff for up to two minutes on a topic you haven't seen before. If you've never given a speech, don't worry: you're not alone. Many Decathletes cite learning to speak in public as one of their most transformative experiences in the program.
Interview
In the interview, you'll have seven minutes to answer questions about a subject you shouldn't need to research very much: yourself. Learning to listen closely and to present yourself in a compelling way is another skill that will benefit you for the rest of your life, whether it's during your college interviews, on the job, or at dinner with your future parents-in-law. Be ready to answer questions about your background, your interests, and your goals, and never forget to thank your judges for volunteering.