The Gladiator Scholars |
From the four corners of this sun drenched state, they come. Armed with facts, poetry, periodic tables, ready to orate and interview, the scholars approach the competition. Yet in the early springtime of their life, they have formed teams, and will stand or fall together in their glory. Yet each scholar must face the judges individually and prove themselves against a benchmark of excellence. They are latter day gladiators, sworn to a high standard of academic prowess. Much hope is cast upon their efforts, by family, friends, and mentor-teachers. If they return victorious, their whole community will repeat their names with honor and well-earned pride. If not, encouragement will be given but no laurel will be worn.
Arizona’s brainiest high school students have been competing in the Academic Decathlon since 1985. Claiming to be the "Premier Scholastic Competition in Arizona", one hundred high school teams start in the first months of each year a stepping stone to future competition throughout the state. Something must be working right - during the fourteen years of the Decathlon, the Arizona Team has always finished in the top ten national teams; and among the top three seven times. Better than respectable - if this were a horse race, the smart money would be on the Grand Canyon team.
After meeting in regional competitions, the selected top forty teams in the state gather to the "Coliseum" of Arizona high school scholastic competition. Locally held during spring break week at Mesa Community College, the campus becomes a parade ground of teenage men and women with academic destiny in their hearts.
The Academic Decathlon has spread from a community program in Southern California in 1982, to a North American phenomenon. In the final year of the millennium, more than 30,000 students compete in 38 states and Canada. In Arizona alone, over 800 students have entered as hopeful Decathletes.
The Arizona Academic Decathlon Association is a not for profit organization funded by private and corporate donations. In events are held throughout the state, the program is organized by all volunteer school coaches, educators and judges. Countless numbers of parents and good corporate citizens also make the program a success. The Association claims that "the Decathlon experience builds skills for life: self-assurance, competitiveness, communication and teamwork." These are skills valued in the workplace and community, not just for the college honor fraternity.
The rules encourage students of different academic skills to take part - not just the Honor Roll crowd. Each team consists of nine students. The Honor students are there, of course, but there is also a "Scholastic" and "Varsity" squad of three students of lesser academic performance. Even the student with a "C" grade point average may find his or her place on the "Varsity" team.
Each student must be ready for a variety of trials. There are ten different competition events - and every student must compete in each of these: Mathematics, Science, Fine Arts, Social Science, Economics, Language and Literature, Interview, Speech, Essay - and the "Super Quiz". In the year 2000 competition, the Super Quiz theme was based on the theme "Sustainable Earth". Students were quizzed on the history of the Environmental Movement: biological diversity, industrial waste and options for energy in the Earth. This material easily could be rated for the college sophomore - let alone the "C" student in high school!
In the course of two days, Arizona high schools’ teams must circulate individually and together in the grand arena of all ten competitions. The students must be prepared to discuss Frank Lloyd Wright, Thelonious Monk, prepare an original and impromptu speech, solve quadratic equations, consider the International rights of the Suez Canal, and analyze a passage from Henrik Ibsen’s play An Enemy of the People. Heavy stuff for a spring break!
I’ve seen a small part of the Academic Decathlon. Over the last four years, I’ve been a judge at the speech competition at the state finals. I’m one of about thirty judges that give seven hours every year to score the speeches of the academically ambitious students in Mesa.
As a judge, I’m handed a schedule which includes about twenty-five students who will appear before my panel in rapid succession. Time is a major factor. The judges and students must work fast - we have a schedule based on a planned ten minutes per participant. As the chief judge, I set a vigorous pace. We welcome a Decathlete, and shake hands. I quickly review the rules with student. No more than a minute should be given to these transitions! The student is invited to present his or her speech, signaled by a timer. If the student goes overtime (or undertime) points are deducted from his or her score. Usually, the Decathlete completes his or her speech within the last 30 seconds of the allotted time, so no penalty is given.
I’ve heard speeches from high school students ranging from the serious to the ridiculous. Some display exceptional wit (which gets point credit from me!); others struggle to convey a quite serious polemic with words chosen from an obscure corner of the Oxford English Dictionary. Clear communications to the heart and mind always impress me the most. I’m not moved by deep discourse stultified by word baggage.
Every year the Academic Decathlon adopts a theme for its Super Quiz. Many of the speeches deal with that theme. Although I was bored with speeches about "Third World nations and the impending environmental disaster" by the conclusion of the judging cycle, I struggled to judge each speech on its own merit. The content of the speech doesn’t matter to me as long as it isn’t offensive, and so I hear speeches in a didactic, conversational, and comedic voice. All of these are valid styles.
After delivering a prepared speech, the Scholastic Gladiator is asked to prepare an impromptu speech. "On that table," I say, pointing, "you will find three speech topics. Choose one." He or she has one minute to prepare for this challenge. The student may take notes and hold a note card during the second delivery - but usually, he or she doesn’t bother.
Although the Decathlete has a choice of three subjects, I’d guess that 70% of the students all choose the same "safe" topic. By the end of the afternoon of judging, I’ve heard over fifteen impromptu speeches which all made similar points. (When the students aren’t present, my fellow judges plea for fresh material!)
Headache in progress. Because of the rigorous time constraints, the lack of variety, and the chore of assigning points to the students material, I always develop a mid-level headache by the end of my judging session. I am always grateful for my thirty minute break in the last third of my judging duty. But after a brisk walk and a fruit juice, my neural cells are pepped up. I’m always glad to greet the first student after the break.
When I stop and reflect at the level of student accomplishment, the brief mental pain is commendable. I’ve been passing judgement on the work kids who have been working for months to demonstrate their talents. I have become really proud at the concentrated work that so many volunteers and competitive students have put into each level of the Arizona Academic Decathlon. The results are worth it - my headache is minor compared with their efforts.
In ancient days, the citizens of Rome would enjoy feast day bread and circus events. The strongest and bravest would create a spectacle for the crowds to cheer. There are few crowds to cheer the Arizona Decathletes - at least not on the "field of honor."
However, in Arizona we can be quite proud of our local results. In the year 2000, the winning team from Corona High School placed fifth in the nation. Eight of the nine contestants earned individual medals, including a silver and bronze medal in Speech. Emily Rap was the highest scoring Arizona Team contestant, and was selected to be part of a Speaker’s Showcase.
In my opinion, Emily’s picture should be featured on the front page of every newspaper in this state - along with the rest of her team mates. The Arizona Team should be given release time from their classes to tour Arizona high schools and promote academic achievement. Imagine giving these "Gladiator Scholars" true hero status! If this ever happened, it might do more to improve student test scores than all the AIMS prep classes, technology upgrades and standards revisions put together!
As parents and members of the community, we should be proud of all the High School Decathletes. They set an example of unrestrained commitment toward self-improvement in an age group that resists excellence as not "cool". These are the kind of youth that I’d like to hire for my enterprise. Three cheers for the Arizona Academic Decathlon.