Introducing OCSA's Academic Decathletes

Annika Petras

From our Mock Trial team, which was crowned fourth place in the state in 2022 to our Model United Nations team, which received an award for Best Large Delegation at a recent conference, OCSA’s competitive academic teams have not only been able to gain school-wide credibility but also local and regional recognition. 

This year, a new team will represent OCSA in competition against other schools. To be co-led by Chloe Woo (IM-S ‘27) and Jiwon Chung (IM-S ‘27), OCSA’s academic decathlon team will offer students the opportunity to engage in rigorous academic learning and competition outside of the classroom. The team, featuring nine main members as well as several alternates, will begin in the third division of academic decathlon competition. It involves seven tests in math, literature, science, music, art, economics and social science, as well as a speech, interview and essay portion. “It seems overwhelming at first,” said Meghan Linney, who teaches Math 2, Math 3 and Integrated 2 and is the new team’s advisor this year. “But the fact that it includes art, music and reactive writing means that it’s perfect for our student body.”

Searching for clubs they would be interested in bringing to the school, Woo and Chung stumbled upon academic decathlon, intrigued by what it offered. With spots for students of all academic achievements, both students expressed that they felt that decathlon was unique in that it gave students with different backgrounds and strengths the opportunity to participate. “We realized that this was not available at OCSA, so we took the initiative and wanted to make it,” explained Woo. 

Requiring strong teamwork, presentational and communication skills, as well as a lot of commitment, academic decathlon is suited for students with the ability to both contribute their own personal academic strengths and learn from those of others. “I love learning, and I feel like I’m good at working with people,” says Aldrix Moletti (CW ‘27), who is planning on applying to the academic decathlon, which involves taking an entrance exam. “I’ve been wanting to try and join a club. …I thought that this would be for me because I’ll be surrounded by people who also like learning. Even in the subjects I’m not so good at, I’m going to learn so much just by being in this club. That’s one of the main appeals for me.” 

Taking part in academic decathlon promotes public speaking skills, critical thinking and analysis, interviewing, writing, study skills and of course, encourages working as a team unit, with data showing that 92 percent of participating students in Orange County felt that they were able to build stronger connections with their peers according to the Orange County Department of Education. Beyond that, “It’s a chance to compete in something that isn’t just about you and your own strengths,” explained Linney. “It’s a chance to learn from others and see other people’s strengths and skills that you never knew they had, to benefit from that and to make your own personal contribution to something that is bigger than just you.” 

“I’m just excited to compete and for everyone to showcase their abilities,” says Woo. The team, once formed, will begin competition at the local level in January, and if advanced, will continue on to the state and national competitions. Like OCSA’s other academic teams, academic decathlon will be meeting in Ms. Linney’s room after school on Fridays, though it requires a lot of personal studying as well. Students interested in participating in the new team can join the Google Classroom with the code ur5tuev.