ACADEMIC DECATHLETES BECOME CLASSY GROUP.Byline: Mary F. Pols Daily News Staff Writer Alemany High School student Kyle Manfre munched on a hot dog, barely glancing at the fleet of ceaselessly smiling cheerleaders Notable cheerleaders
The occasion was a lunchtime pep rally for the private school's Academic Decathlon decathlon (dĭkăth`lŏn), in modern Olympic games, a contest for men held over two days and composed of 10 track-and-field events. team and Manfre looked like the kind of kid who might be ready to dismiss the team as a bunch of nerdy geeks unworthy of his notice. Not so. ``They're cool,'' Manfre said. ``They're like role models.'' Manfre is not alone in his appreciation. As the California Academic Decathlon starts today, with two San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. teams, Alemany and El Camino Real High School El Camino Real High School (also known locally as "ECR" and by some more recently as "ELCO") is a public secondary school located in the Woodland Hills district of the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California. competing, the consensus on campus is that these kids are genuinely elite. Like campus jocks, they inspire respect, admiration and even envy among their peers. They take a class designed to hone their AcaDeca skills. The student council paints posters encouraging their efforts. Cheerleaders press bouquets on them. They wear letter jackets. They study in special rooms that the rest of the student body never sees, with sodas and snacks at the ready and couches to curl up in. The decathletes are sought out and pursued by coaches, not for their speed or strength or size, but for their academic abilities. The ``AcaDeca'' team is a source of pride. El Camino Real El Camino Real (Spanish for The Royal Road or The King's Highway) was the name of a series of pre-automobile highways linking the various New World colonies of Spain:
There were some snickers
Snickers is a sweet bar made by Mars, Incorporated. as the students anticipated the joys of a substitute teacher. Then Markenson told them she would be attending the decathlon on the Cal Poly Cal Poly may refer to:
``They were like, `We're going to win!' They were saying, `We're going to kick butt. We're the best ' '' Adi said. He paused. ``It's like we're a football team.'' Success has bred this esteem. El Camino Real has won the state championship twice before, most recently last year, and placed fourth nationally in 1991 and a close second in 1996. The Woodland Hills school won the right to represent the Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. at the regional tournament in November after beating out Marshall and Taft. The school's high team scores at that event make them the heavy favorites to win the state title once again during this weekend's competition and proceed to the national tournament in April. Alemany placed first regionally among private schools in November, winning a berth at the state championship. At last year's state competition, the Mission Hills school placed ninth. As the two teams head into competition, they have evolved into virtual families, their closeness formed in many intense study sessions. They have eaten practically every meal together, shared frustrations, triumphs and occasionally floor space for naps. They are the ultimate clique (mathematics) clique - A maximal totally connected subgraph. Given a graph with nodes N, a clique C is a subset of N where every node in C is directly connected to every other node in C (i.e. C is totally connected), and C contains all such nodes (C is maximal). , with the run of the school and a whole culture unto themselves. For most team members, the process of becoming a decathlete de·cath·lete n. An athlete who participates in a decathlon. began years ago. Recruiting starts as early as ninth grade, when coaches eye the smart kids, particularly the underachievers. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Academic Decathlon rules, every nine-member team must have three A average students (Honors), three B students (Scholastics) and three C students (the Varsity). Coaches plant the seed and start steering potential team members toward challenging classes. They consult with other teachers, pore over PSAT PSAT Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test PSAT Puget Sound Action Team PSAT Particulate Source Apportionment Technology PSAT Predicted Site Acquisition Table PSAT Princeton South Asian Theatrics PSAT Pacific Situation Assessment Team (DoD) results and academic files, and then select their targets, who aren't always willing. ``Usually they hide and then we sort of stalk them,'' said Alemany coach Janie Prucha, who livens up study sessions with flippant flip·pant adj. 1. Marked by disrespectful levity or casualness; pert. 2. Archaic Talkative; voluble. [Probably from flip. humor and games of Jeopardy and Twister. ``They are flattered but they can't let us know that.'' David Roberson, who co-coaches the El Camino team with Markenson, said he spreads the word by March that everybody who wants to try out should come to meetings. If a student he is interested in doesn't show up, Roberson sends a summons. ``You get a note in the middle of class telling you to go to the college counselor's office,'' said El Camino team member Jackie Moses. It's the equivalent of being tapped for a sorority sorority: see fraternity. or fraternity, except that the work has just begun. At El Camino, students take a battery of tests. Grades are posted, and, gradually, the ones who aren't making the cut drop out. The top nine scorers make the team. For some of the kids, it isn't any easy choice. They give up part of their summers for training sessions. Other activities fall by the wayside. Moses had to give up ballet, which she has been studying for 10 years. Dawn Robinson Dawn Robinson (born November 28 1969 in New London, Connecticut) is an African-American R&B/soul/Dance-pop singer mostly best known for her work as a member of hit Urban/Dance-pop group En Vogue. has had to cut back on her work as editor of the El Camino school paper. Mike Montgomery had to juggle soccer and AcaDeca. Parents have to make a commitment too. Roberson tells them flat out, ``I will own your child.'' Eleventh-grader Adi's mother already told him she doesn't want him to be on the team next year, she misses him too much. During the few weeks before the state tournament, parents are obligated ob·li·gate tr.v. ob·li·gat·ed, ob·li·gat·ing, ob·li·gates 1. To bind, compel, or constrain by a social, legal, or moral tie. See Synonyms at force. 2. To cause to be grateful or indebted; oblige. to cook dinner for the whole crew and bring it to the school. But there are payoffs. Alemany team member Stephanie Guillbault has learned how to manage her time and is a better student for it. Over at El Camino, Adi has won something gold for the first time in his life. Alemany team captain John Sitko not only has something to mention in a college interview, but his peers treat him differently now. ``They listen to me more,'' John said. ``They seem to have a better opinion of me.'' CAPTION(S): 3 Photos PHOTO (1 -- color)El Camino's Michal Engelman, 17, and Jackie Moses, 15, write inspiring words after Academic Decathlon practice. (2) Sarah Goyak, back right, concentrates as she searches for the answer, while Brian Van Dyk and Jennifer Nuckolls offer support during a practice session for the Academic Decathlon at Alemany High School. David Sprague/Daily News (3) El Camino Real High School Academic Decathlon team members get on the bus Thursday, bound for the state competition in Pomona. Gus Ruelas/Daily News |
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