STUDENTS READY FOR DECATHLON.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

PALMDALE - Teams from three Antelope Valley high schools will pit their academic skills today against students from 50 other Los Angeles County public high schools.

Highland, Lancaster and Palmdale high schools are competing in the county's Academic Decathlon 2002 at Gladstone High School in Covina.

``I just think it's a great experience. I'm excited about going to the competition and I hope we win,'' said Stephani VanWert, a senior and member of the Palmdale High School team.

The all-day decathlon consists of 10 events that call for critical thinking, essay writing and public speaking. About 500 students are expected to participate.

This year's theme is ``Understanding Others,'' said Matt Tassinari, the Palmdale High Academic Decathlon adviser and U.S. history teacher.

Students also will be quizzed on the Alan Paton novel, ``Cry, the Beloved Country,'' which is about apartheid in South Africa, Tassinari said.

Under contest rules, each team's nine members must have varying grade- point averages. Three can have GPAs of 3.75 and above, three must have GPAs between 3.0 and 3.75 and three must have GPAs below 3.0.

Antelope Valley decathletes have spent time outside of class preparing for the annual event.

At Palmdale High, the team met for several hours after school on Mondays since school started in September to study and discuss reading materials, Tassinari said.

``We just go for the competition, camaraderie and fun,'' Tassinari said. ``And to generate memories for students who were a part of it. Our goal is to get in the top 40.''

This year's contest is the first for VanWert, 17.

``Last year I had a lot of friends on the team. I was in Mr. Tassinari's AP history class, and so when they had their competition, I helped with grading the tests. I got to see what they did and what they were learning. I thought it was really interesting,'' VanWert said. ``It's a really good experience from what I've heard, so I thought I'd try it too.''

VanWert said she has spent additional time outside of the Monday sessions to prepare, reading books and studying materials for the different subjects.

``I do a lot at home to keep up with what we are doing in class,'' VanWert said.

VanWert said the team began meeting during the summer in a summer school class.

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Highland High School Academic Decathlon team members, from left, Tamara Mulvena, Golnar Lashgari, Daniel Saltzman, Amy Arispe, Joseph Ferro and Kevin Saltzman, confer with adviser Stacie Garcia, right. They will compete today in Covina.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer