Taft High Squad Gears Up for State Academic Decathlon

If Leonard An has been acting a little odd lately, it would not be too much to say he has a lot on his mind.

For the past several months, An and eight other Taft High School seniors have traded their social lives for study guides as they prepare to represent the Los Angeles Unified School District in the state academic decathlon, to be held Friday and Saturday at the University of the Pacific in Stockton.

“What am I giving up to do this? Basically my senior year,” said An as he bounced around a study session Monday to release nervous energy.

An is not alone in his anxiety. After winning the district competition in November, decathlon Coach Michael Wilson’s students have been cramming, studying from 2 to 4:30 p.m. every school day, as well as most nights and weekends.

“I’ve not done anything socially in the last two months,” said team captain Chris Hoag, 18. “All my friends can attest to that. They come up to me and say, ‘Hey, what’s your name?’ ”

At the state decathlon, Taft students will compete in 10 academic events, including math, social studies, science, English, essay, speech, fine arts, economics, interview skills and the Super Quiz. This year’s Super Quiz focuses on the experiences of the “Great Achievers of the World,” including Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and even opera singer Placido Domingo.

Each of the more than 40 teams competing in the statewide event is sending nine students: three with A averages, three with B averages and three with C averages. This year’s Taft team includes David Bronstein, 17; Hoag; Mara Weiss, 17; Robert Shaw, 17; Alex Jacobs, 17; An; Adam Caress, 17; Evan Dodge, 17, and Joshua Stempel, 17. The team that wins advances to the national tournament in Phoenix.

In addition to the pressure the students feel from their parents and themselves, there is also a school tradition to uphold. Since the contest began 11 years ago, Taft has taken the district championship twice and has gone on to win the national tournament in 1989.

Even so, Coach Wilson believes these students’ sacrifices are not given due recognition.

“Academics tend not to get the attention that athletics in society do,” Wilson said. “I doubt that any of them are going to get Reebok to sign them up. And they do it anyway. That’s why it’s so important.”