The Academic Decathlon (Acadec) team is venturing to New York next fall to spend three plus days touring New York City. The purpose of the trip will be to study next year’s art material, which is in the city’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“I am excited about going to New York because I have never been to the East Coast before,” C.J. Haydock, ’03, said. “It is a great chance to expand my horizons. Seeing the art pieces in person will be useful on the test day, because I will be able to visualize the pieces while I am taking the test.”

The Acadec competitions have been around since Dr. Robert Peterson first created them in the late ?70s. They were set in the most prestigious high schools in the United States. The program spread quickly and the United States Academic Decathlon (USAD) was founded in 1981.

“The main reason our school participates in this program is to encourage academic interest and growth,” Molly Sargent, Acadec coach, said. “Through this class, we are able to provide information in subject areas that our school cannot offer, due to our smaller size. Students who are self-motivated learners and like to explore topics that are off the core curriculums’ beaten path really enjoy this class.”

They will be traveling Oct. 10-14, ’02, for three days in New York, visiting the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Greenwich Village, the New York City Public Library, the observation platform near the site of the former World Trade Center, and will attend two Broadway plays.

“We are so excited to be going,” Sargent said. “It will be a very good learning experience for the students and a blast for everyone.”

Students are tested in 10 categories: art, economics, essay, interview, language and literature, mathematics, science, social science, speech and Super Quiz, which will consist of a study about the ocean.

The USAD stresses educational opportunity and academic excellence, according to www.usad.org. For more information on Acadec, students are encouraged to go to that Internet site.

For those interested in knowing more about this trip, Sargent has scheduled a planning meeting for May 22 to discuss costs and itinerary. Parents and/or students can also contact Sargent at 297-1380 or email her at [email protected].