Clear Creek High School is home to a variety of extracurricular activities. Classes that can be considered a relief from school work include sports, drama club, choir and band, while other activities can be considered just as important as one’s school work. These include debate and a particular class that would be known on one’s schedule as Humanities, a.k.a Academic Decathlon (or Acadec).

The Academic Decathlon class is taught and led by Ken Fontenot. In the class, students work nearly all school year long to master information that they will ultimately use to compete against schools from all around the district and if they succeed, compete against schools all around the state. For the past few years, the team has done well, even coming in fifth place in early 2014. With team effort, the team was able to go to district and gain more than four thousand points but was beaten by four other schools, the first of which earned more than five thousand points. However, this year, the Clear Creek Acadec team is not planning on taking the silver home.

With a goal set at fifty thousand, the team is planning on ultimately doing their best and making it to state by coming in first place in district. Although the team only has four returning team members, the new students are learning quickly that the class is serious business and not something to take lightly. Newcomer Alissa Bearden, 10, was asked her thoughts on her first year in the class and the team’s goal to make it to state.

“So far the class is really fun, however the quizzes are [rather] difficult,” Bearden said. “I plan to increase the amount I study and the time for which I study before our next test. Our goal is to make it to state, but the team would be ecstatic if we made it to nationals.”

Another newcomer Yasira Yunis, 10, explained her feelings about the class.

“I’m pretty excited but I’m not sure if I’ll make the team. But overall I’m [going to] try hard, and the classes are a lot of fun.”

Meanwhile, her friend Karina Bertelsmann, 10, spoke with great enthusiasm on her thoughts and the goal.

“I think that if we work hard, we at least have a chance to make it state.”

But students are not the only newcomers this year. The team is also led by assistant coach and newcomer Mrs. Jamie Brownson, who also serves as a biology teacher here at Clear Creek. This is Mrs. Brownson’s first year joining as a coach and she is just as thrilled as the new students she will be helping Mr. Fontenot in coaching.

“It’s [certainly] nice to be back on a team,” Brownson said, referring back to her days as a soccer and volleyball coach.

Mrs. Brownson was asked why she did join the team.

“Fontenot asked me if I’d be interested in being in it and I wanted to re-experience being on a team and I didn’t feel I’d have full time to be dedicated to a sports team.”

While Fontenot himself could not be interviewed (due to his busy schedule), Mrs. Brownson answered what she thought Fontenot would say if he were available.

“He’d be really excited. We have a lot of young talent. He definitely wants to build on last year’s success.”

She went on to say how Creek has had a strong team in the past, even before Fontenot’s leadership.

“Really I think it’s an achievable goal. The bar is set high and we have a really great group of kids and if they’re really dedicated, I see them reaching the goal.”

With the big competition in the beginning of second semester, the Clear Creek Acadec students are working with all the determination and dedication they have to achieve the goal their coach has made for them. With the coaches being great teachers like Mr. Fontenot and Mrs. Brownson, there is no doubt the students are in great hands and under great leadership. Clear Creek High School has always had great success in their competitions, and the staff and entire student body, especially the Acadec students, can only hope they come out on top and achieve their goal of fifty thousand in early 2015.