The Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) club at ETHS- run by Ms. Weber- is a group that has different focus-issued prompts/problems that students find a solution to. Every year, students across the country compete in competitions, eventually leading to state, and then internationals. This club has given students room to think on their own feet, and exposes them to specific business-related issues. 

¨At a DECA competition, you’re given a prompt and you present your solution to a judge, and then the judge scores you based on a specific rubric. It is more of an individual club rather than a team sort of thing- if there is a team, it is a group of two.¨ Says Junior Caleb Gerstein.

Gerstein also explains more specifically, how to prepare for the problems/prompts they will be asked about. ¨…a written project takes a few months and you develop your project and plan over the course of a few months. But for roleplay, you find out [and then] you have 20 minutes to prep before your competition. And within those 20 minutes, you have to create your plan on the spot.¨ 

Even if you’re not competing during state, most students in the DECA club go to cheer on their teammates. If you place high enough in the state, you can even go to Nationals!

¨The top scorers advance to state and then the top three teams from each event/area move to nationals and then the top ten teams from there go to internationals¨ Junior Campbell Fleming explains. 

Gertstein states how many, and why people go to state. ¨I think we have 20 people going [to] state. Really you go if you have a written and I think there are five to 10 people doing [written events] and if you do a roleplay event, you automatically go to state¨ 

Fleming not only believes the club has helped her academically but has also allowed her to become more interested and involved in the business world. ¨I think that [because] I’ve been doing it [for a while] I find interest in it in certain ways. And I think it’s interesting to have to think quickly and to learn more about business.¨

DECA is a great club that anyone can join and have fun with, it helps build knowledge on business and allows high schoolers to have a space where they are comfortable making mistakes and then fixing them.