Cheers for the Home Teams

Two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar!

Let’s all stand up and holler for the more than 160 Ventura County high school students who stretched their brains to participate in the 1997-’98 Academic Decathlon.

Next month, for the first time, two teams will represent the county at the state-level competition in Pomona.

Moorpark High School placed first in the local competition, winning all 10 categories and scoring 46,414 of a possible 60,000 points in the contest of knowledge and thought--the highest score ever achieved by a Ventura County team.

Joining them will be the team from Simi Valley High School, which placed second this year with 44,569 points but gets to go as a “wild card” team.

The two nine-member teams have been playing tug-o-war with the trophy since Ventura County joined the competition in 1993. Moorpark placed first in 1993 and ‘94, then Simi clawed to the top in ’95 and ’96. Now both teams will get to match wits with students from all over California.

What’s great about this competition is the way it reinforces the idea that it’s cool to be smart and fun to know all sorts of weird stuff.

Too often the pleasures of learning get lost in the day-to-day drudgery of classes, homework, tests and grades. The lucky ones among us are those who figure out that education can be a lifelong adventure that adds color and flavor and confidence and options to anyone’s life, from kindergarten right up until the day we die.

So best of luck in Pomona and congratulations to the coaches and teams and supportive parents from Moorpark High School; Simi Valley High School; Camarillo High School; Newbury Park High School; Oxnard, Channel Islands, Rio Mesa and Hueneme high schools in Oxnard; Santa Susana High School in Simi Valley; Thousand Oaks High School; Westlake High School in Westlake Village; and Ventura and Buena high schools in Ventura.

All Ventura County is mighty proud of you.