February brings competition season for Oak Park High School’s academic teams.

The Academic Decathlon team placed first as a team in the speech and interview categories, as well as achieving 46 individual medals in different events.

AcaDeca is an eighth-period class in which members study various topics and travel to competitions to participate in ten different categories: art, interview, music, science, literature, math, social science, essay, speech and economics.

The AcaDeca team worked all year to compete in late January and early February. Sophomore Lindsey Di Conti wrote to the Talon that being in AcaDeca is an “amazing experience.”

“It can be challenging at times, but Academic Decathlon equips its members with tools in speech, interview and much more,” Di Conti wrote. “It is wonderful to have a team who supports you and loves you.”

AcaDeca team captain and senior Claire Epstein wrote to the Talon that the lessons for the curriculum are created by the students.

“I was super proud that our team placed fifth overall, and that we got first out of all the other teams in the interview event and speech event, which I think are the most invaluable categories,” Epstein wrote.

The Future Business Leaders of America team also had a competition in February.

FBLA placed second at the Golden Coast section competition, winning 43 individual plaques. The FBLA competition was Feb. 9, and the team was tied for first place initially before the tie was broken moving them to second place behind Mark Kepler High School.

“FBLA is technically defined as a student-run organization that specializes in helping high school students develop their business skills and connect with people,” senior and FBLA president Grace Ma said.

Junior Justin He placed first in Economics and third in Securities and Investments.

“My favorite part of FBLA is winning and watching friends win because that’s when the effort really shines through,” He wrote. “Wearing a suit is definitely a close second though.”

Ma said that this was the best FBLA has placed in the past four years. Ma placed second in Future Business Leader, and fourth with her team in Parliamentary Procedure. She described FBLA as “a second family.”

“I am so proud of how well Oak Park did this year,” Ma said.