On Jan. 24, DECA competed the Area Conference event at the Donald E. Stevens   Convention Center in Rosemont, where thirty-nine members medalled and qualified to participate at the state competition.

Robert Bollweg, one of the club’s sponsors and member of the business education department, said that this was the group’s best performance yet.

“Out of the eighty-nine students we took, thirty- placed within the top 3 for their series, which is definitely the best that we’ve ever done,” Bollweg said.

Seniors Brian Koltin and Jacob Bleiweis, who have been on DECA for 3 years in a row, medalled and got 3rd place in sports marketing. Koltin is one of the presidents for DECA.

The competitive aspect of DECA consists of two methods of evaluation.

Before leaving for the event, each participant picked a topic to focus on, and they chose to compete either alone or with a partner.

The first assessment they completed was an online cluster exam that contains 100 questions related each individual’s chosen event.

At the regionals event itself, members competed in role plays, which are simulations in which a group of judges give a business scenario and the competitors take ten minutes to plan a solution.

From the role plays and the test results, the judges determine scoring, where the top 3 per topic receive medals and qualify to compete at state.

Roshan Raj, a junior who placed 2nd with his partner in his section of Buying and Merchandising, described the role plays as a learning experience.

“You get nervous when you’re waiting in between your role plays, but I come out of each event knowing a little more than I did before. Whether it’s a new concept or new communication skill, I’m constantly learning something knew.”

Junior Gabe Wineman had a similar reaction to the role plays. “This was my second year at the competition, and I felt much more comfortable. Public speaking is the kind of thing that just takes practice.

“What I could have done better was the test portion of the event. With some more studying that could have improved,” added Wineman.

Even newcomers to DECA were successful at the competition. Anna Shah, who placed 3rd in the Retail Merchandising Series, was the first freshman to medal at a competition.

Sophomore John Keenan also medalled, placing first in Principles of Finance.

“I’m excited to see what they can achieve in the next few years,” said Bollweg.

The club meets weekly in room W350, and the focus isn’t just on the competitions. Bollweg said they also discuss other facets of the business world, including business simulations and host guest speakers.

Although attendance generally drops down starting in the spring, Bollweg mentioned that the club continues past the competitive season. “We have some really cool events and guest speakers planned for this year, even after the state and international events.”

Kian Nematollahi, a member of the DECA Leadership Council, noted the difference between the program at New Trier and other schools.

“Our main competition is Deerfield, Highland Park, and GBN because these three schools have DECA as an elective that meets daily, whereas at our school, DECA is a club which only meets for half an hour every Thursday.”

The state competition will take place from Mar. 9 through Mar. 11 at the Hyatt Regency in Rosemont. If competitors place within the top 3 at state, they could potentially continue on to the international competition in Anaheim, California.

Junior Elliot Chow, who received a gold medal in his event at regionals, explained the team’s potential for growth from these events: “Business is a subject where there really is no limit to what you can learn,” said Chow, “so the rest of the team will continue to study and learn about the world of economics to prepare for state.”