DECA Day at LHS
On Wednesday, November 15th, students in DECA Attended a morning session hosted by DECA officers, and featuring guest speaker Mr. Melvin Adams.
At 8AM, all students in DECA reported to the Little Theater and listened to a presentation from senior DECA officers. Presidents Sofia Queren-Sheridan ’24, Caroline Kim ’24, and Meline Tarpinyan ’24 led a presentation prepping new members for upcoming events. “It was the first meeting of the year for all the DECA students and we reviewed everything people needed to know,” Sofia explained, “We were focused on giving them tips on how to present to judges.” Caroline went on to say, “We shared tips and tricks for competitions, strategies, and templates we use.” The officers are had the club members prepare mini presentations, which were then presented to the room. The officers then gave each group feedback on their presentations and advice for what to work on for future competitions, including how to present without looking at notes and how to come up with an argument in a limited time span.
Vice President Mina Trimarchi ’24, also presented and confessed that “having to present in front of over 100 peers, I was a little nervous, but it ended up going well and it improved my confidence in public speaking.” Public relations officer Joy Lee ’24 said, “DECA Day was fun because I got the chance to help out as an officer.”
The DECA Students also listened to a presentation from Mr. Melvin Adams, a former Harlem Globetrotter and motivational speaker. All of the attendees had positive responses to Mr. Adams and agreed he was one of the best speakers they’ve ever had.
School store manager, Tiziana Villavincencio ’24 says she “enjoyed how Mr. Adams came and spoke about his background and the struggles he endured but how that motivated him to strive for success. His inspiring words helped me want to set goals for myself to also strive for success.”
“I really liked Mr. Adam’s message about “pressing restart” and changing the outcome of your life,” said Mina, “His story was touching and he was very engaging.”
The first DECA day of the year was the first test of leadership for the officers, and they rose to the occasion admirably. DECA’s next big event is the District Conference on January 11, 2024 at Ramapo College, where they will compete in roleplays with Northeast Region. Prior to the conference all members must take an exam on December 4.
