After what seemed like endless technical difficulties during the DECA exam, River Dell High School’s DECA team participated in a district competition held on Tuesday at Ramapo College.
Around 170 students represented River Dell, competing against other schools in a wide range of business-related events, including marketing, finance, hospitality, and entrepreneurship.
The competition consisted of role-play, written, and prepared events designed to test students’ problem-solving and professional skills.
Earlier in the school year, DECA members experienced multiple technical issues during the DECA exam, delaying the start and end times by nearly two periods. Students lined up throughout the cafeteria to create new passwords because logging into the application was not working. Those who were able to log in were consistently kicked out of the exam.
Freshman Anika Nagpal said, “I think a lot of the questions were very logical, making them easy to answer. The technical difficulties were a bit stressful. However, Mrs. Lenihan helped maintain a calm environment.”
She and many other students prepared for the district competition using prompts and mock-competition judging in front of others.
Despite the challenges, the DECA team was prepared and ready for success, hoping many students would advance to the state competition.
Good luck, River Dell!