LEBANON — Lebanon High School’s DECA chapter has grown to 82 members this year, and 33 students advanced from district competition to the Indiana state DECA event in Indianapolis, DECA advisors told the Learn in Lebanon podcast.

The chapter’s growth, competitive results and fundraising plans were the focus of a roughly 16-minute interview posted by Lauren Ergot, a City of Lebanon intern and host of the podcast. “DECA really is a business organization and our big primary focus is to develop leadership but also develop knowledge within the business industry,” said Jason Joras, business teacher and DECA advisor at Lebanon High School.

The success at the district level came in one of the state’s largest DECA districts. Joras said District 2 fielded nearly 750 students from about 12 to 13 high schools; Lebanon sent about 68 students to district competition and advanced 33 to state. “As the district in DECA grows, these competitive efforts become a little bit more tough to get through,” he said.

Why it matters: advancing to state and beyond typically requires both a 100-question exam and performance in role-play events; the advisors said the written test counts for roughly one-third of a contestant’s score. Tyler Dam, business teacher and DECA advisor, explained the competition format: at state students take a 100-question exam and perform 10- to 30-minute role plays, often seeing the role-play prompt only minutes before their presentation. “They show up to state… and they get about 10 to 30 minutes to prepare for it,” Dam said.

The educators described a range of DECA categories — accounting, marketing management, hospitality, entrepreneurship and others — and said the chapter offers leadership roles intended to give experienced students responsibility for chapter activities and fundraising. Joras said the leadership team typically fills six positions, including president and vice presidents for communications, marketing and membership. Chapter fundraising helps defray travel costs for students attending state and international competitions.

Mr. LHS fundraiser: The chapter’s primary fundraiser, Mr. LHS, will be held Wednesday, Feb. 19. Joras described it as “a male comedic beauty pageant,” with five junior and five senior contestants performing talents, answering questions and taking part in skits. The event began around 2015, paused during parts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and was revived in recent years, Joras said.

International competition and state officer bid: Joras said Lebanon students have attended DECA international competitions — in recent years locations include Atlanta, Anaheim and Orlando — where only about the top 2% of competitors advance. He said the chapter first qualified students for international competition in 2017 and sent five students then; last year the chapter sent 11. The podcast also noted that Lebanon student Lana Hayamova, currently the chapter’s vice president, advanced through an initial round of candidacy and is seeking a state officer role in the career development area. “If she’s successful, it really means that she’s got a lot more outside efforts and work that she’s gonna have to do on behalf of all of Indiana DECA,” Joras said.

Classroom links: Both advisors said taking Lebanon business courses helps students perform on DECA exams and brings technical vocabulary and real-world concepts into role plays. “My favorite is personal finance, where for 1 semester we learn how to buy a car, insurance, taxes, everything that’s really important after you graduate,” Dam said. The advisors encouraged students to try business classes early: “I always say you should try as a freshman or a sophomore,” Joras said.

What’s next: the chapter will focus on preparing the 33 state qualifiers for competition in Indianapolis and promoting the Feb. 19 Mr. LHS fundraiser. No formal votes or governing actions were recorded in the podcast; details reported here are based on statements from the host and the two advisors during the recorded interview.