DECA members have begun preparing for the State competition scheduled to run March 3 to 5. Around 110 students from Carmel will compete in the event, located at the Indianapolis Marriott. All schools in Indiana that have a DECA chapter will be competing there as well. According to sponsor Laura Cardamon, DECA members have learned much from the previous district competition back in January.

“Carmel DECA students learned that in order to be competitive, they need to work hard,” Cardamon said. “The Carmel DECA students who qualified for DECA State will need to study their marketing vocabulary and practice role plays to be successful.”

The competition will involve a combination of role-plays of a variety of business situations and a 100-point multiple-choice test.

Shannon Edelstein, DECA president and senior, said that the DECA competitions have had a huge impact on new members.

“Students have improved their communication, presentation and written skills,” said Edelstein. “They have also learned how to effectively explain their ideas, plans and views to future customers, clients and employers.”