I don't know how this tradition came to be, but the thing for the West Valley High School of Fairbanks Alaska Academic Decathlon team was gummy bears. Gummy bears and beanie hats.

Gummy bears were eaten throughout the stuff, as encouragement to the team. We would spin the propellers on the hats, to set our minds in motion.

Occasionally, people would throw gummy bears. This was frowned upon.


For the State competition, I was the happy recipient of a five-pound bag of gummy bears from Sam's, because my parents figured it would be OK to get me some, and that the team would need many.


I think that was the only year we had too many.