At the Emerson Junior Senior High School, DECA, also known as Distributive Education Clubs of America, is one of the most popular clubs. It’s advised by Mrs. Bieber, who teaches all of the business classes – including personal finance, business 1 and 2, as well as a few others.

Many students at EHS are in DECA, and there are various fundraisers held to raise proceeds for the club. Some popular fundraisers the club participates in are special dinner nights where proceeds from Chipotle, Habit Burger, Juicy Platters, and many other places help add to the club’s budget. When these fundraisers happen, the Emerson community supports DECA, and helps them raise money for club activities. 

We interviewed Mrs. Bieber about the club. When asked why she wanted to be an advisor, she talked about one of her first years in this school. “Many students, including Ryan Taub, came up to me asking why we didn’t have a DECA chapter.”

After that, she decided to start one at EHS. This meant she had to research a lot, figure out what it really was, and examine how other schools incorporated it. 

DECA does a lot of fundraising. One of their most popular fundraisers takes place at Chipotle in Closter. When asked why she picks Chipotle she said, “Chipotle is a very popular destination. They give back 33% of sales which is the highest amount a restaurant gives back that they know of.” This is one of the most successful fundraisers because Chipotle is a very popular destination among the Emerson community and especially students. 

When asked overall what the most successful fundraiser ever was, Mrs. Bieber responded with the Fall of 2021. “This was a very successful fundraiser because everybody wanted to get out of the house [after dealing with the isolation] with Covid. It gave people an excuse to leave and go out. A bunch of Covid restrictions were just lifted, and everybody wanted to see each other.”

All of the DECA fundraisers are a big hit for the community of Emerson, thanks to Chipotle, Habit Burger, and Juicy Platters. Many students at EHS are very involved within the DECA chapter, and are very happy Mrs. Bieber decided to start one.