Macomb Community College Sports and Expo Center, 2007. It was the spring of my third grade year. Now picture hundreds of elementary kids sitting in rows upon rows of metal chairs with parents and coaches scattered among the young, eager faces. This is what your average Elementary Science Olympiad Tournament award ceremony looks like. I have participated in eight - this year will make it nine - of these competitions. As a student, your typical day here consists of one to four tests or events, maybe a lunch break (depending on how busy you are), and the end-of-the-day awards ceremony. There are usually around one hundred fifty schools at one competition, so you can just imagine how much stress these kids are put under and how hard they try to
