The sun had just risen, and I was at my friend Sujay’s house, waiting for him to come downstairs so we could begin the drive to Las Positas College, where along with three of our other friends, we would be representing our school in the Sandia Regional Science Bowl. For the past year and a half, we had been hard at work, studying various sciences and practicing playing as a team in the hopes of winning and advancing to the national level. As I waited, I felt the rush of emotions that precede all contests, and my mind began to wander. Would we win? Would we be eliminated early on? All these thoughts and more flew around my head, and before I knew it Sujay was ready and we were on our way. At the college, our team assembled, and a nervous energy
