Walking into the lecture hall, I felt rather small.
All of the other competitors shuffled around the room with their paraphernalia, marking their territory. My eyes wandered around, searching for a seat as I lingered down the stairs to the front of the room until I finally found a lone seat in the center of the room, waiting for me.
Making my way back to the chair, I peered around the room once more, but this time, taking note of the other students. I found myself to be the minority, what my coach would later refer to me as "a brown drop in a sea of white faces". That wasn’t the only detail setting me apart from them. Every other student 's materials consisted of a laptop, printer, and their coach. My materials? A mechanical pencil and …show more content…
But in an instant, these three emotions were overtaken by a greater force. Paranoia. I was being watched. I debated whether or not to look around from the fear of making awkward eye contact with a stranger, but I gave in. I slowly turned my head to the right. Nothing.
I 'm just nervous, I thought.
Hoping to confirm this, I turned to my left and was assured that I was in fact being watched. There I sat, facing the camera that nearly caused my nerves to erupt, and behind the camera was my much-needed coach, Mr. Salinas. A huge gust of relief filled my body.
I watched as he squirmed his way towards me, bumping into everyone in his way as they raced to set up their …show more content…
"Come on, you 're just as prepared as anyone else in this room."
I hoped he wasn 't referring to the thirty minute meeting the hotal lobby the night before becayse I was more than certain that most people in the room had started preparing months previous to that day.
He looks around the room at everyone I was up against. Then at my notebook paper.
"Something here is not like the others," he mocked.
"I prefer to write," I responded, "And plus, what if my printer breaks? Or my computer crashes? Then what?"
"There you go again. So pessimistic."
"Sorry. But nothing can go wrong if I stick with a pencil and paper."
"Well it 's your call."
We were interrupted by the voice of the room proctor announcing that "At this time, only competitors and judges can stay in the room. If you are not competing or judging, I ask that you please leave."
"Well, I 'm getting kicked out now," Mr. Salinas said to me, "Remember not to save."
I never got a "good luck" from Mr. Salinas. In his own way, "remember not to save" was his "good luck", but only I knew what he meant.
As soon as he was gone, a judge replaced him.
"Hello," she greeted.
"Hello. Are you a judge?" I asked, as if I already didn 't know the
All of the other competitors shuffled around the room with their paraphernalia, marking their territory. My eyes wandered around, searching for a seat as I lingered down the stairs to the front of the room until I finally found a lone seat in the center of the room, waiting for me.
Making my way back to the chair, I peered around the room once more, but this time, taking note of the other students. I found myself to be the minority, what my coach would later refer to me as "a brown drop in a sea of white faces". That wasn’t the only detail setting me apart from them. Every other student 's materials consisted of a laptop, printer, and their coach. My materials? A mechanical pencil and …show more content…
But in an instant, these three emotions were overtaken by a greater force. Paranoia. I was being watched. I debated whether or not to look around from the fear of making awkward eye contact with a stranger, but I gave in. I slowly turned my head to the right. Nothing.
I 'm just nervous, I thought.
Hoping to confirm this, I turned to my left and was assured that I was in fact being watched. There I sat, facing the camera that nearly caused my nerves to erupt, and behind the camera was my much-needed coach, Mr. Salinas. A huge gust of relief filled my body.
I watched as he squirmed his way towards me, bumping into everyone in his way as they raced to set up their …show more content…
"Come on, you 're just as prepared as anyone else in this room."
I hoped he wasn 't referring to the thirty minute meeting the hotal lobby the night before becayse I was more than certain that most people in the room had started preparing months previous to that day.
He looks around the room at everyone I was up against. Then at my notebook paper.
"Something here is not like the others," he mocked.
"I prefer to write," I responded, "And plus, what if my printer breaks? Or my computer crashes? Then what?"
"There you go again. So pessimistic."
"Sorry. But nothing can go wrong if I stick with a pencil and paper."
"Well it 's your call."
We were interrupted by the voice of the room proctor announcing that "At this time, only competitors and judges can stay in the room. If you are not competing or judging, I ask that you please leave."
"Well, I 'm getting kicked out now," Mr. Salinas said to me, "Remember not to save."
I never got a "good luck" from Mr. Salinas. In his own way, "remember not to save" was his "good luck", but only I knew what he meant.
As soon as he was gone, a judge replaced him.
"Hello," she greeted.
"Hello. Are you a judge?" I asked, as if I already didn 't know the