I Anticipate In Forensics

I swear I don't spend my Saturday's cutting up dead people. Believe it or not, that's usually one of the first things I must explain to people when I tell them I participate in forensics. I've had many of great experiences with forensics, as well as a few that were less than ideal –to say the least- throughout my years competing. The combination of the two has been a large part of who I am though, and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. The forensics I enjoy is a lot different than what you might see on at a crime-scene investigation. My type of forensics involves choosing an event, picking out a selection of materials to perform (referred to as your “piece”), and then competing in front of judges for three rounds. If you do well
In each event, ten people broke into finals, but only the top six would qualify for Nationals. The murmur of conversation ceased abruptly as the announcer appear on stage, apparition like in her swiftness. This was the moment hordes of students were waiting for. Announced first were speeches, followed by solo events, followed by interpretation events. Duo was penultimate event announced, followed only by sweepstake awards. Sitting through the other events only elevated the suspense we felt. When the tournament host’s amplified voice echoed through the room, saying “Duo on deck”, Emma and I joined the line of high school competitors waiting to mount the stage and hear how they placed. The announcer waved us up, and the finalists shuffled up the stairs to stand in front of everyone. The host read off the names of the duo that received tenth, ninth, and eighth place, with applause breaking out after each proclamation. Naturally, next came seventh. Seventh place is the place no one desires, because it means you were almost skilled enough for nationals, but not quite up to par. Placing seventh is like earning a 59% in a class you absolutely need to pass. The silence before the revelation of seventh place was uncanny. You could've heard a pin drop as the announcer said “And seventh place goes to… Haupt and Price.” The crowd applauded, but I'm pretty sure it never registered for either of us. We had worked so hard to get ourselves to this point, but we were a few points away from actually qualifying. The team left qualifiers feeling disappointed and melancholy, with a sense of malaise resting over the Suburbans as we drive