Dedicated to the Alaska Circuit, and every person that has helped me in my journey.

There are a lot of ways that people say "forensics." Some people (like the Alaskans) call it Drama, Debate, and Forensics. Some call it Speech. Some just Debate. Others just Drama. Whatever you call it, you can definitely identify with what I am about to say.

1. Unlike most high schoolers, you knew what business dress meant.

Most high school students only know business clothes because of what their parents wear to work, or what they see on television. However, we know that professional attire requires covered shoulders, heels, a tie, a jacket, nice pants, hair done properly, and nothing too revealing. Yes, there was that one person that tried to get away with something that broke the unwritten "rules" of attire, but that was quickly rectified by a hushed word in the bathroom.

2. Sleep was never necessary, but coffee was highly recommended.

There were tournaments when I would sleep 4 hours the entire weekend. The baristas at local coffee shops began to know tournament patterns, and what I was going to order. The vats of coffee were one of the most important things that parents would bring to keep their kids happy and smiling during tournaments. If you didn't drink coffee before joining the team, you sure did by the time you left.

3. Your grades got a lot better.

Even if your grades were not bad before you joined the team. They certainly got better when you left. Teachers would start commenting on your papers and how well your arguments were constructed. Conversely, a paper that had to represent both sides would end up looking like a debate transcript. But all that your parents cared about was that your grades were going up, even if your arguments were going up as well.

4. Talking to walls was not as strange as it seems.

Whether you did debate, speech, drama, or another form I am forgetting, speaking to walls was a common occurrence. It was easy to practice your speech when looking at a blank wall, rather than trying to practice it with your parents or siblings. You know you had the true spirit at heart, if talking to walls was more comforting than singing in the shower.

5. Public speaking may be a fear for others, but for us, it was never an issue.

Don't get me wrong, speaking in public was still nerve-wracking for all of us. However, after participating in numerous tournaments, and speaking in front of hundreds of people, we are more comfortable than most. My dad always says that he wish he learned public speaking in school, because maybe then he would actually be okay with delivering a speech for work.

6. The people that do speech are a different breed of human.

All different kinds of people do forensics. On my small team, we had everyone from jocks to science people, to National Honor Society presidents, and Prom Kings. However, we all had forensics in common, and when push came to shove that is all that mattered in the end.

7. You make friends that last a lifetime.

Between friends on my team, in my state, and across the nation, I have a family that spans coast to coast. I still keep in touch with my old debate coaches, teammates, and competitors. It didn't matter that we all were competing for the same trophy, all that mattered was that we shared a passion. Some of my longest and most trusted friends come from my debate career, and they are people I would never trade for anything.

8. it is always difficult to leave.

You may leave forensics, but it never leaves you. People will always ask you for help on cases, or join you in an argument about differing views. Most people that did forensics in high school continue it in some form in college. You can never escape the rush that forensics brings, nor would you want to.

All photos are credited to Nicole Maria Photography.