WATERVILLE — Stress, competition, hunger, and a lack of sleep describe the typical high school experience. For students in the recent Thomas Cup Competition, that was only the beginning. For more than 16 hours, students from around the state tested their computer science skills and when all was said and done, Massabesic High School fared well in the event.

On Nov. 30, students from Brian Laich’s advanced computer science course, as well as various S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) courses throughout the school, joined as two teams of five to participate in the competition.

The event, split into five primary categories — esports, forensics, robotics, cybersecurity, and innovative design — challenged students as programmers and as young leaders in their field. Competition ran from late at night well into the following morning.

MHS senior Kelton Jamieson began the event alongside his teammates; as a first-year group entering a program in its fourth year, and the curve was tremendous.

“With 30 or more teams participating, it was apparent how serious the competition was,” Jamieson said, and the participants were eager to begin.

In addition to the events’ difficulty, Jamieson said, it focused on team planning.

Teams were set to progress through the events at their own pace, and were given the materials and general timeframe for each. As the Thomas Cup continued, stations would be erected and deconstructed, forcing teams to organize their time and execute their plans.

MHS sophomore Rachael Bonia remembers how her team prepared for the competition.

“We each specialized in a certain event,” Bonia said. Apart from her proficiencies in coding and robotics, she considered herself the source of her team’s morale throughout the competition. “I felt like it was my job to boost the mood for my team to keep us going.”

Morale was a must as the event reached its early morning stages; and each student found a moment to reflect. For Bonia, she listened as her teammates shared their aspirations over midnight coffee; for MHS senior Kathryn “Kate” Bacon, there was a moment when she realized it was 4 a.m., and said that it felt like “one in the afternoon.” All except Senior Ethan Laverriere, an aspiring computer programmer, who said he felt “ready at all times.”

By the end of the event, Massabesic placed 12th and 16th, impressive for a first-year group. Massabesic placed well in the Cybersecurity and League of Legends portions as well, and set a precedent for their future teammates.

The following week, from Dec. 3 to Dec. 7, those same students held Code Week for their peers at MHS; as a group, they introduced students to basic coding, and provided a short, interactive demonstration. Over the course of the week, participation increased drastically.

Students found new lessons in their materials as they taught students.

“A lot of people [thought] they’d goof off, but when I actually had them sit down, they were interested in it,” said Ethan Laverriere.

He found that students who previously believed they knew nothing, realized that computer science was accessible, and moreover, important to their lives.

“Coding is our future,” Lavierrere said. “And we need to know about this.”

As Kate Bacon taught her groups, she was encouraged by the girls in attendance.

“You see young girls in the field today, and that’s great,” she said. “They reminded me of myself when I was that age.”

And as she has come into the field herself, with plans to major in computer science at the University of New Hampshire, she’s seen herself become the type of role model she aspired to embody.

Between the Thomas Cup Competition and Code Week, Brian Laich’s computer science class has introduced a greater presence for the field at Massabesic High School. In the years to come, Laich hopes that students continue to learn from the field and from the event.

The opportunity to choose, one’s ability to lead, and one’s approach to the subject, said Laich, are as crucial as the subject itself; students gain maturity in planning and reasoning: “These are skills that transcend the competition.”