Muslim Inter-Scholastic Tournament (MIST)

MIST Chicago, also known as the "Muslim Inter-Scholastic Tournament," is an annual event that brings many MSA clubs at different schools together in a competitive environment. The weekend-long event includes competitions like Basketball, Quiz Bowl, Short Film, 3-D Art, and much more. In my high school years, I competed in various competitions such as 2D Art, Spoken Word, and Nasheed, which is a type of religious singing that involves only vocals. It was always such a great experience because it was such a powerful way for me to get creative and grow as a singer, Muslim, and even a person.

Now that I'm out of high school, I wanted to participate in MIST in a different way. This year, I was given the honor to judge some of the competitions that I once competed in. It was interesting to see the next generation of students become so involved, excited, and nervous to compete, and it reminded me a lot of myself when I was in their shoes.