During the Super Bowl, a viewer can expect to see waves of fanatics in the stands, screaming and gesticulating over the game. Although I don't paint my face vibrant colors or wear a giant foam finger, I feel the same enthusiasm about trivia. On weeknights, when I've finished my homework early or don't have other work to do, it's a treat to sit in front of the TV (with my own custom-made score sheet, no less) and compete with the contestants on Jeopardy! My anxiety during the Final Jeopardy question probably matches that of a sports fan's as they anticipate their favorite team's win.

I've always had a peculiar ability to remember random facts about things I come across every day, whether it's about geography, current events, movies, etc. I can (and will) spout off trivia about anything and everything. For example, did you know that Lomé is the capital of Togo, or that Matthew McConaughey was the first choice to play Jack Dawson in Titanic, not Leonardo DiCaprio? Such a talent seems useless at first, but often it's the smallest things that make the biggest impacts. It could be the difference of a few seconds that wins the game for a team, or a discrepancy of .000001 in a calculation that garners a scientific breakthrough.

While I can't claim to have had the same skill with remembering polyatomic ions during IB Chemistry, generally I'm good at noticing things other people overlook or forget. When I watch movies, I can remember the names of the director and all the actors, but more than that, I also perceive the furtive glances a character throws in her lover's direction, how a protagonist always wears a certain shade of blue, or the subtle-but-telling way a person walks. We don't often take the time to notice the little things about an individual, but they can reveal a lot about somebody's temperament and mindset.

In addition, don't we appreciate when people notice little details about us, whether it's a newly purchased necklace that we adore, or a small accomplishment we're proud of? I know I appreciate when people remember small facts about me that I disclosed in the past and didn't expect them to remember. My favorite book. The fact that I hate peanut butter. The scar I got from tripping over a cord as a kid. It tells me that they made an effort and that they care.

Much like being a raving New York Giants fan, being a trivia-buff shows that I care, a lot. Maybe I care about things others don't think about at all, but this proves that I'm willing to take that extra step, and that I'm not afraid to demonstrate passion about something, even if I'm the only one yelling in the stands. And perhaps, one day, knowing that Lomé is the capital of Togo will pay off for me. If only I can get on Jeopardy!...