The Society for the Discontinuation of the Pentathlon

[kerurii]

I don't really find Pentathalon a bad event, seeing as it's a nice change. Sure, their ideas for physical events kinda.... fail....? but it still seems pretty fun to me. It's a nice change overall. > o >;;
I'd really like to see like..... longer sprints and more challenging things. 8DD;;
I'm an okay-ish endurance runner but i suck a lot when im racing against people.

[EastStroudsburg13]

But why do we need that change? I think I'm starting to repeat myself now.

[croman74]

I don't really find Pentathalon a bad event, seeing as it's a nice change. Sure, their ideas for physical events kinda.... fail....? but it still seems pretty fun to me. It's a nice change overall. > o >;;
I'd really like to see like..... longer sprints and more challenging things. 8DD;;
I'm an okay-ish endurance runner but i suck a lot when im racing against people.

I think this is a good trial event, but shouldn't count towards overall score.

I still stand by this.

[binary010101]

The entire purpose of trial events is to test potential events to add to the rotating pool. If it's going in as a trial event, either you're going to have to withdraw it eventually or promote it as a full-fledged event. Why not just have it as an optional "game" to play while whiling away the hours sitting there after you're all done with all of your events, or if you don't have events to begin with. No medals, no ribbons, just for fun.

[ichaelm]

The entire purpose of trial events is to test potential events to add to the rotating pool. If it's going in as a trial event, either you're going to have to withdraw it eventually or promote it as a full-fledged event. Why not just have it as an optional "game" to play while whiling away the hours sitting there after you're all done with all of your events, or if you don't have events to begin with. No medals, no ribbons, just for fun.

I like that idea. Or they could use it as one of those things they do to keep people entertained while everything's being scored. Like, if the awards ceremony is in the middle of a gym surrounded by bleachers, and you have an hour or two until everything's ready, they can clear out the middle and have a Pentathalon. That would be fun! This year at regionals they have a "team talent show" before the awards. I can't wait to see how that turns out...

[croman74]

The entire purpose of trial events is to test potential events to add to the rotating pool. If it's going in as a trial event, either you're going to have to withdraw it eventually or promote it as a full-fledged event. Why not just have it as an optional "game" to play while whiling away the hours sitting there after you're all done with all of your events, or if you don't have events to begin with. No medals, no ribbons, just for fun.

I like that idea. Or they could use it as one of those things they do to keep people entertained while everything's being scored. Like, if the awards ceremony is in the middle of a gym surrounded by bleachers, and you have an hour or two until everything's ready, they can clear out the middle and have a Pentathalon. That would be fun! This year at regionals they have a "team talent show" before the awards. I can't wait to see how that turns out...

I agree with binary on this. It would be fun just to have it as a little side competition that you can do while you wait for scores to be totaled (which always seems to take 3 days).

[Phenylethylamine]

Yeah, it would be good as an optional time-waster (at our Regionals this year they had us do a "quiz bowl" trivia challenge thing while we waited... it was extremely pointless, with very easy questions, but it was better than doing nothing). The fact that it is an ACTUAL EVENT that you are REQUIRED to compete in (unless you want to get all the extra points of not showing up) really bothers me, though. There is no reason for pseudo-athletics to be inserted into SciO, and even if there was, it's not even an effective addition of athletics. I can't see how anyone could possibly take it seriously as an event.

[sadistic_cottoncandy]

Maybe that's the point, though. Maybe the people that made this event made it for those who aren't as likely to be very good at scientific stuff, but who still want to be part of science olympiad. my coaches take this event really seriously. they put me and my 3 best friends in it because we work really well together, we don't let pressure get to us, and we are some of the best on the team (i don't me to be braggy, im just trying to paint a picture here). i still don't quite agree with their decision. as 8th graders, we are the most....helpful, i think, for our team. (my team depends on their 8th graders way too much, in my opinion) and keep telling us to take it seriously, and we do. but we also have fun. i think this is a really clever event. it helps to relieve the pressures that a lot of the other events have, which makes it an ideal event for either those who aren't as good as some of the others, or those who still want to do something helpful for their team, but don't want another tense academic event.

[pjgscioisamazing]

Well I'm gonna be doing this event, and I'm looking forward to it. I'm gonna be doing this event with good friends, so we'll work well together. I'm good at the academic stuff, and I can pass at the physical stuff. I actually don't think it is THAT bad of an event.

[dontsenditinthemail]

Maybe that's the point, though. Maybe the people that made this event made it for those who aren't as likely to be very good at scientific stuff, but who still want to be part of science olympiad. my coaches take this event really seriously. they put me and my 3 best friends in it because we work really well together, we don't let pressure get to us, and we are some of the best on the team (i don't me to be braggy, im just trying to paint a picture here). i still don't quite agree with their decision. as 8th graders, we are the most....helpful, i think, for our team. (my team depends on their 8th graders way too much, in my opinion) and keep telling us to take it seriously, and we do. but we also have fun. i think this is a really clever event. it helps to relieve the pressures that a lot of the other events have, which makes it an ideal event for either those who aren't as good as some of the others, or those who still want to do something helpful for their team, but don't want another tense academic event.

The point of Science Olympiad is to compete in serious Science-related events that teach/create an atmosphere for scientific learning. This event does not do this (it is more worthless than picture this, which at least boosts one's vocabulary). I completely agree, it is a "pressure" reliever, but science olympiad is supposed to be the equivalent to a sport (aka, it is supposed to be a competative team), and I don't see any football team just playing around jumping through hoola-hoops during gametime. If science olympiad is to be taken seriously by everybody, that is, if it is to be taken as a competative scientific compeition that breeds new researchers and teaches science usually ingnored in high school, than these events that cater to the "not so serious" crowd need to be taken away. The bottom line - either science olympiad can be "for fun", in which case i guess this event is great, or it can be as serious as a varsity sport, and it can be as respected as a varsity sport, in which case this event must go.