Poorly Run Event Stories

[Skink]

I flooded my event room...

[krasabnk]

Not sure if this falls under 'poorly run', as the proctors did a good job running the test, but in Herpetology for the states competition, there was a total of 3 times where the proctors had to intercept the test because kids kept dragging the question sheets with their binders down the tables to the next station. My partner and I experienced this twice, meaning we had to answer the questions on the sheet twice as fast as we normally would have done because the supervisor could not just pause the test. Lucky enough for my partner and I, we were able to answer the questions on those sheets with ease, and fortunately, we were able to place 4th in states.

[LionfishFilet]

Alright this is the right thread for me.

Virginia state tournament

Wright Stuff

The Slaughter Gym, where the event is normally held at, was undergoing renovations

So we had to fly our planes in a Ballroom......

A Ballroom with Vertical Vents that pushes air down.......

No further comment.

[coachchuckaahs]

In Wright Stuff at State, the scale was so bad (kitchen scale) that our 1.5g rubber weighed in at over 2.5g! 7g plane showed over 10g. Fortunately my kids were first to fly in the morning, and they loaned our scale for the day. At both Region and State, the ES did not allow more than two pieces of rubber to be weighed. Fortunately for State, we had printed the FAQ and they relented. At Region, ceiling was higher than our practice, so we had our nominal (#1) rubber, and a lighter and heavier #2 flight rubber, to be selected based on first flight (science, right? Observe, adjust). Since they had to select only 2, they took #1 and the heavier #2. #1 touched rafters, and so choice would have been for lighter #2, but had to go heavier. Harder into rafters.

[19alekb]

Stupidly run roller coaster event supervisor dq'd us. We would have gotten top 3 in roller and would have gone to nationals. It's been 5 days and I still feel super sad and super disappointed that we were so close to going to nationals.

[hippo9]

Stupidly run roller coaster event supervisor dq'd us. We would have gotten top 3 in roller and would have gone to nationals. It's been 5 days and I still feel super sad and super disappointed that we were so close to going to nationals.

So what exactly happened?(Sorry, I don't want to rub salt in the wound, but I'm really curious.)

[The48thYoshi]

Stupidly run roller coaster event supervisor dq'd us. We would have gotten top 3 in roller and would have gone to nationals. It's been 5 days and I still feel super sad and super disappointed that we were so close to going to nationals.

While the roller coaster ES May have DQ’d you for no reason, keep in mind that even with a first in roller coaster SAA still would have gotten second.
(I don’t want to rub salt in the wound, similar to hippo9. However, you should not blame the ES for not making nationals. SAA is simply strong this year)

[19alekb]

Stupidly run roller coaster event supervisor dq'd us. We would have gotten top 3 in roller and would have gone to nationals. It's been 5 days and I still feel super sad and super disappointed that we were so close to going to nationals.

While the roller coaster ES May have DQ’d you for no reason, keep in mind that even with a first in roller coaster SAA still would have gotten second.
(I don’t want to rub salt in the wound, similar to hippo9. However, you should not blame the ES for not making nationals. SAA is simply strong this year)

Yep you right yoshi. We would have lost by one. SAA was good this year. I just wish we went to nationals in this year because all of the good 8th graders are leaving( (I'm in 7th so I'll be doing scioly next year for MM), so it leaves me and two other 7th graders to carry the crap out of the team. (I'm not being cocky or vain by saying I'll carry the team. My coaches literally told me and the other two kids that).

[knightmoves]

Nobody has brought up the IL State B div Thermo debacle yet, so here you are:

The event supervisors decided that "The information may be removed during the event" in rule 2a meant that the ES could take everyone's binders away. So they did. Many people spent the event in tears.

If that wasn't bad enough, they were also inconsistent about timing for handing out the hot water, and didn't measure the distance from the top of the box to the bottom of the beaker.

And there weren't any chairs or stools (university chem lab) so everyone had to take the test standing up bent over lab benches.

I think MadCow's duct tape ring for Towers has us all beat, though.

[MadCow2357]

I think MadCow's duct tape ring for Towers has us all beat, though.

You got that right (still mad, even though I won gold)! But the play sand was definitely the worst part. Two afterthoughts:
1. I wonder how the ES will mess up next year on Boomilever... Maybe use the towers testing base, and not provide a fulcrum?
2. It seemed like most teams reused their towers from last year (most did not even meet construction parameters). Will they used their tower as a boomilever next year?