Poorly Run Event Stories

[Panda Weasley]

This isn't really a bad event story, but I thought I would go ahead and share it for future proctors to keep in mind.
At state this year Crime Busters ran over because the event leader had to give the instructions to two different rooms. I'm not exactly sure how far over, but it must have been a lot because I barely made it to my next event. I arrived late and almost wasn't let in.

[Skink]

This isn't really a bad event story, but I thought I would go ahead and share it for future proctors to keep in mind.
At state this year Crime Busters ran over because the event leader had to give the instructions to two different rooms. I'm not exactly sure how far over, but it must have been a lot because I barely made it to my next event. I arrived late and almost wasn't let in.

Two things:
1. If you see that an event you're in is running over and have to run, you have to make the judgment call whether to stay or skedaddle. Whether it's the supervisor's fault or not doesn't matter because it becomes your problem quickly.
2. Why wouldn't a supervisor let you come in late at a disadvantage? Unless there's a state-level rule, general rule #5 (and, ahem, common decency) protect fashionable lateness .

Hopefully, it goes better next time, at any rate!

[Panda Weasley]

This isn't really a bad event story, but I thought I would go ahead and share it for future proctors to keep in mind.
At state this year Crime Busters ran over because the event leader had to give the instructions to two different rooms. I'm not exactly sure how far over, but it must have been a lot because I barely made it to my next event. I arrived late and almost wasn't let in.

Two things:
1. If you see that an event you're in is running over and have to run, you have to make the judgment call whether to stay or skedaddle. Whether it's the supervisor's fault or not doesn't matter because it becomes your problem quickly.

I see what you are saying, but at least in my state you can't really leave CB early. I actually tried to ask someone if I could leave and they said no. It's something to do with safety issues I think.

[Skink]

They...don't want you walking with acid or something? They do clean-up as a group at the end? I'm sorry they were so uptight. It's more than a reasonable request.

[samlan16]

Well, time to restart this thread.

At an invite today, we were in awards when they announced Electric Vehicle. Third place was called when suddenly the team's coach announced that they did not do the event! Everyone started laughing, and they stalled the award ceremony while they figured it out. Then, another team's coach realized they did not do Robot Arm for one of their lower teams, so they gave back two first place medals that they randomly got. We have been sitting here for 30 minutes now. Yeah.

Lesson for tournament coordinators: double check as much as you can.

[Unome]

Well, time to restart this thread.

At an invite today, we were in awards when they announced Electric Vehicle. Third place was called when suddenly the team's coach announced that they did not do the event! Everyone started laughing, and they stalled the award ceremony while they figured it out. Then, another team's coach realized they did not do Robot Arm for one of their lower teams, so they gave back two first place medals that they randomly got. We have been sitting here for 30 minutes now. Yeah.

Lesson for tournament coordinators: double check as much as you can.

Well, you've already got all the major stuff. I suppose if I nitpick a bit I can get something out of some of my events:
1) 100 question multiple choice tests. I get why they did it, though; the awards were scheduled to start before the last event had finished.
2) Astronomy seemed a bit unusual, but maybe that's just because I don't know very much about it yet.
Yeah, that's about it. The events that I had were generally well run (especially Fossils). Besides the above problems at awards, it seemed generally well run (the tape tracks were awesome; unfortunately I don't have a picture).

[samlan16]

Well, time to restart this thread.

At an invite today, we were in awards when they announced Electric Vehicle. Third place was called when suddenly the team's coach announced that they did not do the event! Everyone started laughing, and they stalled the award ceremony while they figured it out. Then, another team's coach realized they did not do Robot Arm for one of their lower teams, so they gave back two first place medals that they randomly got. We have been sitting here for 30 minutes now. Yeah.

Lesson for tournament coordinators: double check as much as you can.

Well, you've already got all the major stuff. I suppose if I nitpick a bit I can get something out of some of my events:
1) 100 question multiple choice tests. I get why they did it, though; the awards were scheduled to start before the last event had finished.
2) Astronomy seemed a bit unusual, but maybe that's just because I don't know very much about it yet.
Yeah, that's about it. The events that I had were generally well run (especially Fossils). Besides the above problems at awards, it seemed generally well run (the tape tracks were awesome; unfortunately I don't have a picture).

Oh yeah, and also this: in Wind Power, our proctor decided that half of us should take the test, and the other half should test blades. (This would make sense if our period had only 10 teams like at nationals, but we had at least 15 because of how scheduling was handled at this invitational.) My partner and I were in the group that tested blades, so we were stuck outside (yes, outside) with about 6 other groups, while a 7th tested their blades. We were panicking that we would not be able to finish the test and would score significantly lower than those testing. It was about 35 minutes into the period that they realized, "Oh! They have to do both parts!" and we finally started the test. We finished 5 minutes over time, and despite the fact that we had 25 minutes between events, my partner was almost late to Dynamic Planet because it was about a mile away.

Needless to say, it's a miracle that we placed.

Lesson to proctors: read the rules, and make sure that the way you run an event does not wreak havoc on the rest of the tournament.

[Unome]

Well, time to restart this thread.

At an invite today, we were in awards when they announced Electric Vehicle. Third place was called when suddenly the team's coach announced that they did not do the event! Everyone started laughing, and they stalled the award ceremony while they figured it out. Then, another team's coach realized they did not do Robot Arm for one of their lower teams, so they gave back two first place medals that they randomly got. We have been sitting here for 30 minutes now. Yeah.

Lesson for tournament coordinators: double check as much as you can.

Well, you've already got all the major stuff. I suppose if I nitpick a bit I can get something out of some of my events:
1) 100 question multiple choice tests. I get why they did it, though; the awards were scheduled to start before the last event had finished.
2) Astronomy seemed a bit unusual, but maybe that's just because I don't know very much about it yet.
Yeah, that's about it. The events that I had were generally well run (especially Fossils). Besides the above problems at awards, it seemed generally well run (the tape tracks were awesome; unfortunately I don't have a picture).

Oh yeah, and also this: in Wind Power, our proctor decided that half of us should take the test, and the other half should test blades. (This would make sense if our period had only 10 teams like at nationals, but we had at least 15 because of how scheduling was handled at this invitational.) My partner and I were in the group that tested blades, so we were stuck outside (yes, outside) with about 6 other groups, while a 7th tested their blades. We were panicking that we would not be able to finish the test and would score significantly lower than those testing. It was about 35 minutes into the period that they realized, "Oh! They have to do both parts!" and we finally started the test. We finished 5 minutes over time, and despite the fact that we had 25 minutes between events, my partner was almost late to Dynamic Planet because it was about a mile away.

Needless to say, it's a miracle that we placed.

Lesson to proctors: read the rules, and make sure that the way you run an event does not wreak havoc on the rest of the tournament.

Well, he was far from almost late (I was there at the time, and he still had like 10 minutes), but the point still holds. Running overtime always messes things up.

[Fanglin]

A story from my friend: During the bridge building competition during the 2015 Wisconsin state tournament, one team (not ours) had their bridge so low (idk how) that the bucket was literally resting on the floor taking all the weight off the bridge, so they got a score that was like the world record (by far) in the bridge building event.
One of my stories: At nationals 2015, of Air trajectory, some team was allowed to use a golf ball which was illegal, and they used a catapult arm that was powered by air pressure and a falling weight. I don't know what the evaluators were thinking!

[samlan16]

One of my stories: At nationals 2015, of Air trajectory, some team was allowed to use a golf ball which was illegal, and they used a catapult arm that was powered by air pressure and a falling weight. I don't know what the evaluators were thinking!

Classic #nebraska.