The Society for the Discontinuation of the Pentathlon

[crabnebula143]

pentathlon should be a trial event that should be only for fun but not count

My opinion:
penatathlon - physical part = good event

I agree w/ East stroudsburg.

[EastStroudsburg13]

Basically, what Five Star Science was in C. The only problem with it being just a trial is that trials are supposed to try out the events. Plus, in NY trials count anyway.

[crzyliljellybean]

Science Olympiad is science!!

Sports is physical activity!!

Think about it this way, what if in order to run a football play you first had to answer a random science question? You don't join sports teams to learn about science and you don't join Science Olympiad to do sports. Putting them together brings down the more deserving teams that should succeed, like Magsig in Ohio. And, even though it may be fun, it's not in the spirit of SO because of reasons stated above. If you want to loosen up tension and have fun and exercise during a competition, bring a frisbee or football or something like that to throw around when you have a free period.

good point!

Basically, what Five Star Science was in C. The only problem with it being just a trial is that trials are supposed to try out the events. Plus, in NY trials count anyway.

but they don't have trail events at states....

[EastStroudsburg13]

In some states they do, including NY and PA. I expect there are others too.

[crzyliljellybean]

I am in NY, and they didnt have any at states this year that i know of

[EastStroudsburg13]

I thought you guys had more than the official 23 events...

[crzyliljellybean]

not that i know of, do we Phenylethylamine?, im pretty sure we dont....

[fmtiger124]

I am in NY, and they didnt have any at states this year that i know of

they had trials but they counted just like any other event the were:
Sumo Bots
Car of Tomorrow

[crzyliljellybean]

oh right, im so used to the fact they count towards the score that i didn't consider them trial events.... oops

[sadistic_cottoncandy]

Keep the studying in SciO. Save the playing, working out, or whatever you do to stay fit for other activities and time periods. You shouldnt have to waste time dribbling a basketball to try to ensure that your team does well. Besides, it's common knowledge that the kids on Pentathlon dont have to BE smart, because the questions are so stupid.

ouch. that's kinda harsh, don't you think? i mean the part about kids on pentathlon not having to be smart. that makes it sound like an event that was made just so that coaches would have a place to put the kids that aren't very good- a place to put the kids they feel sorry for. im participating in 4 events at nats this year. dynamic planet, write it do it, experimental design, and pentathlon. i practice for 6 events, (those four, as well as anatomy and disease detectives) and i feel pretty smart. not necessarily Albert Einstein or Willy Wonka (let's face it people- willy wonka is a genius), but not stupid either. anyway, the point is, the questions on pentathlon are every bit as difficult as in dynamic planet or disease detectives. they're just difficult in a different way. pentathlon requires a wide variety of scientific knowledge. if people want to complain about pentathlon being a stupid event because it is so hard to study for, i would almost call it "common knowledge" that they don't like it because they don't know a lot of the questions that are asked. im ok with admitting that pentathlon is a hard event to study for, and that ive never once felt prepared for it when i go into a competition. i get that people don't like it because it involves physical stuff as well as the mental. but that wasn't the part of your argument i had a problem with, Over9000. if you know the answer to the questions, then they're "easy" or they're "good" questions. if you don't know the answers, then they're "stupid" or "hard." but pentathlon itself is not a dumb event. and the people participating in it are not even remotely stupid.