New Jersey 2014

[magicalforest]

WWP North. How about you? (HA, in retrospect, to think that we actually had a chance. HA)

Actually, the Division B Water Quality test was better run, at least compared to Division C. At least they had some semblance of the aquatic organisms ID (though I heard it was just a few) and they a few questions on coral reefs. And they checked for a salinometer (as PER THE RULES.)

Luo has good intentions, but we can't just be assured that the State tournament will be run smoothly next year. According to Luo, the state director didn't respond to his offer this year.

But anyway, how would NJ SO even realize how poorly the State tournament was run. The supervisors just tally up the score, no harm done. At the end of the day, they're done for the year. They're the highest rung in the hierarchy of NJ SO, so there's no one to say, "Hmm, you know? Maybe we could take the state tournament more seriously next year." What would cause them to ever take our suggestions seriously. >.<

[nxtscholar]

Oh, North. That OTHER team from Plainsboro. :O

Well, South had a considerably weaker showing this year. If anything, there were a greater number of teams receiving first medals than last year (6 to 11). I'd like to think next year might be different. But anyways, on that note, if there's any hope in addressing this issue, we'd need more teams voicing out their opinions first of all.

I'm from JP Stevens, a school with less chances than you

[SilverNight]

I didn't do water quality, but I heard from team members all about it. It actually helped my school, but it was definitely unfair and I agree with you that something should be done. To add to the complaints, I noticed that a lot of supervisors just take tests from online and give those to students. I've seen so many events done like this. Dynamic Planet is a big one (our team members for Dynamic Planet said that this has happened a couple times now). For the state competition, both that and Rocks and Minerals (maybe more) were apparently just printed out from online. Although this is more fair than the vague and ambiguous WQ test, I know a lot of students that have placed much higher or lower than they should have because of the reusing of publicly available tests.

I'm from UCVTS, by the way, a lesser known school, but we've got some good people on our team. I agree with you that something should be done, so you can add me to the list of teams that want to change things. I also heard some things about why exactly WQ was so easy and badly supervised, if you're interested.

What events did you guys do besides water quality?

[nxtscholar]

Oh, I don't know. I know UCVTS pretty well If anything, I'd say you're one of the better schools.

Yeah, I didn't do water quality either. But it's the fact that such an outrage occurred, that such a risk could happen again that I personally feel something should be done. The fact that luo offered help and that NJ SO didn't even respond (not even a polite no thank you) concerns me. I don't know. Maybe it's what happened with WMHS that's making me paranoid or something.

I did scrambler and mission possible. Due to time constraints, one went much better than the other.

[SilverNight]

Oh haha yeah I would think people from JP know people from UCVTS. But for Science Olympiad we're not very well known. I actually overheard a conversation during states that went something like "Oh wow there are a lot of new good schools popping up this year. I should go look up that UCVTS school." It was pretty amusing.

Nice job on Scrambler! My school is so bad at build events. We have a good number of study and lab people, but I really just don't know how to get or train better builders. I did astronomy. and another event I will not mention

[magicalforest]

I also heard some things about why exactly WQ was so easy and badly supervised, if you're interested.

Yes I would like to know. The person who wrote the test was supposedly someone from Mercer County Water Quality association or something (according the NJ State program sheet). Which just baffles me. That person should know what he was writing about. Was it two weeks before States, they had no supervisor, so asked "Anyone know anything about Water Quality?"

Also there was a person who posted on the forums that NJ SO was lacking supervisors. How exactly did you get that information? Did anyone else get that information that didn't hear about it from the forums?

What also confuses me is that NJ held Water Quality at Regionals (Union CC) as well as other events that were supposedly lacking supervisors for States. The Regionals were more smoothly run than States. Why did the State coordinator not ask for those event supervisors?

[SilverNight]

Yes I would like to know. The person who wrote the test was supposedly someone from Mercer County Water Quality association or something (from the NJ State program). Which just baffles me. That person should know what he was writing about. Was it two weeks before States, they had no supervisor, so asked "Anyone know anything about Water Quality?"

I think that it was because the person who wrote the test just didn't really understand high school students and Science Olympiad at all. He did understand water quality, being a director of some county's Water Quality thing, but he genuinely thought his questions would be hard for the students. I don't know, that's just what I heard. My advisor knows a lot of people and tells me some of these things.

Also there was a person who posted on the forums that NJ SO was lacking supervisors. How exactly did you get that information? Did anyone else get that information that didn't hear about it from the forums?

I got that information too, from my advisor. She got an email about it, and she told me.

What also confuses me is that NJ held Water Quality at Regionals (Union CC) as well as other events that were supposedly lacking supervisors for States. The Regionals were more smoothly run than States. Why did the State coordinator not ask for those event supervisors?

I don't know either. Perhaps it was because the supervisor for water quality or whatever other event was a professor at that college and didn't want to proctor a test at another college.

[nxtscholar]

Oh haha yeah I would think people from JP know people from UCVTS. But for Science Olympiad we're not very well known. I actually overheard a conversation during states that went something like "Oh wow there are a lot of new good schools popping up this year. I should go look up that UCVTS school." It was pretty amusing.

Nice job on Scrambler! My school is so bad at build events. We have a good number of study and lab people, but I really just don't know how to get or train better builders. I did astronomy. and another event I will not mention

Thanks! But I think most of any congratulations goes to the person who placed first in astronomy

To be honest, when I heard UCVTS called for the first few events, I actually thought a new title contender emerged.

"Get or train better builders"? I'm guessing you're a captain?

I also heard some things about why exactly WQ was so easy and badly supervised, if you're interested.

Yes I would like to know. The person who wrote the test was supposedly someone from Mercer County Water Quality association or something (according the NJ State program sheet). Which just baffles me. That person should know what he was writing about. Was it two weeks before States, they had no supervisor, so asked "Anyone know anything about Water Quality?"

Also there was a person who posted on the forums that NJ SO was lacking supervisors. How exactly did you get that information? Did anyone else get that information that didn't hear about it from the forums?

What also confuses me is that NJ held Water Quality at Regionals (Union CC) as well as other events that were supposedly lacking supervisors for States. The Regionals were more smoothly run than States. Why did the State coordinator not ask for those event supervisors?

Actually, has anyone written a direct letter to the tournament director yet?

[SilverNight]

Thanks! But I think most of any congratulations goes to the person who placed first in astronomy

To be honest, when I heard UCVTS called for the first few events, I actually thought a new title contender emerged.

"Get or train better builders"? I'm guessing you're a captain?

Thank you! I actually was pretty excited during the first few events too, but then I realized that it just so happened that they called most the events we were the best at first.

And your guess would be right! I'm a junior so I'm trying to plan new and exciting things for next year. I really want to hold what would be I think NJ's first invitational (unless the South Online invites happen, in which case it would be the first onsite invitational), but I don't really know how much interest there would be for that.

[nxtscholar]

Well traditionally JP Stevens has always been good at balsa structure events (and build events in general I guess). But the people who were responsible for getting us almost all of our medals this year (myself included) are all going to graduate next year...so I worry about the future of our club. We took only two sophomores to states.

So with this in mind, and that fact that states seems to be gradually declining a bit in quality, I think an invitationals would be great. Most invitationals that NJ teams could go to are either too far away, or out of schedule. And considering most teams don't have the funds or drive to actually even go to invitationals out-of-state, I do think a New Jersey invitationals, a physical, non-online one, is in order. It'd give all the NJ teams a chance to test ideas, meet new friends, and conspire to overthrow WWPHS South (just kidding )

Oh, and I'd be glad to actually provide some build tips directly to your team if you want. My personal goal is to simply make NJ more competitive in general.

EDIT: Oh, yah! In a moment of egotism, I can see pictures of me on the state tournament album