Poorly Run Event Stories

[UTF-8 U+6211 U+662F]

For Disease Detectives the test was just 2 or 3 tests mashed together from the Rustin Invitationals and the test exchange. My partner and I aced it, but we got 3rd due to a word unscramble tie-breaker and time.

[chalker]

I made our tournament scoresheet from scratch for our invitational and a similar thing happened for Scrambler since I didn't include a way of recording failed runs so the second place team actually deserved first. But overall it was not bad since that was the only error in the 8 different types of scoresheets I coded.

I'm curious why you would make them from scratch? We make lots of scoresheets available each year on the national website.

[bernard]

I made our tournament scoresheet from scratch for our invitational and a similar thing happened for Scrambler since I didn't include a way of recording failed runs so the second place team actually deserved first. But overall it was not bad since that was the only error in the 8 different types of scoresheets I coded.

I'm curious why you would make them from scratch? We make lots of scoresheets available each year on the national website.

There wasn't a reason really other than I needed something to do. I ended up learning a number of new Excel functions and more about each build event which was good.

[Uncle Fester]

Don't know about other events, but every year, the Mission spreadsheet is abominable. Too much useless stuff required to enter before the device can run. Plus, FORMAT of WHAT has to be entered varies wildly, without any rhyme or reason. The time savings of not running a calculator isn't worth the extra unnecessary hoops. I can't stop six times per team to prompt the laptop person.

Someone needs to figure out that "the better the device, the less data that has to be entered."

I use paper, and simply circle safety, construction, point, and bonus ISSUES. I go to great lengths to keep my assistants from previous years, and don't often have rookies. Scoring issues over the past 20 years: NONE.

[FrogWizard]

In our Chem lab, the hydrochloric acid went EVERYWHERE b/c the bottles they had didn't seal. Our event proctor prohibited using the sink to wash it off. Everyone ignored him.

[ethanhunt]

I'll just leave this here (mission kids will understand)

[Uncle Fester]

You neglected to include the decision-making dartboard.

[syo_astro]

I actually helped run Mission at a regional this past weekend. I now get what ethanhunt is saying...hah...wish I didn't. At least there were no tiers!

[varunscs11]

Wow. Mine aren't nearly as bad as some of these but..
1) The rocks and minerals proctor at state one year was 30 min late so we got like 1 minute at each station...It was horrible but then again we still got 3rd
2) At one invitational for Dynamic Glaciers they printed out the wrong test and it was about Earth's Fresh Water
3) At regionals last year, we didn't get any HCl, Water, or Iodine until the last 15 mins
I'm sure I'll remember more later

[theoriginalweevil]

1) States 2014, Dynamic P:

"Oh, our printer broke. Skip question 1 and 2." (there were around 7 or 8 questions on the test)
"We don't know how to work the projector. We have the diagram on the computer though, feel free to come up when you need to."

2) States, Helicopters: the ceiling was a grid of wires, ledges, and other structures.

3) WIDI Regionals: writers got around 15 minutes (10 minutes less) and the builders received varying amounts of time, from 8-12 minutes, that it ran into the next events block.