Search found 60 matches

by benmillerbenmiller
Sat Oct 30, 2021 7:44 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Penn Bowl @ UChicago (October 30, 2021)
Replies: 2
Views: 1515

Re: Penn Bowl @ UChicago (October 30, 2021)

Thank you to everyone who played and staffed Penn Bowl today. Chicago A defeated Northwestern 315-205 in a one game final to claim the title.

Stats are available here. A thousands thanks to Matthew Lehmann for compiling them.
by benmillerbenmiller
Tue Oct 12, 2021 4:53 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Penn Bowl @ UChicago (October 30, 2021)
Replies: 2
Views: 1515

Re: Penn Bowl @ UChicago (October 30, 2021)

Current Field:
Chicago: 4 teams (many buzzers + staff)
UIUC: 1 team
Iowa: 1 team
WUSTL: 1 team (3 buzzers)
Northwestern: 1 team
Wisconsin: 2 teams (1 buzzer)

Total: 10 teams
by benmillerbenmiller
Tue Oct 12, 2021 4:52 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Penn Bowl @ UChicago (October 30, 2021)
Replies: 2
Views: 1515

Penn Bowl @ UChicago (October 30, 2021)

I am pleased to announce that UChicago will be hosting the Midwest site of Penn Bowl in-person on October 30, 2021. For more information about Penn Bowl, check out the original tournament announcement here . Rules This tournament will follow ACF’s official gameplay rules . Registration Please email ...
by benmillerbenmiller
Thu Oct 22, 2020 1:54 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Fall 2020 - Specific Question Discussion
Replies: 10
Views: 3812

Re: ACF Fall 2020 - Specific Question Discussion

All packets are now available here.
by benmillerbenmiller
Tue Oct 20, 2020 11:50 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Fall 2020 - Thanks and General Discussion
Replies: 12
Views: 5221

Re: ACF Fall 2020 - Thanks and General Discussion

Seeing as so much of the set was written by non-editor writers, would ACF consider having an open application to write for future Falls? Designated writers would also take some of the burden off of editors, which could give the editors more time for technical things like pronunciation guides and an...
by benmillerbenmiller
Sat Oct 17, 2020 8:32 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Fall 2020 - Thanks and General Discussion
Replies: 12
Views: 5221

ACF Fall 2020 - Thanks and General Discussion

Thank you to everyone who played and staffed ACF Fall 2020 today! This was the quizbowl community’s biggest production in the pandemic era so far, and I am very happy with how smoothly it ran. I want to use this post to thank everyone who had a hand in putting Fall together, and to invite general th...
by benmillerbenmiller
Sat Oct 17, 2020 8:32 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Fall 2020 - Specific Question Discussion
Replies: 10
Views: 3812

ACF Fall 2020 - Specific Question Discussion

You can use this thread to discuss specific questions and errata from ACF Fall 2020. I will be posting the packets within the next day or two, after incorporating feedback from our sites, but in the meantime feel free to request specific questions and I will post them here.
by benmillerbenmiller
Sun Sep 20, 2020 11:00 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: 2020 ACF Fall: Global Announcement (October 17)
Replies: 5
Views: 7730

Re: 2020 ACF Fall: Global Announcement (October 17)

We will be producing 13 packets, six of which will be based off submitted questions.
by benmillerbenmiller
Sun Aug 09, 2020 9:35 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: 2020 ACF Fall: Global Announcement (October 17)
Replies: 5
Views: 7730

2020 ACF Fall: Global Announcement (October 17)

I am excited to announce that 2020 ACF Fall will take place on Saturday, October 17. It is being edited by Drew Benner, Justin Duffy, Halle Friedman, Alex Hardwick, Arjun Nageswaran, and Karthik Prasad, with myself (Ben Miller) as head editor. Matthew Lehmann and other ACF members are offering overs...
by benmillerbenmiller
Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:49 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: 2020 ACF Fall and Winter Editor Applications
Replies: 19
Views: 9379

Re: ACF Fall and Winter Editor Applications

Previously, ACF only had one tournament to fill the "easier than Regs" difficulty window, which is a very large window. Fall had to serve the dual functions of trying to attract brand new players to the game and providing more seasoned ones with a regs-minus experience. By adding Winter, w...
by benmillerbenmiller
Sun Apr 19, 2020 5:39 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: 2020 ACF Fall and Winter Editor Applications
Replies: 19
Views: 9379

Re: ACF Fall and Winter Editor Applications

Because of the addition of ACF Winter, the target difficulty for this year's ACF Fall will be lower than in years past. We are intending for the set to be a hyper-accessible introduction to college quizbowl for people with little to no previous playing experience. If you are submitting an applicatio...
by benmillerbenmiller
Sun Jan 12, 2020 2:55 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Should quizbowl reform the three-part bonus?
Replies: 18
Views: 5222

Re: Should quizbowl reform the three-part bonus?

Another dimension to consider here is how challenging it is to write bonuses that conform to the conversion expectations we have for them. A few months back I looked at the advanced stats from several regular difficulty sets and was struck by how few bonuses actually have an appropriate easy part (8...
by benmillerbenmiller
Tue Dec 24, 2019 2:10 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ANNOUNCEMENT: Terrapin Open (Spring 2020)
Replies: 43
Views: 19221

Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Terrapin Open (Spring 2020)

Speaking for Chicago's leadership team, I want to express how extremely frustrating this whole mirror situation has been for us. Winter quarter is an exceedingly busy time of the year that requires us to book hotels and flights months in advance. The uncertainty surrounding Terrapin Open sites has p...
by benmillerbenmiller
Tue Nov 05, 2019 1:04 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Abolish packet submission for ACF Fall
Replies: 29
Views: 8462

Re: Abolish packet submission for ACF Fall

I spent a lot of time thinking about this issue in the three months I worked on ACF Fall. At this point, I agree with Harris and others that reforming packet submission for Fall is absolutely the right thing to do. Coming at this from the perspective of someone tasked with putting the set together, ...
by benmillerbenmiller
Sun Nov 03, 2019 12:20 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Fall @ UChicago (11/02/2019)
Replies: 4
Views: 5762

Re: ACF Fall @ UChicago (11/02/2019)

Thank you to everyone who came out to play and staff today! Congratulations to Chicago Red (Adam Klein, Vivek Sasse, Daniel Yang, and Yohhan Kumarasinghe), who cleared the field and put up one of the best statistical performances of any team playing this set. Second place went to Chicago Green (Tedd...
by benmillerbenmiller
Sat Nov 02, 2019 12:24 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Fall @ UChicago (11/02/2019)
Replies: 4
Views: 5762

Re: ACF Fall @ UChicago (11/02/2019)

Thanks to Matthew Lehmann's SQBS skills, we have running stats available here!
by benmillerbenmiller
Wed Oct 30, 2019 4:04 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: 2019 Penn Bowl - Specific Question Discussion Thread
Replies: 60
Views: 10258

Re: Specific Question Discussion Thread

Perhaps people should learn more things! I can totally believe the later clues were a bit harder than most teams but there's no reason a tossup on a very famous city with a lot of history like Barcelona needs to be changed to a tossup on Spain. Use some clues about the recent independence movement ...
by benmillerbenmiller
Mon Oct 21, 2019 10:13 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: No prizes is better than insulting prizes
Replies: 22
Views: 11010

Re: No prizes is better than insulting prizes

This post was prompted by my experience at Michigan's Penn Bowl mirror this past weekend, but my intent isn't so much to call them out as to raise this issue more broadly: that was far from the first time that I've seen a selection of books that frankly nobody wants handed out as "prizes."...
by benmillerbenmiller
Mon Oct 21, 2019 2:49 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: 2019 Penn Bowl - General Discussion Thread
Replies: 26
Views: 3626

Re: General Discussion Thread

I generally enjoyed myself playing this set, but I feel obliged to bring up how comically easy the US history was. In the 11 games I played, the US history tossup was powered in 10 of them, and typically because the questions dropped very, very well-known things early on. For instance, the Jimmy Car...
by benmillerbenmiller
Sun Oct 20, 2019 12:35 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Penn Bowl at Michigan (19 Oct 2019; Ann Arbor, MI)
Replies: 8
Views: 5341

Re: Penn Bowl at Michigan (19 Oct 2019; Ann Arbor, MI)

On the topic of mitigating staffing challenges, it probably would have been a good idea for the Michigan house team to have volunteered to staff instead of playing. This tournament suffered considerably from inexperienced staffers often having to read, keep score, and handle advanced stats solo, and...
by benmillerbenmiller
Thu Oct 17, 2019 2:21 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Fall @ UChicago (11/02/2019)
Replies: 4
Views: 5762

Re: ACF Fall @ UChicago (11/02/2019)

Field Update Chicago: 5 teams (many buzzers, staffers) Lake Land: 1 team Notre Dame: 1 team (1 buzzer) Iowa: 2 teams (1 buzzer, 1 staffer) DePaul: 1 team Michigan State University: 4 teams (4 buzzers) University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign: 2 teams (1 buzzer) Purdue University: 4 teams (2 buzzers...
by benmillerbenmiller
Sun Oct 13, 2019 3:21 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: 2019 EFT - Tougher Answers
Replies: 4
Views: 794

Re: Tougher Answers

I don't think questions that get >80% conversion need any justification. Looking at the history answerlines specifically, Bhutto and Sassanid seemed completely reasonable to me when I was playing the set, and I think the data substantiates that. I have no major problem with a set having a handful of...
by benmillerbenmiller
Sat Oct 12, 2019 6:52 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: NAQT Collegiate Novice @ UChicago (10/12/2019)
Replies: 6
Views: 6437

Re: NAQT Collegiate Novice @ UChicago (10/12/2019)

Thank you to everyone who played and staffed this event, and congratulations to Illinois for winning it! Full stats have been dutifully compiled and posted by Matthew Lehmann, and you can find them here. I hope to see many of you at Chicago's mirror of ACF Fall on November 2!
by benmillerbenmiller
Thu Oct 10, 2019 8:55 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: NAQT Collegiate Novice @ UChicago (10/12/2019)
Replies: 6
Views: 6437

Re: NAQT Collegiate Novice @ UChicago (10/12/2019)

We will be using electronic packets, so staffers should definitely bring laptops (and chargers!).
by benmillerbenmiller
Wed Oct 09, 2019 5:48 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: NAQT Collegiate Novice @ UChicago (10/12/2019)
Replies: 6
Views: 6437

Re: NAQT Collegiate Novice @ UChicago (10/12/2019)

Field (as of 10/9) 20 teams University of Chicago: 5 teams (+ many buzzers, staffers) Purdue University: 3 teams (2 buzzers, 3 staffers) Northwestern University: 2 teams (4 staffers) Kansas State University: 2 teams (1 set of buzzers) Beloit College: 1 team Bradley University: 1 team University of I...
by benmillerbenmiller
Tue Oct 08, 2019 11:11 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: NAQT Collegiate Novice @ UChicago (10/12/2019)
Replies: 6
Views: 6437

Re: NAQT Collegiate Novice @ UChicago (10/12/2019)

Sorry for the delay in posting a field update. We currently have signups from Lake Land College, Purdue, UIC, Loyola Chicago, Northwestern, Bradley University, Valparaiso, Notre Dame, Illinois, Wisconsin, Beloit College, and Kansas State, plus a number of house teams, in total 18-20. I am still fina...
by benmillerbenmiller
Mon Oct 07, 2019 12:03 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: 2019 EFT - Specific Question Discussion and Errata
Replies: 56
Views: 7460

Re: Specific Question Discussion and Errata

The tossup on Buddhist monks really had no reason to require Buddhist in the answerline. You seem to have answered your own question - as the question makes clear, Buddhist monks often got involved in warfare, whereas this was not the case for Shinto priests or religious figures, which suggests to ...
by benmillerbenmiller
Sun Oct 06, 2019 11:19 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: 2019 EFT - Specific Question Discussion and Errata
Replies: 56
Views: 7460

Re: Specific Question Discussion and Errata

By and large, I thought this was a very solid set. It hit its difficulty mark effectively and did so with very few fundamental issues (which is more than a lot of sets can say!). All I can comment on with any degree of insight is the history, which I think Jakob, Matthew, and others were broadly suc...
by benmillerbenmiller
Sun Sep 01, 2019 6:00 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Fall @ UChicago (11/02/2019)
Replies: 4
Views: 5762

Re: ACF Fall @ UChicago (11/02/2019)

Update: UChicago will also be hosting a high school-only mirror of ACF Fall. Brad Fischer will be running this event, and details about it can be found here. We look forward to seeing lots of talented high schools teams join us in November!
by benmillerbenmiller
Tue Aug 27, 2019 9:04 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: NAQT Collegiate Novice @ UChicago (10/12/2019)
Replies: 6
Views: 6437

NAQT Collegiate Novice @ UChicago (10/12/2019)

I am very pleased to announce that the University of Chicago will be hosting a mirror of NAQT Collegiate Novice on October 12. I will be directing this, so please direct any questions to Ben Miller at benmillerbenmiller@gmail.com. Cost $15 per person (so $60 for a full-strength team) Buzzers (with a...
by benmillerbenmiller
Tue Aug 27, 2019 8:48 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Fall @ UChicago (11/02/2019)
Replies: 4
Views: 5762

ACF Fall @ UChicago (11/02/2019)

I am very pleased to announce that the Midwest site of 2019 ACF Fall will be held at the University of Chicago on Saturday, November 2, 2019. I will be directing this, so please direct any questions to Ben Miller at benmillerbenmiller@gmail.com. Eligibility In general, teams where players are all at...
by benmillerbenmiller
Sat Apr 20, 2019 3:34 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Player Poll 2019
Replies: 92
Views: 63827

Re: Player Poll 2019

Some justifiable shilling for my teammates on Chicago B: James Lasker is an excellent science player with the best and realest astro knowledge in the game. He certainly deserves a spot in your science ranking. Tim Morrison is a top-tier lit (and film) player who can buzz across the canon at any diff...
by benmillerbenmiller
Mon Nov 05, 2018 1:30 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Fall 2018 - Thanks and General Discussion
Replies: 28
Views: 13744

Re: ACF Fall 2018 - Thanks and General Discussion

I really enjoyed playing this set. A few feng shui challenges aside, the editing was quite strong, especially when it came to keeping difficulty appropriate and consistent throughout. My only major concern lies with how world history was handled in the set. Way too many packets had a "world his...
by benmillerbenmiller
Fri Jun 01, 2018 8:58 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2017 Montgomery Blair Academic Tournament
Replies: 31
Views: 24048

Re: 2017 Montgomery Blair Academic Tournament

Hi Nate, thank you for the kind words about our set. We worked hard to create a fresh yet accessible housewrite for teams of all backgrounds, and I really appreciate the positive feedback we got from you and all the other teams who played it.
by benmillerbenmiller
Sat Jan 20, 2018 7:18 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Montgomery Blair Academic Tournament (1/20/2018)
Replies: 4
Views: 4951

Re: Montgomery Blair Academic Tournament (1/20/2018)

Congratulations to Centennial A, who defeated Lehigh Valley in a thrilling one-game final to win MBAT. Full stats for the tournament can be found here: http://www.hsquizbowl.org/db/tournaments/4673/ The following teams have qualified for PACE NSC in June. Congrats! 1. Centennial A 2. Lehigh Valley 3...
by benmillerbenmiller
Sat Dec 16, 2017 8:26 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Montgomery Blair Academic Tournament (1/20/2018)
Replies: 4
Views: 4951

Re: Montgomery Blair Academic Tournament (1/20/2018)

We have received Platinum certification from PACE, so the top 25% of our field will qualify for June's NSC!
by benmillerbenmiller
Sun Nov 12, 2017 3:24 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Montgomery Blair Academic Tournament (1/20/2018)
Replies: 4
Views: 4951

Re: Montgomery Blair Academic Tournament (1/20/2018)

Current Field Updated 1/16 Field: 20/20 teams Quince Orchard (1 team) Bullis (1 team, 1 buzzer) Centennial (6 teams, 5 buzzers) Georgetown Prep (2 teams, 1 buzzer) Langley (2 teams, 2 buzzers) Manheim Township (2 teams) Georgetown Day (2 teams) McLean (1 team, 1 buzzer) Richard Montgomery (2 teams,...
by benmillerbenmiller
Wed Oct 18, 2017 12:20 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Montgomery Blair Academic Tournament (1/20/2018)
Replies: 4
Views: 4951

Montgomery Blair Academic Tournament (1/20/2018)

I am pleased to announce that Montgomery Blair High School will be hosting the main site of our MBAT housewrite on January 20, 2018. Information on the set can be found in this thread: http://www.hsquizbowl.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=109&t=20081 Location The tournament will be held at Montgomery...
by benmillerbenmiller
Fri Oct 13, 2017 3:30 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2017 Montgomery Blair Academic Tournament
Replies: 31
Views: 24048

Re: 2017 Montgomery Blair Academic Tournament

The Steele Memorial Invitational at Honaker High School will be mirroring MBAT on December 9th, 2017.
by benmillerbenmiller
Sun Sep 17, 2017 11:37 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: HSQBRank 2017-18: Now with a Patreon page!
Replies: 122
Views: 89659

Re: HSQBRank 2017-18: Now with a Patreon page!

If the Preseason Poll was claiming to represent the predictive views of our entire community, then criticisms of sampling and methodology would be in order. But the Preseason Poll doesn't make those claims because it is not an opinion poll . It aggregates the views of many informed people solely as ...
by benmillerbenmiller
Sun Sep 17, 2017 10:25 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: HSQBRank 2017-18: Now with a Patreon page!
Replies: 122
Views: 89659

Re: HSQBRank 2017-18: Now with a Patreon page!

Ricky, someone can both appreciate Fred's energies and disagree with his results. It's not one or the other. It is not that I lack awareness of teams like Wayzata or duPont Manual that Fred ranked so highly, I just don't think they're 20+ places better than Hunter or DCC. Both Wayzata and duPont fin...
by benmillerbenmiller
Sat Sep 16, 2017 11:20 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: HSQBRank 2017-18: Now with a Patreon page!
Replies: 122
Views: 89659

Re: HSQBRank 2017-18: Now with a Patreon page!

I do appreciate Fred's rankings, as I have now pointed out repeatedly in this thread. However, my gratitude does not bar me from presenting concerns about his decisions. I don't agree that Fred's comparison methods are necessarily the best possible, and regardless of what semantics games we play, th...
by benmillerbenmiller
Sat Sep 16, 2017 11:06 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: HSQBRank 2017-18: Now with a Patreon page!
Replies: 122
Views: 89659

Re: HSQBRank 2017-18: Now with a Patreon page!

The notable Eshaan Vakil defeated Hunter (2 time HSNCT champs) at PACE this past year. Why isn't he ranked Mr. Morlan!!!!!!!!!!!! I am not talking about one game or one tournament. I am talking about two teams which a knowledgeable corps of voters deemed some of country's very best being excluded f...
by benmillerbenmiller
Sat Sep 16, 2017 10:45 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: HSQBRank 2017-18: Now with a Patreon page!
Replies: 122
Views: 89659

Re: HSQBRank 2017-18: Now with a Patreon page!

The notable Eshaan Vakil defeated Hunter (2 time HSNCT champs) at PACE this past year. Why isn't he ranked Mr. Morlan!!!!!!!!!!!! I am not talking about one game or one tournament. I am talking about two teams which a knowledgeable corps of voters deemed some of country's very best being excluded f...
by benmillerbenmiller
Sat Sep 16, 2017 6:49 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: HSQBRank 2017-18: Now with a Patreon page!
Replies: 122
Views: 89659

Re: HSQBRank 2017-18: Now with a Patreon page!

I think people should be able to criricize Fred's rankings without being dismissed out of hand as petty or obsessive. HSQBrank is a great resource for the community, but that doesn't mean it needs to be beyond reasonable critique. In this case, I think omitting two of the Preseason Poll's best five ...
by benmillerbenmiller
Sat Sep 16, 2017 4:51 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: HSQBRank 2017-18: Now with a Patreon page!
Replies: 122
Views: 89659

Re: HSQBRank 2017-18: Now with a Patreon page!

As I opened my post with, I understand and appreciate the utility of Fred's rankings, but we all know they hold a far greater place in the QB community than offering a rough sketch. They are the most respected venue for team evaluation, and it shouldn't be heretical to point out when they're lacking...
by benmillerbenmiller
Sat Sep 16, 2017 3:54 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: HSQBRank 2017-18: Now with a Patreon page!
Replies: 122
Views: 89659

Re: HSQBRank 2017-18: Now with a Patreon page!

Fred, I appreciate all the effort you put into these rankings, but some of your decisions border on indefensible. You can make arguments for and against most any team, but to say that neither DCC or Hunter is a Top 25 team is just unreasonable. Both have indisputable depth and experience, and just a...
by benmillerbenmiller
Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:33 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: DC Metro 2017-2018 Date Claim Thread
Replies: 53
Views: 33826

Re: DC Metro 2017-2018 Date Claim Thread

Montgomery Blair would like to claim January 13 for the main site of our MBAT housewrite. Announcement and details to come!
by benmillerbenmiller
Sat Aug 26, 2017 1:51 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Preseason Predictions
Replies: 20
Views: 19458

Re: Preseason Predictions

The thing about TJ and other underranked teams is that their performance, especially at national tournaments, is highly variable. Teams like this tend to rely on tossup conversion instead of bonuses to win games, and while that certainly does produce results, it's also more susceptible to change (i...
by benmillerbenmiller
Thu Aug 17, 2017 5:29 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Preseason Predictions
Replies: 20
Views: 19458

Re: Preseason Predictions

Not sure how I missed Northview; they definetly seem cut out for a top 15 season. And to your point Nick, I definetly think Lehigh and Chattahoochee are top-10 teams, even if my tiering sort of obscured that.