IHBB 2016 Canada Nationals: Univ of Toronto Schools, May 14

Dormant threads from the high school sections are preserved here.
Locked
Great Bustard
Auron
Posts: 1463
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 9:23 pm
Location: DC, NJ, and everywhere else
Contact:

IHBB 2016 Canada Nationals: Univ of Toronto Schools, May 14

Post by Great Bustard »

IHBB is pleased to announce that its second annual 2016 Canadian National History Bee and Bowl Championships will be held at the University of Toronto Schools on Saturday, May 14.
We are also exploring the possibility of mirrors of our US Geography Olympiad Quiz Bowl Set and our Sports and Entertainment History Bee set on Friday afternoon/evening of May 13. If we can hold these at U of T Schools, we will, otherwise, we would be interested in holding them either at the University of Toronto itself or a different school in Toronto.
David Madden
Ridgewood (NJ) '99, Princeton '03
Founder and Director: International History Bee and Bowl, National History Bee and Bowl (High School Division), International History Olympiad, United States Geography Olympiad, US History Bee, US Academic Bee and Bowl, National Humanities Bee, National Science Bee, International Academic Bowl.
Adviser and former head coach for Team USA at the International Geography Olympiad
User avatar
Fado Alexandrino
Yuna
Posts: 834
Joined: Sat Jun 12, 2010 8:46 pm
Location: Farhaven, Ontario

Re: IHBB 2016 Canada Nationals: Univ of Toronto Schools, May

Post by Fado Alexandrino »

Is this the same weekend as Reach Provincials? Will actual History Bee and Bowl competition extend into the Sunday?
Joe Su, OCT
Lisgar 2012, McGill 2015, McGill 2019, Queen's 2020
User avatar
bsmith
Tidus
Posts: 586
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 10:33 am
Location: Ottawa, ON

Re: IHBB 2016 Canada Nationals: Univ of Toronto Schools, May

Post by bsmith »

The Last 20 Stanley Cup Winners wrote:Is this the same weekend as Reach Provincials? Will actual History Bee and Bowl competition extend into the Sunday?
If their 20+ year tradition of starting 9 days before Victoria Day continues, Reach provincials would be May 14-16. Like 2011, this will be a rare year in which it will not be on Mothers Day weekend.

If there is some sort of arrangement between IHBB and Reach so that provincials qualifiers may skip the optional Saturday afternoon activities (practice rounds and gala dinner; meaningful games start Sunday AM) to participate in History Bowl, that would be a wonderful travel arrangement for teams. Otherwise, it's going to be a big conflict where even Lisgar would still side with the Reach option.
Ben Smith
Ottawa '08 & '10
Great Bustard
Auron
Posts: 1463
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 9:23 pm
Location: DC, NJ, and everywhere else
Contact:

Re: IHBB 2016 Canada Nationals: Univ of Toronto Schools, May

Post by Great Bustard »

Is May 21 a workable alternative?
David Madden
Ridgewood (NJ) '99, Princeton '03
Founder and Director: International History Bee and Bowl, National History Bee and Bowl (High School Division), International History Olympiad, United States Geography Olympiad, US History Bee, US Academic Bee and Bowl, National Humanities Bee, National Science Bee, International Academic Bowl.
Adviser and former head coach for Team USA at the International Geography Olympiad
User avatar
Fado Alexandrino
Yuna
Posts: 834
Joined: Sat Jun 12, 2010 8:46 pm
Location: Farhaven, Ontario

Re: IHBB 2016 Canada Nationals: Univ of Toronto Schools, May

Post by Fado Alexandrino »

May 14th would work if competition was limited to Saturday only. Reach's provincial games are only on the 15th (playoffs on 16th). The 14th will be introductions and scrimmages.

May 21th is the start of the Victoria Day long weekend. I don't know what teams would feel about having it on a long weekend. May 28th is both HSNCT and when Reach Nationals would most likely be. June 4th might be bad; I suspect it's cheaper to go to Chicago for NSC than Dallas for HSNCT, but I don't know how successfully quizbowl will grow and if there will be teams that aren't Lisgar that would want to attend a US National tournament.

I don't know when US Nationals are, but either April 30 or May 7th would be good weekends; it's right between University exams and summer terms so staffers are free. MSNCT and SSNCT are also well staffed enough that Canadians can remain in the country to help with History.
Joe Su, OCT
Lisgar 2012, McGill 2015, McGill 2019, Queen's 2020
User avatar
bsmith
Tidus
Posts: 586
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 10:33 am
Location: Ottawa, ON

Re: IHBB 2016 Canada Nationals: Univ of Toronto Schools, May

Post by bsmith »

I agree with Joe.

Both Reach and quizbowl have traditionally avoided the various Canadian long weekends (Thanksgiving, Family Day, Victoria Day) out of courtesy, but I have no idea what the appetite from coaches, students, and staff is regarding a "holiday" tournament.

The earlier dates Joe mentioned would be better, unless you have an overlap with other locations. Doing it on the 14th would actually be ideal for traveling Ontario teams, but it would require some sort of agreement with Reach regarding checking in on Saturday and the potential awkwardness of a quarter of the teams not attending the gala dinner.

FYI, all the SW Ontario teams in History Bowl activities this year were at Reach provincials except Bloor.

Of course, all these issues of date conflicts do not affect other provinces- they usually finish their Reach provincial tournaments by the third weekend of April.
Ben Smith
Ottawa '08 & '10
Great Bustard
Auron
Posts: 1463
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 9:23 pm
Location: DC, NJ, and everywhere else
Contact:

Re: IHBB 2016 Canada Nationals: Univ of Toronto Schools, May

Post by Great Bustard »

Okay, so would we be ok if we had everything wrapped up by 5:30 on Saturday, May 14? What time does the gala dinner start? May 7 didn't work for the host school; April 30 is honestly too close to US High School Nationals. Frankly, that week was exhausting for me to run a second National tournament on successive weekends - I am particularly greatly appreciative for all the help we got from ONQBA et al because of this - it made things much easier on us. Not that I would need to be there every year, but for now, Nolwenn and I think it's good for us to be there and basically have the role we did this year.
David Madden
Ridgewood (NJ) '99, Princeton '03
Founder and Director: International History Bee and Bowl, National History Bee and Bowl (High School Division), International History Olympiad, United States Geography Olympiad, US History Bee, US Academic Bee and Bowl, National Humanities Bee, National Science Bee, International Academic Bowl.
Adviser and former head coach for Team USA at the International Geography Olympiad
User avatar
bsmith
Tidus
Posts: 586
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 10:33 am
Location: Ottawa, ON

Re: IHBB 2016 Canada Nationals: Univ of Toronto Schools, May

Post by bsmith »

Here is the provincials schedule for Saturday (for 2014, but I assume 2015 was the same):

9:30-12:30 - Registration at U of T Scarborough residence
1:30 PM - Opening ceremony (and rules meetings for students and coaches) at a high school
3-4 PM - Practice rounds
6:30 PM - Gala dinner (at Scarborough campus)

Everything on Saturday is tacitly optional because the Jewish schools are unable to participate otherwise. I also believe those schools are local to the GTA so they can make a check-in on Friday and wouldn't need the residences (included in registration fee) for overnight accommodation.

That being said, registration for things like accommodations, buzzers, schedules, etc occurs during the day on Saturday, so some sort of arrangement would have to be in place to allow some teams to do both tournaments.

5:30 PM finish downtown to 6:30 PM in Scarborough is possible, but would be tight if some students want to change into nice clothes.
Ben Smith
Ottawa '08 & '10
User avatar
Fado Alexandrino
Yuna
Posts: 834
Joined: Sat Jun 12, 2010 8:46 pm
Location: Farhaven, Ontario

Re: IHBB 2016 Canada Nationals: Univ of Toronto Schools, May

Post by Fado Alexandrino »

Lisgar's Coach wrote:
Well I can see some benefit to reducing the number of trips to Toronto during May (time and cost wise) but it assumes that the same team (maybe plus 1 alternate) would play Reach as History Bowl/Bee and I don't know that would necessarily be the case...

Victoria Day Saturday would not be viable I think, as for many families it's a time to get together/ go camping or whatever on a long weekend.

After regionals April is a much quieter month (except for the UTS [reach for the top style] tournament) so I would think it would be a better option - avoids IB, AP etc. I am finding this year is too tight packed, with History Bowl, followed by [Reach] Provincials, followed by a long weekend (guests and/or cottage work) followed by Nationals, followed by HSNCT, and I'm retired (sort of)! I can't imagine how coaches who are working teachers are coping. (I know Lisgar is pretty unusual with its level of involvement and next year I anticipate we may hold off on HSNCT/PACE and may or may not make Provincials, let alone Nationals). Quite honestly the multiple costs are heavy for many families, fundraising is onerous from my perspective and we are getting very little in the way of financial assistance from the school or Board.

Of course I'm unhappy that things will return to being Toronto-centric. Rationally I know it works for the most teams but it is discouraging for those who are more peripheral.
Joe Su, OCT
Lisgar 2012, McGill 2015, McGill 2019, Queen's 2020
Locked