Midwest Academic Questions

[Geringer]

I know my $16000/year private school had this stuff covered in junior high.

Fixed.

Not anywhere near that price when I was there. One of my parents lost their job and that was the end of that junior high for me.

[Geringer]

Please direct all inquiries for question sets to Charles Hang at Olympia Questions. viewtopic.php?f=46&t=10734

[Dan-Don]

I know my $16000/year private school had this stuff covered in junior high.

Fixed.

Not anywhere near that price when I was there. One of my parents lost their job and that was the end of that junior high for me.

That's why you left Quest?

[Dan-Don]

Jeff has allowed me to be the spokesperson in charge of MAQ forums posts, so I'm announcing that, after some discussion, we are gonna get rid of 1/1 trash and replace it with 1/1 miscellaneous academic our choice. This will consist of civics, good foreign language (not "translate these words" stuff), interdisciplinary (not ideal, but preferable to trash), religion (depending on how the great world lit/myth/religion experiment works out), and other academic categories that hopefully meet the standards of modern quizbowl.

[MLaudermith]

Is this tournament solely for Leyden's feeder schools? Or can any school apply for entry?

Only for Leyden and Fenton's feeder schools Mr. Price. Sorry.

Please stop hosting super-secret middle school tournaments exclusively for your feeder schools and oftentimes out-of-season (for IESA scholastic bowl). While it's certainly within your rights, you would attract much bigger and more competitive fields by opening up your tournaments to the rest of Illinois.

You'll get no argument from me, but the Leyden tournament isn't really my show. For the past 3 years, I've fought for a Saturday tournament, but the feeder schools just aren't interested. As far as I'm aware, none of the participating schools are IESA members, so aside from a handful of after-school matches, the Leyden tournament is their only yearly exposure to quizbowl. The majority of schools seem content with this.

We have 18 teams in it this year, which for a weeknight tournament is already getting unwieldy. There's been talk of more participants next year, so I'm really hoping we reach a tipping point and are forced to hold it on a Saturday. If that happens, I will definitely push to open up the field.

[New York Undercover]

You'll get no argument from me, but the Leyden tournament isn't really my show. For the past 3 years, I've fought for a Saturday tournament, but the feeder schools just aren't interested. As far as I'm aware, none of the participating schools are IESA members, so aside from a handful of after-school matches, the Leyden tournament is their only yearly exposure to quizbowl. The majority of schools seem content with this.

This is not quizbowl-specific, and I don't know exactly how IESA works, but I think that it may not be that the schools are content with it but they simply may not be aware that there is more. I know as a middle schooler who was really interested in math, I "seem[ed] content" with 3 math competitions a year because I didn't know more existed even though my teacher may have. You may find that some of the participating schools, or at the very least some of the students on the teams of some of the schools would be interested in more tournaments (like the barrington one) if they knew there were more.

[MLaudermith]

This is not quizbowl-specific, and I don't know exactly how IESA works, but I think that it may not be that the schools are content with it but they simply may not be aware that there is more. I know as a middle schooler who was really interested in math, I "seem[ed] content" with 3 math competitions a year because I didn't know more existed even though my teacher may have. You may find that some of the participating schools, or at the very least some of the students on the teams of some of the schools would be interested in more tournaments (like the barrington one) if they knew there were more.

I have tried to make the sponsors at the various schools aware of other tournaments, but not much has come of it. Last year I sent them all letters encouraging them to go to Junior Wildcat and Barrington Invitational, but only one did. Same thing this year for Barrington and the Dumbledore Memorial. When I talk to the sponsors at the Leyden tounament, I always get the same explanations: no money for transportation, no money to pay the chaperone, can't find a chaperone on Saturdays, we never do Saturday events, etc. Based on the record number of freshmen who joined my team this year, I think you are absolutely right about the students wanting to play more, but there isn't much I can do to help them directly. I'd gladly host a middle school tournament at Fenton if I thought I could get participation from the local schools.

[the return of AHAN]

When taking inventory for such an event, count on 4 to 5 teams from the two Barrington middle schools (Station & Prairie). A Saturday event in April would likely draw at least another dozen suspects from my regular field, too. Daniel Wright (2 teams) has never ducked a tournament they've been invited to, and neither has Antioch (2 teams), Deerfield Holy Cross (2 teams), Willowbrook Westview Hills (2-3 teams), etc.

[Dan-Don]

Leyden's feeder middle school tournament was held yesterday, April 8th, on the first 5 rounds of our first set. Regrettably, these packets had to include computational math. Highlights:

The man who organizes the middle school conference most of the teams play in was particularly impressed. His name is Dr. John Kosirog and he is the superintendent of Union Ridge School in Harwood Heights. Without any prompting from me, he told me you questions were much better than the QG sets he’s used to and he is interested in purchasing your conference set for next year.

Other than the Varsity Championship, I only saw snippets of matches but what I saw impressed me. I’d say about half of the literature and fine arts questions were answered. The computational math was probably the category least converted

Again, I and I believe most of the people involved thought your questions were terrific.

Here are the stats, which I believe reflect a slightly too high bonus conversion because although bouncebacks were used, they were not entered as such. Mr. Laudermith can probably answer any questions about the tournament format and things like that. He might send me the scoresheets, and if the scoresheets are filled out correctly then I will reenter the stats with bouncebacks.

http://results.scobo.net/SQBS.aspx?org= ... =standings

I do have this information: River Grove was the Varsity (8th Grade) Champion, Blackhawk (Bensenville) was the Varsity runner-up; Union Ridge (Harwood Heights) was the JV (6th/7th grade) Champion, Rosemont was the runner-up.

[Stephen Colbert]

To help familiarize middle school players with the ACF format, I plan to hold a brief demonstration match between members of the tournament staff before the start of the Albus Dumbledore Memorial. The purpose is basically to introduce differences in timing rules, bonus formats, and bouncebacks. Additionally, we'll try to create some unusual scenarios (two players simultaneously provide different answers to a bonus part) so the players know how to handle them if/when they occur.

I thought, if Midwest Academic Questions has a previously used packet (in ACF format), perhaps we could read it at the demonstration match and, in turn, advertise your services to teams in central Illinois (especially if they really like the format throughout the day). If this possibility is workable, please send me an e-mail. Don't worry if you don't have a packet to spare, I have plenty of options. I just thought this would help introduce teams to some questions not written by QG.

[the return of AHAN]

..... I just thought this would help introduce teams to some questions not written by QG.

I endorse this proposal.

[Dan-Don]

To help familiarize middle school players with the ACF format, I plan to hold a brief demonstration match between members of the tournament staff before the start of the Albus Dumbledore Memorial. The purpose is basically to introduce differences in timing rules, bonus formats, and bouncebacks. Additionally, we'll try to create some unusual scenarios (two players simultaneously provide different answers to a bonus part) so the players know how to handle them if/when they occur.

I thought, if Midwest Academic Questions has a previously used packet (in ACF format), perhaps we could read it at the demonstration match and, in turn, advertise your services to teams in central Illinois (especially if they really like the format throughout the day). If this possibility is workable, please send me an e-mail. Don't worry if you don't have a packet to spare, I have plenty of options. I just thought this would help introduce teams to some questions not written by QG.

Unfortunately all the packets I've written (with some help from Jeff, Ben Carbery, Ben Chametzky, and Abid Haseeb) are earmarked for Jr. Wildcat. You could maybe use Jr. WIldcat 2009, though. I believe those packets are available on quizbowlpackets.com and are of similar quality, so you could still talk MAQ up with the coaches and players.

[the return of AHAN]

To help familiarize middle school players with the ACF format, I plan to hold a brief demonstration match between members of the tournament staff before the start of the Albus Dumbledore Memorial. The purpose is basically to introduce differences in timing rules, bonus formats, and bouncebacks. Additionally, we'll try to create some unusual scenarios (two players simultaneously provide different answers to a bonus part) so the players know how to handle them if/when they occur.

I thought, if Midwest Academic Questions has a previously used packet (in ACF format), perhaps we could read it at the demonstration match and, in turn, advertise your services to teams in central Illinois (especially if they really like the format throughout the day). If this possibility is workable, please send me an e-mail. Don't worry if you don't have a packet to spare, I have plenty of options. I just thought this would help introduce teams to some questions not written by QG.

Unfortunately all the packets I've written (with some help from Jeff, Ben Carbery, Ben Chametzky, and Abid Haseeb) are earmarked for Jr. Wildcat. You could maybe use Jr. WIldcat 2009, though. I believe those packets are available on quizbowlpackets.com and are of similar quality, so you could still talk MAQ up with the coaches and players.

What of some of the packets from last Spring's St. Viator tournament? Just tweak a few of the bonuses to a mACF format and that'd do the trick, no?

[Dan-Don]

To help familiarize middle school players with the ACF format, I plan to hold a brief demonstration match between members of the tournament staff before the start of the Albus Dumbledore Memorial. The purpose is basically to introduce differences in timing rules, bonus formats, and bouncebacks. Additionally, we'll try to create some unusual scenarios (two players simultaneously provide different answers to a bonus part) so the players know how to handle them if/when they occur.

I thought, if Midwest Academic Questions has a previously used packet (in ACF format), perhaps we could read it at the demonstration match and, in turn, advertise your services to teams in central Illinois (especially if they really like the format throughout the day). If this possibility is workable, please send me an e-mail. Don't worry if you don't have a packet to spare, I have plenty of options. I just thought this would help introduce teams to some questions not written by QG.

Unfortunately all the packets I've written (with some help from Jeff, Ben Carbery, Ben Chametzky, and Abid Haseeb) are earmarked for Jr. Wildcat. You could maybe use Jr. WIldcat 2009, though. I believe those packets are available on quizbowlpackets.com and are of similar quality, so you could still talk MAQ up with the coaches and players.

What of some of the packets from last Spring's St. Viator tournament? Just tweak a few of the bonuses to a mACF format
and that'd do the trick, no?

Many of the tossups from that set and any bonuses that can be tweaked will probably find their way into the Jr. Wildcat set. Perhaps I can do that to some questions from my original Viator set. I'll check tonight and be in touch with Nathan.

[Geringer]

You know what, this is good advertising. I'll whip up a set of 5/5 for you tonight and send it off. I'll try to include some common promptable answer spaces and stuff like that.

[Stephen Colbert]

I was originally planning to use a packet from the 2009 Jr. Wildcat. I did provide coaches with a link to the archived set, but that's not a big deal since it's only a demonstration match. Don't worry if you don't have time to write 5/5. I'll do my best to talk up MAQ, especially if the response to the collaborative set is positive. I'm making up packets for the coaches with schedules, rules, scoresheets, etc. I can include your e-mail and, if it's up yet, a link to your website within that packet if desired.

[Joshua Rutsky]

Alabama's middle school leagues and ASCA (Alabama's state quiz bowl organization) are looking for quality MS question sets for practice use at the moment, and for people interested in bidding on this year's Middle School State Tournament. If you guys have sets from last year that are no longer being used for active play, would you be interested in selling them for practice purposes?

[Charbroil]

We are pleased to announce that Olympia Academic Competition Questions has acquired all of the questions formerly provided by Midwest Academic Questions. We look forward to supplementing our existing offering of questions with Midwest's questions in the upcoming season.