Search found 53 matches

by blizzard
Sun Jul 12, 2015 6:13 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Acknowledging Marginalized-Group Membership in QB Questions
Replies: 54
Views: 21177

Re: Acknowledging Marginalized-Group Membership in QB Questi

I suspect that from a representation standpoint, we might actually do better by focusing on queer representation within the quizbowl community. As I grew up, I remember being struck by 1: Just how many quizbowl players, and especially good quizbowl players were queer (in fact, it seems like we're d...
by blizzard
Fri Jul 10, 2015 8:57 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Acknowledging Marginalized-Group Membership in QB Questions
Replies: 54
Views: 21177

Re: Acknowledging Marginalized-Group Membership in QB Questi

I think the reasonable middle ground here is to only note the author's sexuality in questions where it's important, but also to not automatically assume it's unimportant. I don't know much about Henry James, perhaps being gay was unimportant to his writing, but there are plenty of cases where an au...
by blizzard
Fri Jul 10, 2015 7:25 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Acknowledging Marginalized-Group Membership in QB Questions
Replies: 54
Views: 21177

Re: Acknowledging Marginalized-Group Membership in QB Questi

I'm not advocating describing a person's sexuality in favor of other clues, but if there's room in the question and doesn't disrupt the focus (which I honestly can't see happening simply by adding "gay" or "bisexual"or "lesbian"), than I don't see the harm of adding it...
by blizzard
Fri Jul 10, 2015 6:16 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Acknowledging Marginalized-Group Membership in QB Questions
Replies: 54
Views: 21177

Re: Acknowledging Marginalized-Group Membership in QB Questi

And I think you missed my point that if there's room for that in a question, there is room for a better, more substantive clue. To address this, I guess I disagree in that adding a word that takes up the same amount of space as "gay" but is also a better, more substantive clue that stays ...
by blizzard
Fri Jul 10, 2015 6:05 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Acknowledging Marginalized-Group Membership in QB Questions
Replies: 54
Views: 21177

Re: Acknowledging Marginalized-Group Membership in QB Questi

I don't really think it's a whole lot to ask for writers to devote 4-10 characters (if possible) to highlight the fact that the subject of their question is a member of a marginalized group. It's also not even fair to just view it as a "4-10 character sap I can't use to write clues" becau...
by blizzard
Fri Jul 10, 2015 5:34 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Acknowledging Marginalized-Group Membership in QB Questions
Replies: 54
Views: 21177

Re: Acknowledging Marginalized-Group Membership in QB Questi

I'm not LGBT, so I won't comment on this specific point, and perhaps my comparative analogies are flawed, but let me try to express why I find the usage of descriptors like "name this gay novelist" somewhat unsatisfactory. I am a Korean American. Putting aside the obvious idea that everyt...
by blizzard
Fri Jul 10, 2015 1:10 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Acknowledging Marginalized-Group Membership in QB Questions
Replies: 54
Views: 21177

Re: Acknowledging Marginalized-Group Membership in QB Questi

I don't really think it's a whole lot to ask for writers to devote 4-10 characters (if possible) to highlight the fact that the subject of their question is a member of a marginalized group. It's also not even fair to just view it as a "4-10 character sap I can't use to write clues" becau...
by blizzard
Tue Jun 09, 2015 9:26 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2015 PACE NSC: Question set discussion
Replies: 65
Views: 38236

Re: 2015 PACE NSC: Question set discussion

This is a really slight error, but the tossup on Nigerian lit that described Purple Hibiscus in the first line incorrectly stated that Kambili was the one who poisoned her father Eugene when in fact it was Eugene's wife.
by blizzard
Mon Jun 08, 2015 11:04 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2015 PACE NSC: Question set discussion
Replies: 65
Views: 38236

Re: 2015 PACE NSC: Question set discussion

One thing my team noticed was a bit of a difference between auditory and visual art. There were numerous tossups on specific compositions, operas, or other musicals pieces, but very few tossups on paintings, sculptures, and other works of visual art. At the end of the tournament, we could only think...
by blizzard
Fri Jun 05, 2015 10:43 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Liveblogging my trip to NSC with Max Schindler
Replies: 80
Views: 30014

Re: Liveblogging my trip to NSC with Max Schindler

8 AM : enter Indiana 9 Am: still entering Indiana. The only redeeming quality of driving across Indiana (something OSU did just about every weekend we weren't going to Michigan) is the plethora of Arby's in that state. False, there are literally zero redeeming qualities to driving through Indiana.
by blizzard
Thu Jun 04, 2015 11:08 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: History Bowl/Quizbowl on College Applications
Replies: 17
Views: 15333

Re: History Bowl/Quizbowl on College Applications

Speaking as someone who just applied to college last fall and whose application focused heavily on History Bowl and quiz bowl, I'd recommend for you to heavily emphasize those activities in your application. While it's important to list your competition results (I'm sure colleges will be impressed ...
by blizzard
Thu Jun 04, 2015 3:00 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2015 HSNCT discussion
Replies: 102
Views: 77047

Re: 2015 HSNCT discussion

I'd just like to say that the "dark and stormy night" tossup was very fun and one of my favorite questions ever. Thanks to whoever wrote that!
by blizzard
Thu May 28, 2015 7:08 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: HSQBRank All-World Teams
Replies: 38
Views: 32536

Re: HSQBRank All-World Teams

I looked at the top teams in the final rankings, and tried to pick out the best players from them, and ranked them as best as I could. The above response wasn't sass. My bad, I (incorrectly) assumed you were using a strictly-numbers formula/process similar to the team rankings for individuals as we...
by blizzard
Wed May 27, 2015 9:20 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: HSQBRank All-World Teams
Replies: 38
Views: 32536

Re: HSQBRank All-World Teams

Stefan HSQBRankovich wrote:I picked the best players from the best teams as best as I could.
What is this supposed to mean? Dave's request was very reasonable and logical, and I'm sure expresses a sentiment that basically anybody looking at these lists shares.
by blizzard
Wed Apr 29, 2015 8:19 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Where Are You Going To College Next Year? 2014-15
Replies: 39
Views: 24815

Re: Where Are You Going To College Next Year? 2014-15

I'll be going to Cincinnati. Not sure right now if I'll try to start a team or not.
by blizzard
Mon Apr 20, 2015 8:35 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: MUT 2015 Specific question discussion
Replies: 45
Views: 10145

Re: Specific question discussion

blizzard wrote:Could I see the tossup on Belshazzar? I was confused as to why Balthasar was not accepted or even prompted, and protested the question, but it ended up not mattering and was unresolved.
Would it be possible to see this question still?
by blizzard
Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:19 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: MUT 2015 Specific question discussion
Replies: 45
Views: 10145

Re: Specific question discussion

Could I see the tossup on Belshazzar? I was confused as to why Balthasar was not accepted or even prompted, and protested the question, but it ended up not mattering and was unresolved.
by blizzard
Sat Dec 13, 2014 9:58 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: HSQB's Favorite Hit Songs of 2014
Replies: 48
Views: 3450

Re: HSQB's Favorite Hit Songs of 2014

I didn't hate enough songs to make a bottom 10, but I liked enough to extend honorable mentions to 25 1. Partition-Beyoncé: Best lines of the year ("I sneezed on the beat and the beat got sicker," Monica Lewinsky), perfectly raunchy, proves Bey's supremacy over us all. 2. Drunk In Love-Bey...
by blizzard
Thu Nov 06, 2014 12:47 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: The (Under?)representation of LGBT Culture and History in QB
Replies: 20
Views: 13805

Re: The (Under?)representation of LGBT Culture and History i

Will mentioned the Russia tossup at NASAT, which I wanted to point out as being a really great current events tossup on LGBT issues without tossing up "gay marriage" or "Proposition 8." Sure, the answer was Russia, but the clues were (I think) exclusively on LGBT issues/events. A...
by blizzard
Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:33 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: HSQBRank 2014-15
Replies: 211
Views: 130871

Re: HSQBRank 2014-15

It's run by students in the marketing program, but I've never heard of anyone actually using it, even though it's aimed at students.
by blizzard
Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:14 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: HSQBRank 2014-15
Replies: 211
Views: 130871

Re: HSQBRank 2014-15

Dr. Loki Skylizard, Thoracic Surgeon wrote:In other news: Why does a high school need a branch office of a credit union?!
Hey, we've got one of those!

Also, the Wikipedia notes are wonderful and I hope you continue them (though if they take too much time or whatever, then obviously don't worry).
by blizzard
Thu Jun 12, 2014 9:57 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2014 HSNCT discussion
Replies: 135
Views: 75166

Re: 2014 HSNCT discussion

Could you post the Joyce Carol Oates, Snapchat, and Pinterest questions (and conversion data)?
by blizzard
Sun May 11, 2014 10:10 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: The Worst Trash Tournament Ever
Replies: 25
Views: 12654

Re: The Worst Trash Tournament Ever

A word of caution: the phrase "as read by me in someone's hotel room", in this case, generally implies "to a group of adults who may or may not be drinking", participation in which will not include high schoolers for a whole host of reasons. I, as presumably does Eliza, encourag...
by blizzard
Fri May 09, 2014 11:31 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: The Worst Trash Tournament Ever
Replies: 25
Views: 12654

Re: The Worst Trash Tournament Ever

I would absolutely positively love to play this at HSNCT!
by blizzard
Mon Feb 24, 2014 10:17 pm
Forum: New Collegiate Teams
Topic: Starting Quiz Team at the University of Cincinnati
Replies: 15
Views: 17886

Re: Starting Quiz Team at the University of Cincinnati

Hey Stuart, I currently have two brothers at UC, one of whom is currently the student body president. If you want, I could put you in contact with him, as I'm sure he would have some ideas for faculty advisors and any other potential tips, ways to get funding, etc. Just let me know! Good luck!
by blizzard
Sun Dec 01, 2013 7:35 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: BISB Specific Question Discussion
Replies: 59
Views: 9770

Re: BISB Specific Question Discussion

I can't speak for Mostafa, as he wrote the Ibsen question, but I wrote a pretty similar tossup on James Joyce, and I think our plan was to reward people who had read the plays by filling them with what we (and Sparknotes) considered memorable quotes. I'm just not sure if these clues really are buzz...
by blizzard
Wed Nov 27, 2013 3:48 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: BISB Specific Question Discussion
Replies: 59
Views: 9770

Re: BISB Specific Question Discussion

I feel like that math bonus was computation in name only; it dealt with actual knowledge as opposed to doing any calculation, which makes it just like any other math question. This bonus was especially good because it dealt with high school math topics, unlike many math questions that are extremely ...
by blizzard
Tue Nov 19, 2013 10:32 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: BISB Specific Question Discussion
Replies: 59
Views: 9770

Re: BISB Specific Question Discussion

Please note that these are just my personal opinions, and I don't mean to insinuate that I am always correct or whatever; this is just what I thought of some of the questions that may be of assistance in editing/improving. -The Ibsen tossup seems fairly unbuzzable for the first half, although I don'...
by blizzard
Sun Nov 17, 2013 11:41 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: BISB General Discussion
Replies: 14
Views: 2882

Re: BISB General Discussion

I really enjoyed the set. I especially liked the number of common-link tossups; those are some of my favorite types of questions, but they can be hard to make pyramidal, and I felt this set did a really good job of finding hard, medium, and easy clues for a lot of them. Although I am not a science p...
by blizzard
Sat Oct 05, 2013 11:10 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: What is your opinion?
Replies: 7
Views: 2305

Re: What is your opinion?

After I buzz, I tend to talk to myself (a lot of "Ok, so this is [answer]" or "I know this I know this, umm, [answer]") which helps me gather my thoughts and confirm my answer. However, I also always make sure I know what format I am playing or how the the moderator times so that...
by blizzard
Thu Aug 15, 2013 11:33 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Favorite Books or Other Works of Literature?
Replies: 31
Views: 8667

Re: Favorite Books or Other Works of Literature?

It's really good that you're committing to pleasure-reading, even during the school semester. Were that habit not deeply ingrained in me too, I would have suffered significant drop-off once I transitioned from being an English major in college to being a grad student in a non-literature subject; lu...
by blizzard
Tue Aug 13, 2013 10:00 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Favorite Books or Other Works of Literature?
Replies: 31
Views: 8667

Favorite Books or Other Works of Literature?

So I really like reading books (mostly fiction), especially when it gets me points (seriously there's no better feeling than getting a toss up on a book you've read and really enjoyed), and I am always looking for new books to read. Ironically, now that the summer is almost over, I will have more ti...
by blizzard
Sun Jun 16, 2013 10:12 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2013 NASAT Set & Tournament Discussion
Replies: 57
Views: 15298

Re: 2013 NASAT Set & Tournament Discussion

Obviously not everyone agree with me, but you have to draw the line between trash and general knowledge somewhere, and I would put chess on the trash side, along with the pretzels tossup. In regards to the academic questions, I really liked the set. The lit questions were really fun and were definit...
by blizzard
Sun Jun 16, 2013 8:51 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2013 NASAT Set & Tournament Discussion
Replies: 57
Views: 15298

Re: 2013 NASAT Set & Tournament Discussion

What category was the rook question considered? Chess is a board game, and therefore I think it deserves to be considered trash, just like asking questions about Monopoly or Sorry or any other board games would be considered trash.
by blizzard
Thu Jun 06, 2013 2:16 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2013 NASAT: June 15-16 at Ohio State
Replies: 46
Views: 19850

Re: 2013 NASAT: June 15-16 at Ohio State

so we will use the same 13-team schedule as last year. A full update went out to registered teams last week. Last year there were only two or three rounds on Sunday, right? I'm not sure what time we ended on Saturday, but I remember feeling like those games could have easily been done on Saturday i...
by blizzard
Mon May 27, 2013 2:07 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Side Event: Schindler's Lit
Replies: 143
Views: 49091

Re: Side Event: Schindler's Lit

I really enjoyed this tournament. I thought the questions were really fun and interesting, and I would love to do something like this again.
by blizzard
Mon May 20, 2013 11:38 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Question-specific discussion
Replies: 40
Views: 13688

Re: Question-specific discussion

Could you also post the Ezra Pound and Alexander II questions?
by blizzard
Mon May 20, 2013 6:18 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Question-specific discussion
Replies: 40
Views: 13688

Re: Question-specific discussion

Could you post the Bradbury tossup? Thanks.
by blizzard
Sun Mar 24, 2013 7:49 pm
Forum: Quizbowl History Forum
Topic: Odd Ways of Learning Things
Replies: 177
Views: 198096

Re: Odd Ways of Learning Things

I got the VCU Closed question on saving Jews during the Holocaust thanks to my obsessively deep knowledge of Hark, A Vagrant! : http://harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=144 Argh! That may be the only Hark! A Vagrant I haven't read, and as a result I watched helplessly as Richard Yu powered that tossup ...
by blizzard
Fri Mar 22, 2013 9:11 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Side Event: Schindler's Lit
Replies: 143
Views: 49091

Re: Side Event: Schindler's Lit

I'd be interested in playing.
by blizzard
Wed Nov 21, 2012 12:04 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: HSQBRank 2012-2013: No, I do not mean HSA Bank
Replies: 138
Views: 150105

Re: HSQBRank 2012-2013: No, I do not mean HSA Bank

You're doing so much for this already, I don't think it would kill anyone to have to do a little of the work themselves. This is not a big deal at all, and if it makes your job easier, I would do it.
by blizzard
Sat Aug 04, 2012 12:50 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: OSPL 2012-2013 EXPERT - Official Sign Up Post for August
Replies: 36
Views: 8638

Re: OSPL 2012-2013 EXPERT - Official Sign Up Post for August

I'll play, though I won't be able to make it the first week.
by blizzard
Sun Jul 15, 2012 11:24 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Illinois '12-'13
Replies: 153
Views: 81951

Re: Illinois '12-'13

I am pretty sure that we went to 32 tournaments this past year, though I may be off by a couple.

EDIT: I think we were doing something 32 weekends, but not all were academic tournaments that everyone went to. Some were JV tournaments, a trash tournament, a couple TV takings, those kinds of things.
by blizzard
Wed Jul 11, 2012 3:46 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Qub - A Multiplayer Quiz Bowl Reader
Replies: 37
Views: 21472

Re: Qub - A Multiplayer Quiz Bowl Reader

I have the newest version of Chrome,and whenever I get on, it says offline. I have tried this for the past week or so and every time it says it is offline. i am not sure what (if anything) I can do to try and fix it.
by blizzard
Mon Jul 02, 2012 9:20 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Some Thoughts Concerning Studying Methods
Replies: 13
Views: 5377

Re: Some Thoughts Concerning Studying Methods

I think this is a really good guide for learning how to study. However, I disagree with saying that practicing is not a good way to study. I think that depends on the individual person. For me, practicing Is the best way to learn new topics/clues. I find a lot easier to remember a clue if I have hea...
by blizzard
Mon Jul 02, 2012 12:06 am
Forum: Quizbowl History Forum
Topic: Odd Ways of Learning Things
Replies: 177
Views: 198096

Re: Odd Ways of Learning Things

Watching The Amazing Race has helped me get geography questions. The song "Say You'll Go" by Janelle Monae first taught me what samsara is. Also, the cover of The Archandroid, also by Janelle Monae, led me to having a brief understanding of the plot of the film Metropolis. The Thursday Nex...
by blizzard
Fri Jun 01, 2012 7:28 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: 2012 HSNCT discussion
Replies: 173
Views: 81080

Re: 2012 HSNCT discussion

Could someone post the US-Canada border tossup? Thanks. Some things I noticed were the repeats in some of the literature questions. In two different rounds there were bonuses on Henry James works that did not overlap, and two tossups on different Oscar Wilde plays. Was this done purposefully because...
by blizzard
Wed May 30, 2012 5:46 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Open Skype Summer Practices
Replies: 19
Views: 6912

Re: Open Skype Summer Practices

When do you think you will start these?
by blizzard
Wed May 30, 2012 1:40 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Open Skype Summer Practices
Replies: 19
Views: 6912

Re: Open Skype Summer Practices

My skype name is sam.blizzard
by blizzard
Thu May 24, 2012 7:17 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: On-going Season Rankings V2.0 - Herp Derp
Replies: 255
Views: 103632

Re: On-going Season Rankings V2.0 - so is this where i complain?

The Waylon Jennings Memorial Tournament at Ohio State used RAVE, not D2 SCT.