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High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 5:02 pm
by ... and the chaos of Mexican modernity
Now remembering the literature singles tournament at Weekend of Quizbowl, I was wondering if there was any possibilty of running any high school theme tournaments in the future like History, Geography, Science, etc...?
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 6:05 pm
by Blackboard Monitor Vimes
Are you referring to side events or entire tournaments? Or to something with themed rounds, such as This Tournament Goes to 11?
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 6:16 pm
by ... and the chaos of Mexican modernity
It doesn't matter what type of tournament it is whether it involves individual rounds or entire tournaments.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 6:21 pm
by Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-TN)
I'm pretty sure he means subject area tournaments.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 6:28 pm
by Blackboard Monitor Vimes
Side events seem more likely than whole tournaments. Chris Ray mentioned the possibility of 2 side events at Weekend of Quizbowl this year... I don't know that side events are that practical outside of 2-3 day tournaments like that and nationals. They involve teams arriving the Friday night the day before or staying late on Saturday, and many schools tend to like to leave. Really it would depend on field size and the number of people traveling long distances to a tournament/their travel schedules, as well as the projected end time of the main event.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 1:17 am
by Mike Bentley
The issue with high school subject tournaments is that you'd be hard pressed to find people to write them. If you limit the subject to just the high school canon and maybe a little above it, then you're not going to be able to have a ton of interesting answer choices (and these tossups would probably be better served as tossups in real tournaments anyways). If you increase the difficulty to create more interesting answers, then you might as well just make it an open event and invite high school players.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:53 am
by First Chairman
I do a themed high school tournament, which is High School Celebrity Shoot. It is not meant to be pure quizbowl, and it doesn't even use buzzers! It is meant as an entree for some of the more timid teams to getting some interest in competing. Celebrity Shoot is biography-only across the curriculum (lit, hist, science, fine arts, etc.) with much more sports and entertainment replacing calculation questions (of course). It is a mixed team and individual competition which I've run since 1995. It is a whole-day event. Difficulty level spans from easy/entry-level to intermediate (maybe higher than an NAQT A set?).
If you are interested, I hope my hosts at Case and Duke will post something. There is interest in Minnesota to try it out as well.
And if anyone not in high school wants to help, please let me know.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 11:47 am
by Sir Thopas
First Chairman wrote:I do a themed high school tournament, which is High School Celebrity Shoot. It is not meant to be pure quizbowl, and it doesn't even use buzzers! It is meant as an entree for some of the more timid teams to getting some interest in competing. Celebrity Shoot is biography-only across the curriculum (lit, hist, science, fine arts, etc.) with much more sports and entertainment replacing calculation questions (of course). It is a mixed team and individual competition which I've run since 1995. It is a whole-day event. Difficulty level spans from easy/entry-level to intermediate (maybe higher than an NAQT A set?).
If you are interested, I hope my hosts at Case and Duke will post something. There is interest in Minnesota to try it out as well.
And if anyone not in high school wants to help, please let me know.
Somehow I don't think that's what Zach was asking about. At all.
Ted Gioia and co. ran an excellent lit singles at Weekend of Quizbowl last year. I don't know how that's escaped notice in this thread for so long, but it was run.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 11:50 am
by First Chairman
I don't know if it escaped discussion, but if we're thinking about running a themed tournament over March 15 weekend at Mason, that would be fun to reprise if anyone wanted to do it.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 11:53 am
by Blackboard Monitor Vimes
metsfan001 wrote:First Chairman wrote:I do a themed high school tournament, which is High School Celebrity Shoot. It is not meant to be pure quizbowl, and it doesn't even use buzzers! It is meant as an entree for some of the more timid teams to getting some interest in competing. Celebrity Shoot is biography-only across the curriculum (lit, hist, science, fine arts, etc.) with much more sports and entertainment replacing calculation questions (of course). It is a mixed team and individual competition which I've run since 1995. It is a whole-day event. Difficulty level spans from easy/entry-level to intermediate (maybe higher than an NAQT A set?).
If you are interested, I hope my hosts at Case and Duke will post something. There is interest in Minnesota to try it out as well.
And if anyone not in high school wants to help, please let me know.
Somehow I don't think that's what Zach was asking about. At all.
Ted Gioia and co. ran an excellent lit singles at Weekend of Quizbowl last year. I don't know how that's escaped notice in this thread for so long, but it was run.
Um, Guy, see the first post. That's what inspired Zach's question. I, for one, would love to play that again this year if it exists. And I agree that Celebrity Shoot-out doesn't sound like what Zach's looking for. The two side events Chris mentioned getting for WoQ this year could quite possibly be the only hs ones this year, for reasons mentioned above. Anyway, Zach, if you do manage to find a theme tournament, be aware that the difficulty level is likely to be decently high. I really don't think that a one day tournament other than Celebrity Shoot Out would be capable of hosting a subject-area side event. I can see one round during lunch being possible, but that doesn't seem like it would be worth it.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 12:01 pm
by Sir Thopas
MLWGS-Gir wrote:Um, Guy, see the first post. That's what inspired Zach's question.
I LOSE
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 12:38 pm
by alkrav112
Please tell me I'm not the only person who, at first, parsed this thread as "Tournaments with Answers that are High Schools."
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 12:42 pm
by The Time Keeper
alkrav112 wrote:Please tell me I'm not the only person who, at first, parsed this thread as "Tournaments with Answers that are High Schools."
I have bad news for you.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 4:58 pm
by JackGlerum
alkrav112 wrote:Please tell me I'm not the only person who, at first, parsed this thread as "Tournaments with Answers that are High Schools."
You aren't alone.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:18 pm
by Nine-Tenths Ideas
JohnGlerum wrote:You aren't alone.
I just thought they were tournaments directed to High Schoolers... which I thought was strange to ask about.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:56 pm
by Stained Diviner
Outside of WOQ, which would have trouble running a themed tournament on Saturday night unless the main tournament was organized, probably the best way to do it would be to have a shortened main tournament. With power matching, you could run a good tournament in five or six rounds, leaving the afternoon for some themes. It would be bad if the entire circuit headed in that direction, but it might be good if a place with an active circuit had one tournament like that. If you're going to play in ten tournaments over the course of the year, having one afternoon devoted to a single subject probably would be a good thing, especially if you could choose from among two or more themes.
Last year, Illinois hosted a tournament for individuals after NAQT State. It wasn't a theme tournament, but it could have been. Having it at night, however, makes it for die-hards only, since most coaches do not want to register for a tournament that starts close to dinner time. The person who really needs to be die-hard is the Tournament Director, since getting enough questions and moderators would be a challenge in addition to combining the registrations with the team registrations.
The topics might not be exactly the same as college topics, since Social Science would be a stretch and RMP probably would end up having a lot of Greek Mythology. However, Literature, Science, History, Social Studies (ie History/Current Events/Geography/Social Science), Humanities (ie Fine Arts & Literature), or Computational Math (c'mon, it's a side tournament) would all work fine.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 6:02 pm
by Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-TN)
Computational Math (c'mon, it's a side tournament)
Doesn't matter.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 6:03 pm
by jonah
Reinstein, if you ever run a computational math-themed tournament, I will deny ever having known you.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 6:09 pm
by at your pleasure
I would so love a fine arts themed side event. I'll write the art history for one if I ever am in a position to push for one.
mabye more theme events at lunchtime in leiu of a coaches game? if you are willing to let the tournament run a little later and have food at the school, this could be fun. I think it actually happend at wilimington.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:24 pm
by Maxwell Sniffingwell
jonah wrote:Reinstein, if you ever run a computational math-themed tournament, I will deny ever having known you.
I'll do so as well. I'll also play, though.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:39 pm
by Stained Diviner
I'll need you guys to moderate before you disavow me.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:16 pm
by Sir Thopas
If anyone runs a computational math tournament, I swear, I'll chase you down and kick you really hard in the balls. I'm not even joking.
EDIT: And passes it off as a quizbowl tournament. Duh.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:17 pm
by aestheteboy
metsfan001 wrote:If anyone runs a computational math tournament, I swear, I'll chase you down and kick you really hard in the balls. I'm not even joking.
I might be able to find out who hosts mathcounts for you.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:19 pm
by Mathcounts 2009
Ow! My balls!
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:39 pm
by Sonic the Hedgehog and the Fox
Mathcounts 2009 wrote:Ow! My balls!
For shaaaaame! Math didn't exist in that movie, except for when Joe told Frito that 30-20=80.
Ahem.
Well, I'd like to see more subject-area sideshows at high school events, if they can be pulled off.
Especially computational math sideshows. Really complex differential equation-type computational math sideshows.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 12:35 am
by DumbJaques
The likelihood of getting people to write two different high school subject tournaments is not tremendously high. Since it seems like we'll be using 1-2 sets actually written for the high school level for the main tournament(s) at WOQ instead of mirroring a college event, I think using the Illinois novice (or a similar event) for a doubles tournament and trying to get one subject tournament together would be the best way to go. If anyone has proposals for that or is interested in collaborating on something like that, shower us with your generosity I guess. Since I'll be busy writing the main event I probably won't be able to put something like that together, this year.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 12:37 am
by Sir Thopas
Personally, I think the doubles tournament should be a regular-difficulty tournament, not a novice one.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 2:06 am
by Mechanical Beasts
metsfan001 wrote:Personally, I think the doubles tournament should be a regular-difficulty tournament, not a novice one.
I would freelance a packet or two for a regular-difficulty side event. Eight packets to go!
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 8:50 am
by Sir Thopas
everyday847 wrote:metsfan001 wrote:Personally, I think the doubles tournament should be a regular-difficulty tournament, not a novice one.
I would freelance a packet or two for a regular-difficulty side event. Eight packets to go!
Err, by regular difficulty, I mean the college version, not the HS version. Just to make it clear.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 11:37 am
by Mechanical Beasts
metsfan001 wrote:everyday847 wrote:metsfan001 wrote:Personally, I think the doubles tournament should be a regular-difficulty tournament, not a novice one.
I would freelance a packet or two for a regular-difficulty side event. Eight packets to go!
Err, by regular difficulty, I mean the college version, not the HS version. Just to make it clear.
I write all too much HS regular difficulty. I'm also an awful judge of HS regular difficulty because my knowledge back then deep in some areas and nonexistent in others. I can handle college regular difficulty a bit better.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 12:00 pm
by Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-TN)
I personally like the idea of just mirroring some college tournament for such a side event, like how they were using MLK last year.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 1:23 pm
by Frater Taciturnus
Deesy Does It wrote:I personally like the idea of just mirroring some college tournament for such a side event, like how they were using MLK last year.
I think the (hopefully continued) trend of good high school players playing college tournaments is going to make something like that increasingly difficult.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 2:03 pm
by Matt Weiner
It shouldn't be too hard to custom-write the doubles tournament (at whatever difficulty level is desired). You only need, at most, 200 tossups. No bonuses are necessary. Certainly 4 or 5 people could write that with basically zero effort in the over six months between now and WOQ.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 2:35 pm
by ClemsonQB
I might be willing to write part of a history singles/doubles/team/whatever side tournament for the WoQ.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 6:58 pm
by Angry Babies in Love
Personally, I would love for someone to have a singles (or doubles) geography tournament. The last (and maybe only ever?) legit high school geography competition (AAA Travel Challenge) went under recently. Maybe something at a larger tournament like WoQ or a National.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 7:36 pm
by at your pleasure
I would like to retirate my interest in a Fine Arts side event, possibly for WoQ. I would be happy to contribute questions, paticuarly visual arts questions.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:36 pm
by Kyle
rmgeokid wrote:Personally, I would love for someone to have a singles (or doubles) geography tournament. The last (and maybe only ever?) legit high school geography competition (AAA Travel Challenge) went under recently. Maybe something at a larger tournament like WoQ or a National.
I'd be happy to write it if people really want it, but I would have to think there would be more demand for a history tournament or something of the like.
(And AAA was hardly "legit" — they broke ties in the preliminaries with coin flips, then assigned individuals to teams with random drawings, then brought out buzzers and asked hoses like "The Cliffs of Dover are in England. Where are the Cliffs of Moher?" Steven Young of TJ '04, once my geography teammate, won the inaugural AAA in part by buzzing on "Dover" in the above question with "Ireland" because he was pretty savvy from his years of playing It's Academic.)
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:48 pm
by Angry Babies in Love
I never was around to play AAATC, I heard it was pretty bad. That sounds like some terrible writing. Are there any other High School geography competitions? Maybe I just long for my GeoBee days. Just one more year.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:56 pm
by Terrible Shorts Depot
History would probably get really high demand. In fact, I'm demanding it right now. High school quiz bowl doesn't really need more geography.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 10:01 pm
by Nine-Tenths Ideas
Kyle wrote:I'd be happy to write it if people really want it, but I would have to think there would be more demand for a history tournament or something of the like.
Actually, one of my teammates says this would be his dream come true.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 10:25 pm
by Kyle
rmgeokid wrote:I never was around to play AAATC, I heard it was pretty bad. That sounds like some terrible writing. Are there any other High School geography competitions? Maybe I just long for my GeoBee days. Just one more year.
No. Before my time, National Geographic used to host a project-based high school geography competition, but I think it only lasted one year and I know it wasn't very popular.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 10:29 pm
by Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-TN)
I think a high school geography tournament would be a disaster, just as I feel a college geography tournament would be a disaster.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 10:34 pm
by Sir Thopas
Jeremy Gibbs Free Energy wrote:I think a high school geography tournament would be a disaster, just as I feel a college geography tournament would be a disaster.
all those high schoolers wending their way through dead tossups
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:04 am
by cvdwightw
Clearly what we need is Kyle, Charles, Ray Anderson, and Jeff Hoppes to write 75 tossups each and create 15 rounds of 20/0 geography.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:17 am
by Kyle
And Dallas.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:51 am
by Auroni
Jeremy Gibbs Free Energy wrote:I think a high school geography tournament would be a disaster, just as I feel a college geography tournament would be a disaster.
probably the truest thing you've said in the past 24 hours
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 8:47 am
by The Atom Strikes!
Sir Thopas wrote:Jeremy Gibbs Free Energy wrote:I think a high school geography tournament would be a disaster, just as I feel a college geography tournament would be a disaster.
all those high schoolers wending their way through dead tossups
I remember playing a Charles Meigs geography theme packet once. It was quite difficult, but it was also awesome.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 4:00 pm
by intothenegs
Kyle wrote:
I'd be happy to write it if people really want it, but I would have to think there would be more demand for a history tournament or something of the like.
I'd play this (geography) if it happened somewhere near Virginia (like Weekend of Quizbowl). A history theme tournament would be equally awesome.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 6:05 pm
by Angry Babies in Love
The failure of a geography tournament would rest on the skill of the players. If there are at least 12 talented players, it would be fun and something I would love to participate in.
Re: High School Themed Tournaments?
Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 6:09 pm
by Terrible Shorts Depot
Find me 11 skilled high school geography players. Seriously.