Discord Community Discussion Panels

A place to discuss topics affecting quizbowlers as a community rather than quizbowl as a game.
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Grace
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Discord Community Discussion Panels

Post by Grace »

We (Grace Liu and Olivia Murton, and maybe you too!) are planning to organize a series of text-based panel discussions, similar to the inter-organization live panel discussion on racism & inclusion from March. The discussions will be held in the main quizbowl Discord and will feature a moderator and a small number of invited speakers. Each discussion will focus on a specific topic of interest to the quizbowl community, and will include questions collected in advance and possibly some live questions from the audience.

Our goal is to provide a platform for people with relevant experiences to discuss the state of quizbowl, share ideas and experiences, and catalyze ongoing action throughout the community.

We are soliciting (1) feedback on ideas for panel topics and (2) applications for panelists and moderators to participate in these discussions. We welcome applicants who want to talk about any of our listed topics and/or suggest their own topics. We will form groups for specific topics from the applicants we receive, and may solicit speakers for specific discussions as the series evolves. Since our hope is to have an ongoing series of discussions, we will accept applications at any time. However, to be considered for the first discussion, we encourage applicants to apply by July 14.

To apply to speak on, moderate, or indicate interest in hearing any panel topic, please fill out the form here. We’re also interested in suggestions for additional panel topics, and you can provide those using the same form.

In recognition of the time and emotional labor that goes into these discussions, we will provide monetary honoraria for our panelists and moderators. We hope to do so with support from major quizbowl organizations and from members of the quizbowl community. If you’re interested in supporting this effort, or have any other feedback for us, please post here or email us at [email protected].
Grace Liu
MIT (no graduation because hahaha what a joke)
Yale University '16
High Technology High School '12
reindeer
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Re: Discord Community Discussion Panels

Post by reindeer »

For reference, here is our current list of potential panels:

1. Diversity and inclusion in quizbowl writing: How do we incorporate diverse perspectives on the world in our writing? Sometimes attempts to do this can lead to criticisms about difficulty - how do you navigate that?

2. Quizbowl through the ages: Relationships with quizbowl evolve as we progress through school and life. When is quizbowl “worth it?" How do you balance quizbowl vs. non-quizbowl obligations at different stages of life, and how does your role change with time?

3. Professional efforts to promote DEI: What can we learn from efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in professional contexts? How can we apply that work to the quizbowl community?

4. Quizbowl and class: How does socioeconomic status affect the experience of quizbowl? What steps can quizbowl take to become more diverse and accessible?

5. State of the quizbowl union: One year after quizbowl organizations pledged a renewed commitment to diversity and inclusion, how are we doing? What progress, or lack thereof, has been made? We hope to hear from players of all levels of experience about what they see as the major challenges and opportunities facing quizbowl.

6. Building diverse teams: How do you build diverse teams in an intentional way? How can the community as a whole do it without looking to the same few people over and over?

7. Finding your niche: How do you identify and pursue the parts of quizbowl that bring you joy? How do you find your place in the broader community, if that's something that you want? (We're particularly interested in hearing from the community members who have found a niche in staffing, logistics, coaching, outreach, writing, and more.)

8. Mentorship in quizbowl: How do you identify mentors, build a mentoring relationship, or be a good mentor? How do you live up to the responsibilities of mentorship (particularly when you’re in a minority) while managing the corresponding pressures?

9. Quizbowl and careers: What quizbowl skills are transferable (many of them!), and how do you transfer them?

10. Establishing a team culture that lasts: How can coaches and team leaders build strong programs that outlast them? How do programs at smaller schools (e.g. liberal arts colleges) overcome recruitment challenges and loss of institutional memory?

11. Truth and reconciliation after misconduct: How do we move forward after misconduct? How do we hold people accountable for misconduct in ways that allow them to retain or regain a role in our community? What kinds of consequences should institutions impose? How do we build trust that those consequences promote justice for people who have experienced, committed, or otherwise been affected by misconduct? In the absence of institutional consequences for misconduct, how do (and how should) individuals respond to reports of misconduct by themselves or their peers?

12. Growing international quizbowl: What is the state of international quizbowl, and what are best practices for doing outreach? How can we build on international quizbowl as an opportunity to diversify the game?
Olivia M
TJ, MIT, Harvard, ACF
reindeer
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Re: Discord Community Discussion Panels

Post by reindeer »

We're excited to announce that we'll be starting with a discussion on diversity and inclusion in quizbowl writing. We'll be hearing from:
  • Hasna Karim
  • Jonathan Magin
  • Caroline Mao
  • Vishal Sivamani
Jeremy Nelson will be moderating.

If you'd like to submit questions for the panelists, you can do so using this form.

The panel will be held in the main Discord on Sunday, 9/19 at 6pm ET. We'll post more specifics about where to find it soon. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Olivia M
TJ, MIT, Harvard, ACF
reindeer
Wakka
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Re: Discord Community Discussion Panels

Post by reindeer »

Reminder that this is happening tomorrow, 9/19 at 6pm ET. It will be held in the main quizbowl Discord, which you can join here. If you're new to Discord, it can be a lot to take in, but you'll see a channel called "writing-panel" where you'll be able to read the conversation. We look forward to seeing you there!
Olivia M
TJ, MIT, Harvard, ACF
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Cheynem
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Re: Discord Community Discussion Panels

Post by Cheynem »

I don't know if every panel should be this way, but I really liked that the last panel was done through text. I'm frequently not able to take a whole portion of my day to follow along with a video panel and post real-time, but it's easier to read along and get caught up if I miss a few real-time posts. Also, at least for me, it's much easier to read through the conversation afterwards (perhaps multiple times for some posts) instead of having to watch a video and look for parts of a conversation I wanted to check on.
Mike Cheyne
Formerly U of Minnesota

"You killed HSAPQ"--Matt Bollinger
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