RESULTS: Fall Tournament (10/14/06) @ Harvard (Cambridge,MA)

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:43 pm

Harvard University will be hosting the Harvard Fall Tournament on Saturday, October 14, 2006 in Cambridge, MA.

Question specifics:

- House-written questions
- Untimed rounds
- 20 tossups and 20 bonuses

Fee structure:

$70 first team
$60 additional teams
-$10 buzzer discount
-$10 travel discount for more than 200 miles (as determined by Mapquest)

Specific information on the exact time and location will be posted in September, along with driving and walking directions. Please contact Kyle Haddad-Fonda (kfonda [at] fas [dot] harvard [dot] edu) to ask any questions or to register your team.

(And, yes, this really is going to happen as announced â€“ the questions are being written, the rooms are reserved, and weâ€™re very excited to host.)

Sir Thopas · Post by **Sir Thopas** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:21 pm

Great! Expect Hunter to be there.

Does this qualify for any national tournament?

SHP Pirate · Post by **SHP Pirate** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:48 pm

Seton Hall Prep will try to come as well! Let us know as soon as you have all of the details!

Magister Ludi · Post by **Magister Ludi** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 2:03 am

Gonzaga would definitely come to this tournament if it wasn't on a SAT date because half of our team would be taking the test that day.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 9:54 pm

I knew there was a good reason there were no other tournaments on that date, but I couldn't figure it out. How big a problem is this? Now I feel stupid.

Sir Thopas · Post by **Sir Thopas** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 2:33 am

Huh? What's going on that day?

First Chairman · Post by **First Chairman** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 2:11 pm

I suppose depending on the turnout you get, you'll find out how big a deal taking the SAT is. I know not everyone in Harvard takes the SAT.

Duke Togo · Post by **Duke Togo** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 4:26 pm

metsfan001 wrote:Huh? What's going on that day?

Magister Ludi wrote:Gonzaga would definitely come to this tournament if it wasn't on a SAT date because half of our team would be taking the test that day.

...

E.T. Chuck wrote:I know not everyone in Harvard takes the SAT. Cool Cool Cool

...

mhanna · Post by **mhanna** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 9:22 pm

How many teams have expressed an interest in attending on your original date (Oct. 14th)? You are not the only group to host a tournament on a SAT day. You will never be able to accommodate everyone. If you can get 16 to 32 teams, you can have a manageable tournament and build from there.

More and more schools seem to stressing the ACT these days.

Good luck.

Mac Hanna
Aiken

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 11:45 am

Sorry for the delay...back from a Labor Day weekend without Internet.

Well, only seniors would take the SAT in early October, but I would guess a fairly high percentage of seniors would. I just never had to worry about SAT dates during high school because we only attended one tournament, so it never even crossed my mind.

Anyway, I really liked that weekend (of October 14) because the previous weekend is Columbus Day and TJ's tournament (and, for that matter, Yale's tournament, though I didn't know about that when I scheduled ours) and because the following weekend is Head of the Charles (when Harvard basically shuts down). Early October has the other advantage of being early enough to visit Harvard and still decide to apply there.

So I'm tempted to keep the date regardless of the SAT people. But just out of curiosity: I know it's a bit unorthodox, but what would people think about playing on Sunday the 15th? Couldn't you take your SATs or whatever on Saturday and still have time to drive to Boston if you were planning on spending the night? We would move things along and make sure the tournament was over at a reasonable hour to give people time to drive back. Plus, if you actually wanted to visit Harvard, you could just stay over and do that on a Monday when there were actually classes and students. Do quiz bowl tournaments happen on Sundays or would it be like "Chariots of Fire"?

And I have "probablies" from four schools, but with school back in session now I should be able to get confirmations from more teams. I have to email around to get the word out to the New York and New England schools because I think the majority don't read this board.

dtaylor4 · Post by **dtaylor4** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 12:29 pm

Kyle wrote:So I'm tempted to keep the date regardless of the SAT people. But just out of curiosity: I know it's a bit unorthodox, but what would people think about playing on Sunday the 15th? Couldn't you take your SATs or whatever on Saturday and still have time to drive to Boston if you were planning on spending the night? We would move things along and make sure the tournament was over at a reasonable hour to give people time to drive back. Plus, if you actually wanted to visit Harvard, you could just stay over and do that on a Monday when there were actually classes and students. Do quiz bowl tournaments happen on Sundays or would it be like "Chariots of Fire"?

I've considered doing the same thing, but I plan on putting out a straw poll much earlier in advance. I think it's feasible, as long as the tournament plans to be done at a reasonable time.

Magister Ludi · Post by **Magister Ludi** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 12:48 pm

If the tournament were on Sunday we would come.

SHP Pirate · Post by **SHP Pirate** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 4:17 pm

In New Jersey, no one has yet to try the Sunday tournament. We are actually thinking of trying a Friday night event (for local teams only, obviously). If you do in fact decide to host on Sunday, October 15, we will have to pass.

BroNi · Post by **BroNi** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 7:44 am

We too would have to pass.

Byko · Post by **Byko** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:09 am

Kyle wrote:I know it's a bit unorthodox, but what would people think about playing on Sunday the 15th?

The University of Maryland has had success for several years running both of its tournaments on Sundays. Then again, they've been doing it for several years, so that makes it a little bit easier for them.

You might have a hard time getting teams for it on a Sunday this time given the circumstances of it being less than a month and a half until your tournament date, but it would also help make it easier to do it on a Sunday the next time.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 6:01 pm

With sincere apologies to Gonzaga, we'll stick with Saturday 10/14 as originally posted. Good luck on those SATs!

Now, those of you who will be driving need to tell me what time you would like to start in the morning - do you want to be able to drive up on Saturday and not have to stay overnight, or is it better to start early and finish early?

The tournament will be held in the Science Center, which is immediately north of Harvard Yard. I'll have John post directions and a map on our website (which is being updated for the first time since 2002) hopefully tonight. I'll look once I get back to Cambridge, but I think you may be able to get free parking on Oxford St. along the east side of the Science Center and I'll put together a map showing places to park and post that as well. As for the questions, the tossups are turning out to be on the long side, with a distribution with less pop culture and sports than you would find at an NAQT tournament (but still some). If you come, I will email you all the questions we used the day after the tournament. As noted in the first post on this thread, register by emailing me at kfonda-at-fas.harvard.edu.

I look forward to seeing all of you who aren't taking SATs at the tournament, and again I'm sorry about the confusion over the date.

ctao · Post by **ctao** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:16 pm

Stuyvesant will most likely be coming.

BroNi · Post by **BroNi** » Sat Sep 30, 2006 9:16 am

Hey, can we please have an update? Will this tourney run? If so, which building should we report to? What is the current field? Is there a limit to the number of teams we can bring? We could be there with 3-4 teams.

Thanks!

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Sat Sep 30, 2006 10:26 pm

Yes, I'm very sorry for the delay.

The tournament will run as announced, and it will be held in the Science Center. I'll get the specific room information within a few days and I'll let you all know, either here or by email. The Science Center is immediately north of Harvard Yard and is supposedly shaped like a camera (but it really isn't). Parking is a huge problem, particularly for the several of you who announced your intentions to bring a school bus, and I'm looking into ways to accomodate that. For people with just cars, there are several garages in Harvard Square and also one north of Science Center up Oxford Street that would probably be your best bets.

The tournament will begin at 10:00 (though registration will start at 9:30), which hopefully will give those teams coming from New York time enough to drive up the morning of the tournament (though obviously you will still have to wake up very, very early). Those teams from farther away will still have to stay overnight, probably, and I know I've discussed possible hotels in the Cambridge area with many of you; if you would like more advice, please email me at kfonda [at] fas [dot] harvard [dot] edu. We're going to try our hardest to run the tournament along smoothly and get it done by the mid/late afternoon (i.e. ~4:30).

[[Aside for Seton Hall Prep - are you coming? Yours is the only school that announced an interest in this tournament for which I do not have an email address. Could you please send me an email at the address above and confirm? Thank you.]]

The current field of teams most likely coming looks like this. The average number of teams per school is around 2, though I know most schools are still deciding for sure. I also have four other schools that are "maybes" at this point.

Needham (MA)
Concord-Carlisle (MA)
New Milford (CT)
Hunter (NY)
Kellenburg (NY)
Stuyvesant (NY)
Half Hollow Hills (NY)
High Technology (NJ)
Seton Hall Prep (NJ)
Allentown Central Catholic (PA)
Thomas Jefferson (VA)

Number of schools = 11
Number of states = 6
Number of teams ~ 22

I'd like to have 24 teams, just for an even number, and registration is definitely still open. Please email me if you would like to come. Also, for the schools above, please email me within the next week or so and confirm the number of teams you will be bringing so that I can get the final count on the number of rooms we need, and also on the number of buzzers we have. I'm really looking forward to this tournament and I think it's going to be very exciting, since we have such a great (and such a diverse) field.

Kyle Haddad-Fonda
kfonda [at] fas [dot] harvard [dot] edu

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Sat Sep 30, 2006 10:27 pm

Oops! Sorry to Kellenberg and to any other schools whose names I just spelled incorrectly.

BuzzerZen · Post by **BuzzerZen** » Sat Sep 30, 2006 10:56 pm

It's still an open question if we can actually make it or not, so don't count on TJ. The SAT date could be a show-stopper.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 9:02 pm

Eleven teams came to Cambridge on a beautiful SAT Saturday to participate in the Harvard Fall Tournament. The most exciting part of the tournament was not the competition, but the hour that former State College standout John Lesieutre and I spent locked in one of the competition rooms while the tournament continued around us. After an hour, two maintenance guys busted down the emergency exit (which had been painted shut - some emergency exit!) to get us out.

But the action you care about happened at the buzzer. The teams played a full round-robin. Stuyvesant (NY) took a solid undefeated record into the last game, but High Technology (NJ) upset them 245-225. That game meant that Stuyvesant and Kellenberg A (NY) tied with 9-1 records, forcing a championship showdown for all the marbles. Stuyvesant dominated the final 310-85 for the title. High Technology finished third at 8-2, and Allentown Central Catholic was fourth at 7-3 in their first ever performance in a tossup-bonus tournament. Joey from Allentown was the tournament's leading individual scorer, followed by Douglas from Stuyvesant.

I have the full stats and will link to them as soon as Dennis and John can get them online, which should be later tonight. Thanks to all the teams who attended!

And best of luck to everyone who chose to take the SAT instead.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 11:23 pm

Stats are online: http://free.9cy.net/harvard/index_standings.html

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 11:29 pm

Apologies to Needham A, who was actually fourth, while Central Catholic placed fifth. I posted results without reading my own stats.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 8:42 pm

I apologize if this is the wrong place to post this (and please move it if necessary), but I just wanted to note that the questions from the Harvard Fall Tournament are now on sale for those teams that could not manage to come. There are 12 rounds of 20/20 house-written tossup/bonus questions. We're selling the whole set for $20. If you wish to buy the questions, please make out a check in that amount to "Harvard College Bowl" and send it to my address:

Kyle Haddad-Fonda
090 Pforzheimer Mail Ctr
56 Linnaean St
Cambridge, MA 02138

Enclose with the check a note telling me the email address to which you would like me to send the questions. As soon as I get the check, I'll email you the questions. If you have any questions about our questions, please email me at kfonda [at] fas [dot] harvard [dot] edu.

dyetman89 · Post by **dyetman89** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 8:55 pm

Damn good questions, too. If ACF ran a high school invitational, the packets would read like these.

First Chairman · Post by **First Chairman** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 12:31 am

dyetman89 wrote:Damn good questions, too. If ACF ran a high school invitational, the packets would read like these.

That comment can be taken any number of ways.

Of course you probably haven't seen the PACE NSC questions.

dyetman89 · Post by **dyetman89** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 9:04 pm

Having seen the '05 PACE packets, I would say that the Harvard questions are of a consistently higher quality. The difficulty is about on par with the NSC, or perhaps a bit greater, but overall the packets were simply better written.

BTW, the comparison with ACF was meant to emphasize the paucity of pop culture/general knowledge to be found in these packets (to say nothing of the 30-20-10 bonuses and "name's the same" - style tossups that NAQT players are used to). I, for one, found it very refreshing.

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RESULTS: Fall Tournament (10/14/06) @ Harvard (Cambridge,MA)

RESULTS: Fall Tournament (10/14/06) @ Harvard (Cambridge,MA)

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