Funny Stories from Nationals

Locked
User avatar
paleonaps
Exalted Member
Exalted Member
Posts: 1282
Joined: March 7th, 2009, 7:14 am
Division: Grad
State: NY
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Funny Stories from Nationals

Post by paleonaps »

Well, I have one and I assume you all do:
After the awards ceremony, we decided to skip the dance and go back to the dorm, get changed, and go for ice cream on State Street. I went down with a bunch of guys, and as the elevator hit the ground floor, I realized that I had forgotten my wallet. I said "Wait up, guys! Be right back! I forgot my wallet!" I heard some muffled "okay's" and sprinted up the stairs to the sixth floor and took three bounding steps to my dorm room, unlocked it, got my wallet, and took the elevator down. Everyone was gone. I thought that they may have waited for me outside. I couldn't find them there. Then I realized that they may be waiting for me on State Street, with a realization seconds later that I had no idea how to get to State Street. I have an iPhone (thank God) and used it to find my destination. However, due to it's nature, I went past it four times before finding it. Then I went up and down, looking into stores and at the sidewalks for my group. Then I got ambushed by a beggar, who was trying to guilt me into giving him money (I am usually pretty generous, but I was REALLY angry at this point) and walked through a cloud of tobacco smoke. I decided it was pointless, and walked back to my dorm using my iPhone as a guide. I almost got hit by a drunk driver here. Then I realized that I had gone to the wrong dorm (they look the same in top view) and walked along Johnson Street to get back to mine. At this point, I thought about what I would do to my teammates when they got back (these thoughts usually involved the Christian Bale Rant :P ) I had to walk past a parking garage to get there. I saw that a car was waiting by the entrance, and waited for about five minutes for it to go in. Realizing that it wasn't moving, I walked past it, at which point it started backing up and almost took my legs out from under me. I frantically waved my arms around, trying to make it stop, at which point the idiot driver made some gesture of sorrow and stopped on its quest to kill me. Then I walked on, very upset, and got into my dorm. I waited for a half-hour for my teammates to come back.

As it turned out, they didn't realize I wasn't there until halfway through their meal at Cold Stone, when someone said "Wait, where's [paleonaps]?!" and my group said "Oh, crap..." They apparently had told me where we were going before I went to get my wallet, and had expected me to find them at Cold Stone. They were very sorry that night, and made up for it by not laughing at my terrible Rave dancing later on.
That is the Odyssey of paleonaps.
Brown University 2017
2009 B Division National Ecology Champion
4 time National Medalist
Farewell Science Olympiad. We will meet again.
User avatar
googlyfrog
Member
Member
Posts: 161
Joined: August 13th, 2009, 8:55 am
Division: C
State: PA
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Funny Stories from Nationals

Post by googlyfrog »

Aww. My story isn't so much funny as it is failure. But here goes:
For fossils, I was hanging outside the room that said clearly "FOSSILS" and I was there early and studying my binder. This lady came to check what school we were from, and we told her Strath Haven. She looked up and down her list and couldn't find anything and we got really anxious. Then she asked what our team number was, and we said 47. She said, "oh ok, so you're Centerville High School?" and I said "...High School? C DIVISION?!" She confirmed this, and it was 11:59 (fossils started at 12 for us) and we bolted down the hallway to the B Division room while they were JUST about to start the first station. I was in disbelief that we had gotten the room number wrong and I walked in and really dumbly said..."oh...sorry...we were just hanging with C division" and sauntered over to a station. Luckily they still let us compete even though we were a little late and they had to repeat instructions for us.
And was it just me, or was the WIDI room REALLLLLLLLLLLLY hard to find?!??!?!
User avatar
haverstall
Member
Member
Posts: 218
Joined: February 25th, 2011, 9:52 am
Division: Grad
State: MN
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Funny Stories from Nationals

Post by haverstall »

Maybe this isn't a funny story, but it's definitely a memorable one.

I've assumed that most people who went to the opening ceremonies noticed that both Minnesota teams (MV and EV), Parklane from Mississippi, and (I think) Ladue got passed over during the Parade of States. I remember the female emcee, in the middle of the announcement, saying to the other emcee, "Hey, (name) do you have any friends from Minnesota?" And the other emcee, without missing a beat, goes "And from Pennsylvania...."

At least they corrected it in the end, except, they still forgot to mention Parklane. I feel so sorry for them. :(
Mounds View Science Olympiad 2008-2012 || 6th, Remote Sensing, 2011 Nationals

Co-Tournament Coordinator of Gopher Science Olympiad Invitational
Co-Chair of Minnesota Science Olympiad Alumni
User avatar
paleonaps
Exalted Member
Exalted Member
Posts: 1282
Joined: March 7th, 2009, 7:14 am
Division: Grad
State: NY
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Funny Stories from Nationals

Post by paleonaps »

Yeah, WTF went on there?
Brown University 2017
2009 B Division National Ecology Champion
4 time National Medalist
Farewell Science Olympiad. We will meet again.
User avatar
RespectTheBlade
Member
Member
Posts: 21
Joined: May 22nd, 2011, 7:04 pm
Division: C
State: IN
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Funny Stories from Nationals

Post by RespectTheBlade »

On the thursday before nationals, I went with about half my team to fat sandwich. (best food I've eaten in a while.) So, one of our team members bought the biggest sandwhich they had for $25.00, and he was asked if he wanted to do the "challenge". He said yes. Said challenge was to eat the entire sandwhich in 15 minutes. Did I mention that this was about a 6-pound sandwhich? So, he was able to eat about half of it in 20 minutes, and he was pretty much incapacitated for the night. It was apparently delicious, though.
2011-2012 season is over...
Event wishlist for 2012-2013 : Astronomy, Rocks, Forestry, WIDI, Maglev, and anything else that's open
User avatar
Kokonilly
Exalted Member
Exalted Member
Posts: 631
Joined: January 11th, 2009, 7:59 am
Division: Grad
State: CA
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Funny Stories from Nationals

Post by Kokonilly »

paleonaps wrote:Yeah, WTF went on there?
/facepalm It was a complete failure. luo was frantically running around talking to Mr. Valaskey and all that. After, he asked us if they finally announced us, and we told him it didn't. He left in a somewhat flustered manner.

Hmm, I don't know if I have any funny stories. luo and I got incredibly lost going from Union South to WID (yes, I know they were right across the street from each other >.< ) and Varanus and I got really lost trying to find the Field House for Sumo Bot finals.
Last edited by Kokonilly on May 25th, 2011, 11:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
haverstall
Member
Member
Posts: 218
Joined: February 25th, 2011, 9:52 am
Division: Grad
State: MN
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Funny Stories from Nationals

Post by haverstall »

paleonaps wrote:Yeah, WTF went on there?
No clue, but the 2nd time around, when we walked again at the end, our mascot shook the emcee's hand. A nice parting shot.
Mounds View Science Olympiad 2008-2012 || 6th, Remote Sensing, 2011 Nationals

Co-Tournament Coordinator of Gopher Science Olympiad Invitational
Co-Chair of Minnesota Science Olympiad Alumni
User avatar
fishman100
Exalted Member
Exalted Member
Posts: 478
Joined: January 28th, 2011, 1:26 pm
Division: Grad
State: VA
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Funny Stories from Nationals

Post by fishman100 »

I think for Wright Stuff or Flying Bird they called us Kilmer High School in New York? :S
Langley HS Science Olympiad '15
User avatar
paleonaps
Exalted Member
Exalted Member
Posts: 1282
Joined: March 7th, 2009, 7:14 am
Division: Grad
State: NY
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Funny Stories from Nationals

Post by paleonaps »

They did.
Brown University 2017
2009 B Division National Ecology Champion
4 time National Medalist
Farewell Science Olympiad. We will meet again.
User avatar
RespectTheBlade
Member
Member
Posts: 21
Joined: May 22nd, 2011, 7:04 pm
Division: C
State: IN
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Funny Stories from Nationals

Post by RespectTheBlade »

My roommate got me up at 5:45 on thursday. Why? He forgot about the time change coming from Indiana and thought it was 6:45.
2011-2012 season is over...
Event wishlist for 2012-2013 : Astronomy, Rocks, Forestry, WIDI, Maglev, and anything else that's open
Locked

Return to “2011 Nationals”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest