Ohio 2017

dhdarren
Member
Member
Posts: 63
Joined: January 17th, 2015, 2:34 pm
Division: C
State: OH
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Ohio 2017

Post by dhdarren »

chalker wrote:
One of the things many people don't realize is that when it comes to putting on a tournament there typically isn't a single person that can just make a decision and have everyone else 'follow orders'. The situation with the Helicopters venue at OSU is a perfect example of that, in that there were a LOT of competing interests involved. As I indicated earlier, we were having issues locating a venue that was acceptable to the event supervisor and also that we'd be allowed to use. A LOT of the various building coordinators on campus outright refused to allow us to utilize their buildings for fear of setting off sprinkler heads (despite repeated attempts to assure / demonstrate to them this was a highly unlikely risk). There were VERY high level conversations that went on, but at the end of the day a large organization like OSU has a lot of bureaucracy that is difficult to penetrate over a relatively minor issue like this.

The particular venue that was used was finalized about a week ago as the 'best choice out of a whole bunch of bad options'. Everyone agreed it was far from ideal, but the alternative was to not run the event at all. From a national perspective, we can issue all the guidance we want about venue requirements, but at the end of the day sometimes it comes down to either skipping the event altogether (which a lot of people would be upset about) or using a less than ideal venue (which a lot of people would be upset about).

As a final note, we were trying to be somewhat transparent about the issues related to this. I posted here asking for advice, and quite a few coaches / event supervisors were consulted for their opinions. To a certain extent, this actually makes Science Olympiad that much more realistic, in that when it comes to 'real world' science and engineering, you don't always get to have the ideal environment and parameters.
I understand the process that goes into a choosing a venue for all of the events, and I am thankful for your response. I just had trouble understanding why the event supervisor chose Jesse Owens out of the options available; based on your earlier post asking about suggestions, you mentioned the foyers of the buildings, and there was also the original site, Hitchcock 151. During Hovercraft (which was in Hitchcock 151), I took a quick look around the room, and it appeared to be much more suitable than the final location, with a relatively high ceiling and a slope no worse that that of Jesse Owens. I assumed that permission had already been granted for these sites, and it was a matter of which one to choose, although I now understand that I may have misinterpreted it.
2015:
R | S
Bridge: 1 | 8
AirTraj: 5 | 26
WS: 12 | 9
Scrambler: 6 | 17
DP: 7 | X

2016:
Bridge: 2 | 15
AirTraj: 2 | 6
WS: 3 | 11
DP: 4 | 15
GeoMap: 4 | 25

2017:
Heli: 1 | 1
Hover: 1 | 4
Towers: 2 | 15
DP: 1 | 6
Wind: 2 | 8
2018:
R | S
Heli:
Hover:
Towers:
DP:
Eco:
MV:[/b]
Raleway
Exalted Member
Exalted Member
Posts: 228
Joined: March 12th, 2017, 7:19 pm
Division: C
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Ohio 2017

Post by Raleway »

@Chalker,
I understand the pain of working out room reservations (past experience at trying to do so), but even running helicopters in an empty classroom would be better in my opinion (assuming most classrooms are bare ceilings and have a flat roof plus many fewer obstructions). That sort of environment would be much less variable in my opinion- although the event is much less spectacular.
Sleep is for the week; one only needs it once a week :!: :geek: :roll: :?: :idea:

God bless Len Joeris | Balsaman
chalker
Member
Member
Posts: 2107
Joined: January 9th, 2009, 7:30 pm
Division: Grad
State: OH
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 56 times

Re: Ohio 2017

Post by chalker »

dhdarren wrote: I assumed that permission had already been granted for these sites, and it was a matter of which one to choose, although I now understand that I may have misinterpreted it.
We thought we had permission, but once we tried to finalize any of the options I previously listed, several of the building coordinators balked and effectively revoked it.
Raleway wrote:@Chalker,
I understand the pain of working out room reservations (past experience at trying to do so), but even running helicopters in an empty classroom would be better in my opinion (assuming most classrooms are bare ceilings and have a flat roof plus many fewer obstructions). That sort of environment would be much less variable in my opinion- although the event is much less spectacular.
The same answer applies. There are a whole bunch of classrooms on campus that are in the 'general' pool. We were explicitly told by the various facilities coordinators they would NOT allow us to use any of them for this particular event due to concerns over setting off a fire sprinkler. That left us to try to secure a space that is under departmental control, and which we struck out on several requests. Frankly, we just ran out of time and energy on this issue. Given some more time we might have been able to find some obscure department with a classroom that they'd let us utilize, but after burning so much energy on this, and when the Jesse Owen North facility was offered up, we decided it was the 'best choice out of worst options'.

Note also, that your assumption about classrooms having bare ceilings isn't really valid. I personally looked at a ton of room ceilings and was surprised at how cluttered they were. The most common issue was that they had fluorescent fixtures with open mirrored grids instead of the translucent panel you see a lot of places. And virtually all of them had projectors and speakers mounted in various places since those are standard now across campus.

Student Alumni
National Event Supervisor
National Physical Sciences Rules Committee Chair
Raleway
Exalted Member
Exalted Member
Posts: 228
Joined: March 12th, 2017, 7:19 pm
Division: C
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Ohio 2017

Post by Raleway »

@Chalker
Oh sorry then :| Most of the rooms in the tournaments I've been in at Universities have been clean ceilings. Unfortunate that this would happen at this level :(
Sleep is for the week; one only needs it once a week :!: :geek: :roll: :?: :idea:

God bless Len Joeris | Balsaman
AlbatrossTree
Member
Member
Posts: 27
Joined: March 7th, 2017, 7:12 am
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Ohio 2017

Post by AlbatrossTree »

chalker wrote:
dhdarren wrote: I assumed that permission had already been granted for these sites, and it was a matter of which one to choose, although I now understand that I may have misinterpreted it.
We thought we had permission, but once we tried to finalize any of the options I previously listed, several of the building coordinators balked and effectively revoked it.
Raleway wrote:@Chalker,
I understand the pain of working out room reservations (past experience at trying to do so), but even running helicopters in an empty classroom would be better in my opinion (assuming most classrooms are bare ceilings and have a flat roof plus many fewer obstructions). That sort of environment would be much less variable in my opinion- although the event is much less spectacular.
The same answer applies. There are a whole bunch of classrooms on campus that are in the 'general' pool. We were explicitly told by the various facilities coordinators they would NOT allow us to use any of them for this particular event due to concerns over setting off a fire sprinkler. That left us to try to secure a space that is under departmental control, and which we struck out on several requests. Frankly, we just ran out of time and energy on this issue. Given some more time we might have been able to find some obscure department with a classroom that they'd let us utilize, but after burning so much energy on this, and when the Jesse Owen North facility was offered up, we decided it was the 'best choice out of worst options'.

Note also, that your assumption about classrooms having bare ceilings isn't really valid. I personally looked at a ton of room ceilings and was surprised at how cluttered they were. The most common issue was that they had fluorescent fixtures with open mirrored grids instead of the translucent panel you see a lot of places. And virtually all of them had projectors and speakers mounted in various places since those are standard now across campus.

I'm very surprised that there was concern a helicopter would set off a sprinkler. The sprinkler typically needs to be broken or have a piece of plastic in it melted in order to be set off. helicopters have been hitting sprinklers all year with none that I know of being set off.

I would assume that the flat ceilings of the racquetball courts were not able to be reserved?
4Head
Member
Member
Posts: 237
Joined: November 14th, 2016, 11:29 am
Division: C
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Ohio 2017

Post by 4Head »

AlbatrossTree wrote:
chalker wrote:
dhdarren wrote: I assumed that permission had already been granted for these sites, and it was a matter of which one to choose, although I now understand that I may have misinterpreted it.
We thought we had permission, but once we tried to finalize any of the options I previously listed, several of the building coordinators balked and effectively revoked it.
Raleway wrote:@Chalker,
I understand the pain of working out room reservations (past experience at trying to do so), but even running helicopters in an empty classroom would be better in my opinion (assuming most classrooms are bare ceilings and have a flat roof plus many fewer obstructions). That sort of environment would be much less variable in my opinion- although the event is much less spectacular.
The same answer applies. There are a whole bunch of classrooms on campus that are in the 'general' pool. We were explicitly told by the various facilities coordinators they would NOT allow us to use any of them for this particular event due to concerns over setting off a fire sprinkler. That left us to try to secure a space that is under departmental control, and which we struck out on several requests. Frankly, we just ran out of time and energy on this issue. Given some more time we might have been able to find some obscure department with a classroom that they'd let us utilize, but after burning so much energy on this, and when the Jesse Owen North facility was offered up, we decided it was the 'best choice out of worst options'.

Note also, that your assumption about classrooms having bare ceilings isn't really valid. I personally looked at a ton of room ceilings and was surprised at how cluttered they were. The most common issue was that they had fluorescent fixtures with open mirrored grids instead of the translucent panel you see a lot of places. And virtually all of them had projectors and speakers mounted in various places since those are standard now across campus.

I'm very surprised that there was concern a helicopter would set off a sprinkler. The sprinkler typically needs to be broken or have a piece of plastic in it melted in order to be set off. helicopters have been hitting sprinklers all year with none that I know of being set off.

I would assume that the flat ceilings of the racquetball courts were not able to be reserved?
I saw the courts being used when I walked to the gym so I would think not
2019 Sounds of Music National Champion
MrHaleStorm1
Member
Member
Posts: 32
Joined: August 20th, 2015, 7:07 pm
Division: B
State: OH
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Ohio 2017

Post by MrHaleStorm1 »

4Head wrote:
Magikarpmaster629 wrote:Results:

Div C:
1. Mentor (87)
2. Solon (95)
3. Mason (97)
4. Centerville (102?)

Div B:
1. Tower Heights
2. Solon
3. Magsig
That was insane. The events were a straight up bloodbath.
Towers - Congrats to your team. Centerville High, you have a lot talent coming your way form all 3 middle schools, Mentor too. Most of my testing events (B) were well done. Meteorology was long but the best one I took all year. Go Ohio, kick you know what at Nationals!
chalker
Member
Member
Posts: 2107
Joined: January 9th, 2009, 7:30 pm
Division: Grad
State: OH
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 56 times

Re: Ohio 2017

Post by chalker »

AlbatrossTree wrote: I'm very surprised that there was concern a helicopter would set off a sprinkler. The sprinkler typically needs to be broken or have a piece of plastic in it melted in order to be set off. helicopters have been hitting sprinklers all year with none that I know of being set off.

I would assume that the flat ceilings of the racquetball courts were not able to be reserved?
The racquetball and squash courts all have sprinklers in them too. And yes, there is no way a helicopter is going to set one off. We showed them pictures and videos of the event run at other locations, yet that wasn't enough to convince the various building coordinators to let us use their rooms.

Student Alumni
National Event Supervisor
National Physical Sciences Rules Committee Chair
dhdarren
Member
Member
Posts: 63
Joined: January 17th, 2015, 2:34 pm
Division: C
State: OH
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Ohio 2017

Post by dhdarren »

Little late for this, but a quick question for anyone who might know (@chalker lol): why doesn't the Ohio Sate Tournament ever release test and raw scores? For building events especially, many competitors like to know how their actual raw scores stacked up against other teams, hence many other competitions releasing this information.
2015:
R | S
Bridge: 1 | 8
AirTraj: 5 | 26
WS: 12 | 9
Scrambler: 6 | 17
DP: 7 | X

2016:
Bridge: 2 | 15
AirTraj: 2 | 6
WS: 3 | 11
DP: 4 | 15
GeoMap: 4 | 25

2017:
Heli: 1 | 1
Hover: 1 | 4
Towers: 2 | 15
DP: 1 | 6
Wind: 2 | 8
2018:
R | S
Heli:
Hover:
Towers:
DP:
Eco:
MV:[/b]
Private Wang Fire
Member
Member
Posts: 100
Joined: June 1st, 2015, 3:43 pm
Division: Grad
State: OH
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Ohio 2017

Post by Private Wang Fire »

dhdarren wrote:Little late for this, but a quick question for anyone who might know (@chalker lol): why doesn't the Ohio Sate Tournament ever release test and raw scores? For building events especially, many competitors like to know how their actual raw scores stacked up against other teams, hence many other competitions releasing this information.
I think a possible reason is that they don't want teams to dispute the final rankings? At least that'd be a good reason why they don't give the tests back. As for building raw scores, I know chalker gave out the top 6 EV raws last year during that fiasco, but it may be to try and keep the teams going to nats competitive.

I hope raws aren't released though, just because I think a lot of people on our team would be pretty depressed and unhappy with themselves since the margin was so close.
MASON HIGH SCHOOL '18
Locked

Return to “2017 Invitationals, Regionals, and States”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest