National Qualification

[3slh9]

For costs, you have to consider hotels, transportation, food, etc. Even for our state, we have to spend the night. For the 2 days it costs our school around $2500 and that is with splitting the cost of the bus with another school. Nationals is even more. I don't know if you have heard about the economy lately but when people don't have jobs and school budgets around the country are getting cut, $2500 is a lot. It also isn't fair to pass that cost onto the team members because most families don't have that kind of extra money hanging around and it would immediately eliminate anyone in a lower income area.

[blue cobra]

Yup, I wouldn't be surprised if next year we don't have a Sci Oly team (livid, but not surprised). If we had to go to an extra tournament, I not sure we'd be able to. And I know I don't have enough money to support myself; I can hardly afford to build my events. As I've mentioned before, I think the current system isn't perfect, but it's the best option.

[E Edgar]

If we had to go to an extra tournament

But look, you wouldn't HAVE to go to this competition: it's only for nationals qualification. Also, while many teams do have fund-raising issues, my experience is that those teams that are good enough to make it to nationals generally do not.

it also isn't fair to pass that cost onto the team members because most families don't have that kind of extra money hanging around

But again, that isn't it at all. This would be an OPTIONAL tournament that only the most committed teams would even qualify for. In my experience these types of teams would jump at an extra opportunity to qualify for nationals.


I am aware of the fact the Science Olympiad would be extremely hesitant to change their tournament system (and not without reason) but I'm not sure these arguments really make a lot of sense.

[zyzzyva980]

Our team is good enough for nationals. That's the one that posted three posts up. No, blue cobra's right, this is the most efficient way. It's not perfect, but it's the best option.

[Phenylethylamine]

If we had to go to an extra tournament

But look, you wouldn't HAVE to go to this competition: it's only for nationals qualification. Also, while many teams do have fund-raising issues, my experience is that those teams that are good enough to make it to nationals generally do not.

it also isn't fair to pass that cost onto the team members because most families don't have that kind of extra money hanging around

But again, that isn't it at all. This would be an OPTIONAL tournament that only the most committed teams would even qualify for. In my experience these types of teams would jump at an extra opportunity to qualify for nationals.


I am aware of the fact the Science Olympiad would be extremely hesitant to change their tournament system (and not without reason) but I'm not sure these arguments really make a lot of sense.

Why do you assume that committed teams wouldn't have any issues with lack of funds? Commitment isn't created by affluence, and school funds for teams are often decided by administrators who don't care how committed the team is, and simply think of it as another club. Even in my school district, which is far from lacking in funds, it's like pulling teeth to get money for competitions from the district (keep in mind that a B and C division team from our district went to nationals last year, so this is definitely a "committed" team we're talking about).
Let me put it this way: saying "you wouldn't HAVE to go to this competition: it's only for nationals qualification." is like telling a sports team, "you don't HAVE to go to the playoffs: that's just for qualifying for the finals." It's more than a little condescending. There are many national-level teams that have difficulties with fundraising.
If such a tournament were to exist, it would offer teams with more access to funds an extra chance to qualify for nationals over other teams that didn't have the money to compete. This is clearly unfair- Science Olympiad is not meant to revolve around socioeconomic status of the region from which a team originates. Even within a given school, some of the cost would most likely be passed onto the students' families, creating a socioeconomic bias within the team based on who could pay and who couldn't.

[sisomg11]

What I think was meant was that schools who were good enough would not need to attend the extra wildcard round, since they would already qualify by winning their state

[E Edgar]

Well, of the 60 teams at nats, 50 would not have to go to a region tournament.

I am sorry if everyone seems to think that I'm being condescending to many schools but that was not the way the original post was intended. The only schools who would need to go to this competition would be schools that rarely make nats anyway and would jump at this extra chance.

It would also be a back-up competition for those schools who definitely should be at nationals but because of unforeseen circumstances (like elevators not working...) did not make it through state.

Finally, our school actually provides $0 for Science Olympiad and yet we never have what I would call financial trouble. We get all of our funds through car washes, candy sales, donations from businesses, and donations from parents.

Again, if I have offended anyone, please reread my original post because I was not intending to.

[Friedoyster3]

Yeah Wilbur Wright for making it to nats for the 3rd time in 18 years

[sciolyandmathcounts]

WWMS is on an upward trend. We've made it to nats 3 times in the past 5 years. Maybe we'll beat TJ one day.

[kjhsscioly]

Well, of the 60 teams at nats, 50 would not have to go to a region tournament.

I am sorry if everyone seems to think that I'm being condescending to many schools but that was not the way the original post was intended. The only schools who would need to go to this competition would be schools that rarely make nats anyway and would jump at this extra chance.

It would also be a back-up competition for those schools who definitely should be at nationals but because of unforeseen circumstances (like elevators not working...) did not make it through state.

Finally, our school actually provides $0 for Science Olympiad and yet we never have what I would call financial trouble. We get all of our funds through car washes, candy sales, donations from businesses, and donations from parents.

Again, if I have offended anyone, please reread my original post because I was not intending to.

I agree with Phenylethylamine. Our team is quite competitive, and we usually place 3rd at state, but we have made it to nats. Our district doesn't fund us at all, and we couldn't find anyone to sponsor us. Our usual state winners have a $10,000 budget for SO, and t schools with budgets like that are at a clear advantage.