Re: Mad City Masters Announcement

Brian Ulrich <*st_aidan_at_almasudi.yahoo.invalid*> · Tue, 13 May 2003 19:32:12 -0000

With regard to the below, the expected packet size is 22 toss-ups and 
22 bonuses.

Brian

--- In quizbowl_at_yahoogroups.com, "Brian Ulrich" <st_aidan_at_h...> wrote:
> Greetings!
> 
> This is the official announcement for the 2003 Mad City Masters 
tournament, 
> to be held Saturday, June 28 on the campus of the University of 
Wisconsin - 
> Madison.  For a number of years now it has been one of the top 
summer 
> tournaments held in the upper midwest.  Although its usual 
ringmaster is 
> Eric Hillemann, he is still writing a book, and hence I find myself 
in 
> charge this year.
> 
> Basically, the tournament is open to three-person teams from any 
level of 
> play, though because this is a masters event beginners may 
experience some 
> hardships.  The traditional question difficulty level lies between 
that of 
> NAQT Sectionals and the NAQT ICT, or basically accessible to 
general college 
> teams while still able to discriminate among the top players in the 
country.
> 
> This year, the tournament will run as a guerrilla-style event 
similar to 
> some tournaments on the West Coast.  One result of this is that the 
> tournament is free to whomever registers.  Another is that the 
questions 
> will not be edited...teams are completely responsible for their own 
packets. 
>   Registration will close on June 21 at high noon, at which time I 
shall 
> inform teams of how many copies of their packets they will need to 
bring.  I 
> will work on providing packets for any play-off rounds - freelance 
packets 
> may also be accepted for that purpose in exchange for either a 
complete set 
> of the questions if one can be gathered, or a complete set of 2003 
Elvis 
> questions if it cannot.  (Basically I'm doing this because after 
much 
> examination, I find I won't be able to set aside the time to work 
the 
> tournament up to circuit standards, and hence rather than listen to 
piles of 
> complaining about the substandard job, I will simply do nothing.  
Because of 
> the nature of the field, I doubt the questions would vast amounts 
of work 
> anyway.)
> 
> Please note that this also means we are not planning a singles 
tournament in 
> conjunction with this event.  However, if someone else wishes to 
hold one 
> here that weekend, let me know at st_aidan _at_ hotmail.com and we can 
handle 
> logistics, moderating, and so on.
> 
> Here is the expected distribution:
> 
> 4-5 History
> 4-5 Literature
> 4-5 Math/Science
> 1-2 Geography
> 1-2 Sports
> 1-2 Pop Culture
> 1-2 Current Events
> 1-2 Religion/Mythology/Philosophy
> 2-3 Fine Arts
> 1-2 Social Science
> 1-2 Other
> 
> 1.) Please note that pop culture and current events are two 
completely 
> different categories which should not, IMHO, be mentioned as a unit 
nearly 
> as often as they are.  Please use judgement in determining which 
category a 
> particular question belongs to.
> 
> 2.) Writers will be responsible for balance among subcategories in 
all 
> categories.  Hence, no more than 1/1 for any particular field of 
science of 
> social science, not all history questions should be military, and 
so on.  In 
> addition, please be aware of geographic and cultural balance: 
Please be 
> aware that each packet should include at least 4/4 of stuff not 
from Europe 
> or North America north of the Rio Grande, of which 1/1 must be 
history and 
> 1/1 Literature.
> 
> 3.) Obviously, we will not be returning unacceptable packets 
because we 
> won't be seeing or editing them ahead of time.  However, everyone 
will know 
> who to blame if there are flaws...
> 
> Feel free to e-mail me if there are questions or concerns.
> 
> Brian
> 
> 
**********************************************************************
**
> Brian Ulrich                                           bjulrich_at_w...
> Dept. of History                                    st_aidan_at_h...
> University of Wisconsin                            
bjulrich.blogspot.com
> 
> "Trying to determine what is going on in the world by reading 
newspapers is 
> like trying to tell the time by watching the second hand of a 
clock."
>                                              -Ben Hecht
> 
**********************************************************************
**
> 
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