I meant to post this earlier, but I had a history test right after we got back. First, congratulations to Michigan for their ACF victory! And thanks to the tournament staff too. I've never really liked playing on ACF questions, but my teammates all agreed this was the best question set they've had at an ACF tournament. Our record proves we're not really an ACF team, but we all had fun and maybe next year we'll play the top-drawer teams a little closer. But I feel that I have to bring something to the attention of the Quizbowl community for discussion. Was anyone else disturbed by the All-Star awards ceremony? Someone, I think from Duke, had bought "prizes" and was reading out stats and handing them out. I don't like to name names, but it was ANDY GOSS. The 6-8 place Allstars got the usual stuff like mugs and books. Andy Goss awarded the fifth-place All-Star some hard-core porn on VHS. Everyone in the room laughed, but I could tell he felt really embarrassed taking it. I think it was really inappropriate. Then Andy Goss called the rest of the Allstars up all at once. He said, "For our top scorers, I've got something special." He pulled the cover off this dinner-plate and it had all these different kinds of drugs on it. Then he starts saying, "Who wants a little cocaine? I have some cannabis, too. Do you want some pills?" The top three allstars were all like, "Whatever, Andy." They just shrugged and grabbed something and went back to their seats. But the fourth all-star, I think he was like a sophmore, just stood there, so Andy Goss started teasing him. "Are you some kind of goody-goody? Are you chicken? It's just drugs. They won't hurt you. Everybody does drugs, right?" And then whole audience yelled "RIGHT!" I thought that it was wrong for Andy Goss to tease someone for saying no, but then the whole room started chanting "SMOKE IT! SMOKE IT!" I think the fourth-allstar felt really bad with everyone making fun of him. He didn't want to take drugs just so people would think he was cool. Then someone else--I don't want to say, but I think it was SHAWN PICKRELL--came out of the audience and said, "Dude, if you don't want it, I'll take it." He grabbed the hypodermic needle off the plate and said, "Is this heroin? Cool. I think I'll take those pills too." Then he injected himself with heroin right there, and everyone else applauded. (But I didn't.) My team wanted to get out of there pretty fast after that, so we went to go collect our buzzer set. Out in the hall, Shawn Pickrell was talking to Andy Goss and someone else. I heard Shawn Pickrell say, "This stuff is so pure. 99.44%. I know Andy got it from you." And the other person--I shouldn't say, but it was MATT BRUCE--said "So what?" And then Shawn Pickrell just started begging and pleading "Please, you have to hook me up with your supplier. I've got to have some more of that," and Matt Bruce just pushed him away and said "your credits no good." Andy Goss said some other mean things too. Shawn Pickrell kept saying that he would do anything for one more hit, but then my teammates pulled me away so we could drive home. It's really sad what drugs do to people. I think the Quizbowl community needs to discuss if people should be pressured to use drugs at tournaments.
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