Microbe Mission B/C

[Starapollo1]

For all of you who went to Nationals, what was the test like for this event?

The test was awesome! It was relatively easy (which means missing a few or more landed you in an insanely low placing) but it was still a good test! The guy running it was really funny too, it was worth not placing just because of him! lol

[biribiri]

Any ideas on what kind of rule changes will be made next year for this event? Do you guys think the list of microbial diseases will generally stay the same?

[NYLHVSSO]

Not sure if it will be here next year.
It is a completely new event as of this year.
For some reason, at my regional competition, they asked about diseases that were not on the list.

[beaverkid]

Did you ask your coach to file an appeal and did anyone else complain about it? I've heard that NY use the same test for multiple regionals, did anyone else from another regional have that problem?

[FullMetalMaple]

For some reason, at my regional competition, they asked about diseases that were not on the list.

That's pretty common, it seems. I've certainly seen diseases not on the list before - I think there might have been one on my state test.

Any ideas on what kind of rule changes will be made next year for this event? Do you guys think the list of microbial diseases will generally stay the same?

If this event sticks around (not sure why it wouldn't), I don't know why the diseases would be the same. It would be more fun if they switched around.

[Starapollo1]

I think it would be really cool if perhaps next years rules had less diseases but a lore more in depth look on them. Just an idea, but I think it would be fun

[FullMetalMaple]

I think it would be really cool if perhaps next years rules had less diseases but a lore more in depth look on them. Just an idea, but I think it would be fun

I like that. But it would make things more complicated if a test were to ask about diseases not on the list, which is fairly common. I just hope the disease element and the microbe element would balance well if disease questions were more thorough.

[Starapollo1]

Wouldn't be nice if the people writing the tests read the rules and only asked questions over the right diseases? lol I feel like that would solve a lot of problems

[NYLHVSSO]

If they put a disease that's not on the list, just tell them on the answer sheet.

On my "cheat sheet" (page of notes) for this event at Regionals, I had all the diseases and microbes. I actually copied and pasted the whole training sheet and microscopy review and shrank it to 7pt font size and 0.3 inch margins. (And there were some people without cheat sheets).

At Regionals we got 2nd place and beat the other team. We lent the cheat sheet to the state team (which I was not on) and they got 9th at states.

[FullMetalMaple]

Wouldn't be nice if the people writing the tests read the rules and only asked questions over the right diseases? lol I feel like that would solve a lot of problems

Having topics not in the rules is a common problem in every event, I think. It would be nice if more supervisors read the rules (though there are great people who do, and I greatly appreciate all proctors anyway)... but there are ways to circumvent it if they don't. For example, fungal infections are called mycoses. If you find "mycosis" in the name of a disease, it should be fungal (i.e. blastomycosis and myringomycosis).

If they put a disease that's not on the list, just tell them on the answer sheet.

Eh, I wouldn't try that. I heard about a team that got points taken off for doing so.