2022 Nationals

[sluelway1973]

Did you all see that Caltech is saying they will host Nats 2022 online. Isn't it too early to cancel in person NATS???

[Kylari04]

I agree with this. I think with the US’s vaccination goals (70% of adults vaccinated by July 4th) and the likely approval of the Pfizer vaccine for all middle school aged children and up (possibly next week?), it is likely that a lot of tournaments will be able to return to in-person formats. Vaccine availability is also improving, and it’s gotten to the point where some states have actually reduced their orders for vaccines since supply is way more than the demand. I think that it wouldn’t make a lot of sense to have an online tournament when the majority of tournaments would be in person. This also undermines the build events for another season, since it is very difficult to do events like Ping Pong Parachute or Wright Flyer from home, or even satellite since each competitor’s gym may be different.
Online tournaments also aren’t as fun as in-person ones. I think SOINC has done a great job creating something for us during the pandemic, but there is definitely no replacing the memories and experiences of a live tournament. Going to a school or college to take a tournament is definitely more exciting than waking up and walking to your desk. Award ceremonies are also way less fun when you can’t scream and cheer with the rest of your team.
If the size of the Caltech campus is an issue, would it be possible to enlist the help of nearby areas? Or have half of the teams take the tests on different days ? Or have division B and division C have different tournament dates? I think there is a lot of ways they could be able to get the tournament back in person, and it’s pretty heartbreaking to see this announcement (especially for all the rising seniors). Pretty cool to see CalTech hosting the tournament though.

[aakoala]

As I've stated before in the discord, vaccinations and policies are distinct; although x% (as cited above, 70%) of adults would be vaccinated by this July 4th, districts are likely to implement bans on out-of-state travel, as travel by plane is significantly more dangerous than travel by bus. This means that even if everyone participating at the competition is vaccinated, their district may not allow them to attend.

I fully agree that online tournaments don't have the same appeal as in-person tournaments. However, I suspect that many invitational, regional, and state competitions will remain in-person due to the lack of out-of-state travel involved with lower levels of competitions. In addition, I suspect that some invitational tournaments may prohibit out-of-state teams from competing - however, these would likely be smaller invitationals, rather than larger ones such as MIT.

The size of the campus is not the issue. National competition locations are chosen way more than one year in advance. I believe that there are plans in place to be able to transition to an in-person national tournament, only if necessary.

The decision, although not the one many competitors have wanted, is a responsible one; although it may seem early, tournaments must set a precedent for other invitational tournaments which may host out-of-state teams. Although the fun and appeal of in-person tournaments may not be there, safety should always be the first priority.

I hope that moving forward, competitors should begin to understand why this decision was made. As a tournament director, hosting a tournament isn't as simple as setting up Scilympiad - months and months of work go into making the competition possible. Please be respectful to the directors and people involved with the tournament, as I am sure they are just as disappointed as you may be.

[Kylari04]

Although I definitely see and understand your points, and I understand that I lack knowledge that a tournament director has, I still believe that canceling in-person nationals this early is way too soon. If it were December and cases were rising, I'd understand, but right now, there is so much that could happen between now and May of 2022. School districts may cancel interstate travel, but that is not definite as of right now. Yes, vaccination/Covid case numbers and interstate travel authorization are different things, but generally, one will follow the other. I think that with the Pfizer vaccine now approved for ages 12 and over, a lot of kids will be able to get vaccinated before May of next year. The CDC has already stated that "fully vaccinated people can travel at low risk to themselves" (Source: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021 ... frequently.).

If the majority of middle and high school children get vaccinated, I don't see why a school district would go against CDC guidelines and prevent traveling, even for vaccinated people. But again, I do understand that all this information is up in the year, which is why I think making this decision now is quite surprising and too early.

And of course, we do greatly appreciate Bearasaurus and all the other tournament directors! Competitors are very grateful that they are willing to put the time and effort into organizing these tournaments. None of these posts are trying to attack them in any way, but just voicing opinions on this decision.

[knightmoves]

If the majority of middle and high school children get vaccinated, I don't see why a school district would go against CDC guidelines and prevent traveling, even for vaccinated people. But again, I do understand that all this information is up in the year, which is why I think making this decision now is quite surprising and too early.

Being more conservative than the CDC recommendation isn't "going against CDC guidelines".

School districts must consider both risks and rewards. Operating schools in person is important - we have seen over the last year that while some kids and some subjects do well with online classes, for other kids and other classes, virtual school isn't nearly as good. There are large and widespread gains available from returning to a normal in-person school schedule.

By contrast, the gains available from flying out of state are quite a lot smaller. The gains accrue to a small piece of an extracurricular activity, rather than to the core functions of the school, and they only benefit a small number of students.

[0ddrenaline]

This week, vaccines are opening up to ages 12-15 and today the CDC has announced that vaccinated people are no longer required to socially distance, wear masks, etc. I think it's inevitable that this decision about Nationals will be reversed. It's very early to make a decision like this about next year's nationals, but it's not too late to reverse it.

[Galahad]

This week, vaccines are opening up to ages 12-15 and today the CDC has announced that vaccinated people are no longer required to socially distance, wear masks, etc. I think it's inevitable that this decision about Nationals will be reversed. It's very early to make a decision like this about next year's nationals, but it's not too late to reverse it.

I think it's worth noting that the CDC guidelines are not directly adapted to all states. Hawaii, for example, has chosen to still require masks despite those guidelines as to not polarize those who decide to not get vaccinated. This probably will be lifted in the coming months, but I just wanted to point out the different states have different situations. Such will be the case in any national tournament. Different states (and thus school districts) will each have their own predicaments.

I would like to note that it is projected that the majority of the population is to be vaccinated by winter, though, and that I agree with the latter statement that it is rather early.

[sneepity]

This week, vaccines are opening up to ages 12-15 and today the CDC has announced that vaccinated people are no longer required to socially distance, wear masks, etc. I think it's inevitable that this decision about Nationals will be reversed. It's very early to make a decision like this about next year's nationals, but it's not too late to reverse it.

I would disagree; as I've stated before, just because everyone may be vaccinated, that doesn't mean that their districts will allow them to travel to competition, especially if it is out of state/by plane. I do not believe this decision will be reversed, unfortunately.

[danielkimzs]

Nationals wil probably be online, however, will invitationals and regionals/states also be online? Just wondering.

[Unome]

Nationals wil probably be online, however, will invitationals and regionals/states also be online? Just wondering.

It likely depends heavily on local conditions. In my experience, running a physical tournament is (overall) easier than running an online tournament, so there is that to consider.