Congratulations on a great invitational to the organizers and the participants! I hope this gives everyone some good practice so Nationals is even better.
I
loved the tunnels. Yes, the tunnels. They were so cool.
The awards ceremony was also done really well. Frankly, it was probably better than the awards ceremony at Nationals last year, mostly because our entire team could sit in one section, instead of being divided into competitors on the floor and alternates in the risers. (Please, don't split teams up at Nationals this year </3)
Though it was one of the best invitationals I've been to, there are a couple things that I'd like to see improved for the National Tournament.
I agree with Luo that lunch was overcrowded; I ate my lunch right before the break timeslot, so I missed the lunch hour rush by around 10 minutes. Many of my teammates did experience longer than expected wait times while buying lunch, but I don't recall that any had to leave without eating to attend an event. Pennsylvania's State Tournament at Juniata runs a barbeque outside every year (mostly because, as far as I know, there isn't anywhere else to buy a decent lunch), which is pretty convenient and quick as the site is in the middle of campus. I'd suggest having some form of food stationed somewhere on the opposite side of campus of the Student Union. (Luo also mentioned "the Hangar"...what is that?)
Like earthbot25 said, our team got pretty lost when we were trying to find the Nutter Center. Yeah, I know, we were supposed to get driven there, but our bus driver had to catch up on some sleep because he had to drive us through the night back home. (We ended up getting back at around 5 a.m.
)
So we walked there. Or at least, we tried. We tried going through the woods, onto a highway, then back into the woods, but that led us straight back to Millett Hall. By then, it was past 6 and we thought we were extremely late for the awards ceremony. Some kids (whom we accidentally left in the bathroom) and our head coach made it there without us; they gave us directions and we ran like pigeon. For Nationals, if there are any schools that are in a dire situation and really must walk to the Nutter Center, I think there should at least be signs that tell them where to go and where not to go (like the creepy forest path).
After the last timeslot, I was walking back to Millett Hall and I saw a firetruck, an ambulance, and people wheeling a stretcher into Oelman Hall. Does anyone know what happened?
((
