Scioly Roundtable

[zyzzyva980]

The next major step in our site overhaul for 2014 is the announcement of a brand-new feature: The Scioly Roundtable

What is it? The Scioly Roundtable will be a regular event occurring on our chat feature. A select panel of successful SO graduates and older high school competitors will be on to answer your questions in real time, and you can stick around to hear them give their own advice on a wide variety of topics.

When will this be happening? Every week, on Mondays and Fridays starting at 8:00 Eastern time. The first one is expected to be held next Friday, January 31st.

What should I ask about? The dates were chosen to encourage you to ask questions about last-minute studying, or things you found confusing or difficult on tests held the previous weekend- but nothing is off-limits... within reason, of course. Feel free to ask about anything, such as college applications, or summer research opportunities, or ways to fundraise for your team, or which Star Trek captain was the best (it was Picard). We also encourage you to submit suggestions for broader topics that you'd like for the panelists to discuss in detail on the Scioly Roundtable Suggestion Thread. That way, if the questions run dry, the content won't.

But I don't go on chat, or when I do, nobody is on... This feature is designed to encourage you to visit our chatroom. Our numbers have been dwindling recently, and we know that many of our newer members would probably enjoy taking advantage of the opportunities that the chat feature offers. We have plenty of interesting and entertaining conversations, and once you get acclimated, it's an enjoyable atmosphere. When I joined the site way back in 2009, I was hesitant to use it- in fact, I didn't start until nearly two years later, in early 2011. But I've spent plenty of time on it since and I've had the pleasure of meeting (perhaps not personally) some really great people. Take a few minutes to pop in some time- just because nobody responds right away doesn't mean we don't like you. Just wait a few minutes and someone will come by. Or just lurk in the background. Do whatever, just hop on some time.

Will there be anything else fun happening on chat this year? Yep. We definitely have some other things in the works. We'll hold some nationals watch parties for sure, and if you enjoy trivia or quiz bowl, keep your eyes peeled for more news regarding that.

What else should I know? I think I got everything, but I've honestly had this box open for over an hour and I keep switching between tabs and I figure I should probably just post it. Questions, suggestions-- post those in the Scioly Roundtable Suggestion Thread. Either way, we encourage you to stop by on January 31st at 8:00 PM and every Monday and Friday after that for the remainder of the season.