Now, almost a year later, halfway across the country this woman had sought me out again. She continued, "That weekend really changed my life. I appreciate your help." As a Magic judge I'm always excited to help players out and make sure they have great experiences, but this praise seemed over the top. Then Rick walked up and thanked me as well. As they walked away hand in hand, she smiled over her shoulder and said, "We've been dating for six months."
Showing posts with label GP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GP. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Impact
As she walked up to me I vaguely recognized her, but couldn't place her exactly. She said, "I just want to thank you for helping me find a team at that GP." Ahh, my memory jogged, she was the player whose teammates had missed their flight and she almost didn't get to play in a team GP. There had been another player who was there without a team as well, we'll call him Rick (not his real name). Rick had asked me all day about finding a team, but as the registration lead there was really not much I could do. When she showed up that afternoon, I had introduced the two of them. They had been able to find a third and compete in the event. Later that weekend she had dropped by registration to thank me and tell me that they had almost made day 2. I felt a sense of satisfaction at being able to unite two players and turn their disappointment into a fun weekend.
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Recognition
I received my first ever recognition at a CFBE Grand Prix this weekend. It was such a humbling and exciting experience. But in order to truly understand the weight of what this recognition means to me, let's flash back a bit before I explain the recognition.
In June of 2017 at the judge conference at Grand Prix Las Vegas, I participated in an investigations workshop. At the time I had never done an actual investigation and excitement churned within me. I entered into it feeling confident and eager to show off my skills. Boy was I wrong! My scenario turned out to be a deck check where I found issues with both decks and had to speak with both players. Now, I am notoriously bad at deck checks so after laboriously checking 2 decks, I was mentally exhausted, stressed from being put on the spot, and confused because I had no idea what to do next. I picked a player and started asking questions. After spending far too long on a roundabout mess of queries and responses I still had no idea what to do, so I moved on to the other player to repeat this nonsense. I reached incorrect conclusions in both cases and wasted a ton of time. Afterwards one of the actors from the scenario, an L3 I had never met before, said to me, "You were pretty terrible." He was right; and the worst part was that I had no idea how to get better.
In September I worked Grand Prix Washington DC. My team lead, Khan Le Thien, and I chatted about investigations and he offered to send me some materials he uses to help judges improve their investigation skills. He suggested practicing on some test cases and looking for the critical information needed to make a decision. That conversation changed the way I approached investigations. I stopped trying to simply gather information in a vague generic sense. I started focusing on the critical pieces to make a decision. First I had to gather enough information to understand the situation. Khanh suggested describing the scenario in as few words as possible, which taught me to try and examine a situation and boil it down to its critical elements. Then I had to ask myself what comprise the important decision points (such as if a player is cheating or if I want to perform a backup), and what information I needed to make those decision. Next, I attempted to elicit the information from the players. Sometimes looking at a lifepad or asking a spectator helped, but usually I had to create lines of questioning that would yield the information necessary. Learning to investigate efficiently and not ask unnecessary questions came next. Finally, I had to get comfortable making and delivering a decision.
Using Khan's system, I studied and theorycrafted a lot. In practice, I investigated a few minor incidents, but nothing ever really felt like a 'real' investigation. I also attended a couple more investigations workshops where I got the scenarios impressively wrong. While I had a lot of new ideas, they just didn't seem to ‘click’ for me during an actual investigation. Something, I can’t even say what, still eluded me.
In March of this year, while Head Judging a PPTQ, I was faced with a situation in which I believed that a player lied to me. An odd thing happened, as I listened to my floor judge relay his explanation of the scenario, my brain laid out a path to follow. A 'checklist' of things to find out that pointed to clear conclusions. I spoke with the player, opponent, and spectators and reached a decision. While it wasn't my first disqualification, it was the first time that I as a HJ had to pull the trigger myself on a cheating disqualification.
I want to be very clear here. Disqualifications should never be taken lightly. They never leave you. While judges sometimes try to make light of them, I believe it's just to offset their gravity. I strongly believe that I made the right call. But it still weighs on me, and I have the player's name written in my judge notebook because I will always remember the responsibility that comes with judging and will never take it lightly.
So this weekend at Grand Prix Dallas-Fort Worth I took a call on Saturday in the main event regarding communication and a life total discrepancy. After speaking with both players, I reached out to Joe Klopchic to confirm a ruling. I expressed a concern to him and he suggested a line of questioning for me to investigate. He sat at the table and I took the player a few steps away to chat. After I delivered my ruling, HJ Carlos Ho handled the appeal. This complicated call actually led us to confirm with another burgundy and resulted an a 15 minute time extension (which luckily went unused). After the call ended, Carlos and I discussed my prior concern and my investigation. He seemed surprised that I had considered that angle, but appreciated my thoroughness.
Sunday evening, after working 3 days on the floor of the GP, I attended an investigations workshop hosted by the Investigations Workshop Project. This project sets up scenarios for judges to practice investigations and provides coaching and feedback allowing the investigating judge to get in some realistic practice as well as receive feedback from their peers. (As a sidenote, I appreciate these folks being willing to stay late on the last day of a long weekend to help judges get better.) Having done one of theirs previously, the opportunity came as a surprise and makes me even more appreciative.
What happened next can only be described as unbelievable. I observed the first two scenarios, and both times the correct line of questioning just popped into my head. Like Magic! I so clearly saw what to ask and why to ask it. I learned some neat tricks watching the other participants and loved seeing the reveals of what actually happened in each scenario. But for me, I just could not believe that it seemed so natural (even easy!).
Then came my turn . . . . That terror feeling started to creep into the pit of my stomach as I awaited the call. When it came I faced a not particularly helpful 'player' with a story that didn't seem quite right. I questioned him and his opponent and again the path just revealed itself in front of me. I fell into a comfortable zone in 'judge mode' as I asked my questions. While I didn't feel 100% sure, I make a choice and delivered a ruling, hoping that it was the right one. During the reveal, I realized that I had exactly nailed it! While I had lingered a bit too long and asked some unnecessary questions, I did in fact get it right! The folks running the situation later told me that this one presents more difficulty than most and that most people who have done it don't reach the intended resolution.
I floated out of the room on cloud nine. After several embarrassingly bad investigations workshops, I finally got one right!! But more importantly, I had seen the situations for all three on a deeper level and hadn't just gotten a correct answer but had understood the whole context and implications. I wasn't just taking a shot in the dark based on a pile of facts. I was soliciting details and curating a theory to offer an explanation on which I could base a critical decision.
Ironically, I also received an e-mail from the Player Investigation Committee affirming the disqualification from March. While the message itself wasn't a big deal, the timing (literally during the workshop) seemed fitting.
As I entered the judge party, I noted the actor who had previously called me terrible at investigating. How perfect that he should be present on the day that my investigation skills finally manifested as slightly more functional than before.
So back to the CFBE recognitions . . . . Head Judge Carlos Ho chose to recognize me for the investigation on Saturday. As I stood up to accept my award, I saw the actor grinning wildly and insisting that he had nothing to do with the recognition. I saw the folks from the workshop smiling and nodding. I saw my friends and coworkers applauding. I saw a mentor's face filled with pride. I felt Carlos embrace me. There in that moment, in that room, I knew that I had taken a tiny step forward as a judge. A hard fought step that I could never have taken without the support of the friends and family in my judge community.
Thank you to each and every person who has joined me on this journey. This recognition is for you, a little bit of return on the investment that you have made in me.
In June of 2017 at the judge conference at Grand Prix Las Vegas, I participated in an investigations workshop. At the time I had never done an actual investigation and excitement churned within me. I entered into it feeling confident and eager to show off my skills. Boy was I wrong! My scenario turned out to be a deck check where I found issues with both decks and had to speak with both players. Now, I am notoriously bad at deck checks so after laboriously checking 2 decks, I was mentally exhausted, stressed from being put on the spot, and confused because I had no idea what to do next. I picked a player and started asking questions. After spending far too long on a roundabout mess of queries and responses I still had no idea what to do, so I moved on to the other player to repeat this nonsense. I reached incorrect conclusions in both cases and wasted a ton of time. Afterwards one of the actors from the scenario, an L3 I had never met before, said to me, "You were pretty terrible." He was right; and the worst part was that I had no idea how to get better.
In September I worked Grand Prix Washington DC. My team lead, Khan Le Thien, and I chatted about investigations and he offered to send me some materials he uses to help judges improve their investigation skills. He suggested practicing on some test cases and looking for the critical information needed to make a decision. That conversation changed the way I approached investigations. I stopped trying to simply gather information in a vague generic sense. I started focusing on the critical pieces to make a decision. First I had to gather enough information to understand the situation. Khanh suggested describing the scenario in as few words as possible, which taught me to try and examine a situation and boil it down to its critical elements. Then I had to ask myself what comprise the important decision points (such as if a player is cheating or if I want to perform a backup), and what information I needed to make those decision. Next, I attempted to elicit the information from the players. Sometimes looking at a lifepad or asking a spectator helped, but usually I had to create lines of questioning that would yield the information necessary. Learning to investigate efficiently and not ask unnecessary questions came next. Finally, I had to get comfortable making and delivering a decision.
Using Khan's system, I studied and theorycrafted a lot. In practice, I investigated a few minor incidents, but nothing ever really felt like a 'real' investigation. I also attended a couple more investigations workshops where I got the scenarios impressively wrong. While I had a lot of new ideas, they just didn't seem to ‘click’ for me during an actual investigation. Something, I can’t even say what, still eluded me.
In March of this year, while Head Judging a PPTQ, I was faced with a situation in which I believed that a player lied to me. An odd thing happened, as I listened to my floor judge relay his explanation of the scenario, my brain laid out a path to follow. A 'checklist' of things to find out that pointed to clear conclusions. I spoke with the player, opponent, and spectators and reached a decision. While it wasn't my first disqualification, it was the first time that I as a HJ had to pull the trigger myself on a cheating disqualification.
I want to be very clear here. Disqualifications should never be taken lightly. They never leave you. While judges sometimes try to make light of them, I believe it's just to offset their gravity. I strongly believe that I made the right call. But it still weighs on me, and I have the player's name written in my judge notebook because I will always remember the responsibility that comes with judging and will never take it lightly.
So this weekend at Grand Prix Dallas-Fort Worth I took a call on Saturday in the main event regarding communication and a life total discrepancy. After speaking with both players, I reached out to Joe Klopchic to confirm a ruling. I expressed a concern to him and he suggested a line of questioning for me to investigate. He sat at the table and I took the player a few steps away to chat. After I delivered my ruling, HJ Carlos Ho handled the appeal. This complicated call actually led us to confirm with another burgundy and resulted an a 15 minute time extension (which luckily went unused). After the call ended, Carlos and I discussed my prior concern and my investigation. He seemed surprised that I had considered that angle, but appreciated my thoroughness.
Sunday evening, after working 3 days on the floor of the GP, I attended an investigations workshop hosted by the Investigations Workshop Project. This project sets up scenarios for judges to practice investigations and provides coaching and feedback allowing the investigating judge to get in some realistic practice as well as receive feedback from their peers. (As a sidenote, I appreciate these folks being willing to stay late on the last day of a long weekend to help judges get better.) Having done one of theirs previously, the opportunity came as a surprise and makes me even more appreciative.
What happened next can only be described as unbelievable. I observed the first two scenarios, and both times the correct line of questioning just popped into my head. Like Magic! I so clearly saw what to ask and why to ask it. I learned some neat tricks watching the other participants and loved seeing the reveals of what actually happened in each scenario. But for me, I just could not believe that it seemed so natural (even easy!).
Then came my turn . . . . That terror feeling started to creep into the pit of my stomach as I awaited the call. When it came I faced a not particularly helpful 'player' with a story that didn't seem quite right. I questioned him and his opponent and again the path just revealed itself in front of me. I fell into a comfortable zone in 'judge mode' as I asked my questions. While I didn't feel 100% sure, I make a choice and delivered a ruling, hoping that it was the right one. During the reveal, I realized that I had exactly nailed it! While I had lingered a bit too long and asked some unnecessary questions, I did in fact get it right! The folks running the situation later told me that this one presents more difficulty than most and that most people who have done it don't reach the intended resolution.
I floated out of the room on cloud nine. After several embarrassingly bad investigations workshops, I finally got one right!! But more importantly, I had seen the situations for all three on a deeper level and hadn't just gotten a correct answer but had understood the whole context and implications. I wasn't just taking a shot in the dark based on a pile of facts. I was soliciting details and curating a theory to offer an explanation on which I could base a critical decision.
Ironically, I also received an e-mail from the Player Investigation Committee affirming the disqualification from March. While the message itself wasn't a big deal, the timing (literally during the workshop) seemed fitting.
As I entered the judge party, I noted the actor who had previously called me terrible at investigating. How perfect that he should be present on the day that my investigation skills finally manifested as slightly more functional than before.
So back to the CFBE recognitions . . . . Head Judge Carlos Ho chose to recognize me for the investigation on Saturday. As I stood up to accept my award, I saw the actor grinning wildly and insisting that he had nothing to do with the recognition. I saw the folks from the workshop smiling and nodding. I saw my friends and coworkers applauding. I saw a mentor's face filled with pride. I felt Carlos embrace me. There in that moment, in that room, I knew that I had taken a tiny step forward as a judge. A hard fought step that I could never have taken without the support of the friends and family in my judge community.
Thank you to each and every person who has joined me on this journey. This recognition is for you, a little bit of return on the investment that you have made in me.
Monday, April 9, 2018
Competence
I had a strange feeling today. A feeling that’s new to me at the end of a long weekend on a big event. I felt competent. Not ‘I barely survived another weekend.’ Not ‘At least no one noticed how many calls I punted.’ Not ‘Thank goodness for my team lead who saved my rear on that call.’ I articulated it at the judge party by saying, “Wow, I don’t think I punted a call all weekend.”
Feeling competent encompasses a lot more than getting calls right and not making mistakes, but I’ll get to that in a minute. First, I’d like to take a moment to celebrate my correctness. Rules have presented a challenge for me. I’ve struggled to understand the concepts that make the game work and grappled with the complex terminology used to convey precise details about each situation. Over the last few months I’ve put a lot of extra effort into this area and with the assistance of mentor Nate Hurley, I’m finally starting to see results.
It came on subtly at first. When I started out as a brand new judge, I’d answer a judge call hoping for a bathroom time extension request or Oracle text of a card whose name I could spell. Trepidation filled me each time a player raised their hand. Slowly, over the months and years, I’ve felt a change. I’d take a call, and the answer would slide unbidden into my thoughts. I didn’t trust myself, and would rush to confer with a colleague only to be surprised that my inkling was correct. Over the past few months that feeling has evolved. Now a player’s call triggers excitement and an opportunity to provide assistance. I listen to the situation with a deeper understanding of which factors matter and know what questions to ask. The answer flows from my brain like a natural phenomenon. I know what I can handle and when to ask for help. I welcome chances to learn along with the players when situations get complicated or interesting.
I feel it in my mannerisms at the table. I go through a standard greeting setting the tone for the call while taking a look at the board state. I understand the player’s need and ask the opponent’s input if relevant. I consider if there is an infraction and assess the appropriate penalty, remembering to consider upgrades and downgrades. I apply fixes after a clear explanation to the players. I don’t forget to note time extensions and check for understanding before moving on. (Thanks Mikhail Chernov for helping me understand and master my steps to taking a judge call.)
What felt remarkable to me this weekend was the fact that each call felt routine. I knew my steps and executed them confidently. While doing so I was able to focus on the heart of the call and clearly understand the issue or problem facing the players. I’ve been working on my technique for a while, but marrying it with comfort with the rules as well felt new. It freed my mind to consider cheating more carefully, to seek better questions to ask, and to stay alert for potential pitfalls along the way.
I approached each call with the skills and the knowledge to handle it, and that gave me the confidence to enjoy the work more than ever before. That does not mean that I didn’t confer with my colleagues! In fact, I found myself doing so quite often, but with a different tone than before. I was no longer seeking rescue, but confirmation. I was suggesting the fix and saying, "Does that sound right?" I was discussing corners of policy rather than struggling to follow the discussion.
In an interesting twist, many times I was consulted by other judges. Sometimes a quick drive by ‘this works this way, right?’ and sometimes a more complex request to join them at the table. Being seen by my colleagues as a person they can turn to for help is one of the highest honors I have ever received as a judge.
Outwardly I appeared the same, but inside, I could feel the difference. I could feel the competence.
Monday, June 5, 2017
Stories
As a judge, we usually focus on rules knowledge or event logistics when we talk about what we do. We aspire to get to L2 or to become a Head Judge. Our goals are to flip rounds faster, present at a conference, or finally understand layers. Sometimes we grumble at another day of deck checks or at being assigned to the prize wall. We find ourselves going through the motions at an event without really engaging with the work.This weekend at GP Omaha, while serving on the registration team, I got a taste of something more.
A player approached me with some questions about the event. He explained that he was attending his first Grand Prix and asked about registering for side events, getting a playmat, and how to earn prize wall tix. While answering his queries I added that we were so excited that he could join us for his first GP. He launched into a touching tale. When he was eleven years old, he played Magic and planned to attend a local GP, however his grandmother did not support his hobby and burned his Magic cards. Years later, he had returned to the game as a young adult, but a flood in his home destroyed yet another expensive collection. He quit. About three years ago his son took up the game and had been begging him to play again. At first he refused. Upon seeing that a GP would be in their area, he joined his son, now eleven, in preparing for the event, and the two of them attended together.This story impacted me on so many levels. As a parent, seeing the father and son sharing a hobby reminded me of golfing with my father as I grew up. I'm sure that Magic will bring them closer as they travel and play together. Hearing of the man's loss and struggle to rebuild spoke to his perseverance and strength. His son accomplishing the dream that he could not fulfill at the age of eleven completed a circle of sorts in his life, and being a part of that thrilled me as well.
Later in the day a man approached with some younger guys. He explained that they wanted to register for the Main Event. After chatting a bit I discovered that the group had traveled from Sheldon, Iowa. The man taught in an elementary school and spent his afternoons running "The Game Club" at the nearby high school. The young men had learned how to play Magic and practiced diligently to attend their first competitive event. Throughout the weekend the gentleman updated me on the group's progress and Head Judge Jared Sylva invited them onto the main event stage for a picture.
As a former teacher, I've seen so many adults fail today's young people. This man engaged with a group of young men providing them a role model and mentor while also sharing with them a hobby. These guys are learning more than a game - they are learning about commitment, decision making, and character. By showing them the larger world of gaming, this teacher has introduced them to the world of competitive play, and to the Magic community as a whole. While Magic may not be anyone's only passion, opening their eyes to the scope of opportunities can ignite these men's dreams and encourage them to look higher in all areas of their lives. What an amazing investment into our future!
That evening another player dropped by registration and excitedly asked to purchase the VIP package. He stated that this was his second GP ever and at his first (GP Denver 2016) he had registered for the VIP package and Magic judge Mike Goodman had gone out of his way to help this player out. The player not only remembered Mike's full name, but went on to gush about how special Mike had made his weekend. He wanted to buy the VIP upgrade to see Mike again. I couldn't keep the tears from my eyes as I quietly informed him that Mike had passed away. "Oh shit!" the man responded, clearly upset. I revealed my MG wristband and shared with him how much Mike meant to the Magic community. I told him how I had first met Mike as a player and then became friends as a co-worker. I let him know about the charity tournament on Sunday to benefit Mike's family. While I have never met that player before, we shared a moment of connection as we remembered a man who had touched our lives.Throughout the weekend I worked hard registering players, handling issues, and serving on the floor team of the main event. I enjoyed mentoring new judges, receiving council from experienced ones, and making new friends. I did some things well, and some things that I need to work on. But when I returned home and thought about the weekend as a whole, the thing that stood out to me the most were the stories from the mouths of the players.
I'm going to borrow a sentiment that Jess Dunks shared with the judge staff at SCG Louisville a few weeks ago: to us this is another event, but to a player this may be the pinnacle of their Magic career. Of course there are grinders and pros who attend lots of GPs, but they exist alongside local players and folks who traveled to attend this one special event. We as judges have the monumental task of determining what kind of experience each of those players has.
Sunday, April 9, 2017
Judgiversary
I'm sitting alone in a hotel room in Mexico City. My roommates already left for the early shift. I'm munching on a granola bar from my backpack and pecking away at my computer, lamenting the fact that I didn't pre-prepare an awesome Judgiversary post. But that wouldn't be me. This blog is about celebrating my journey as a Magic judge in its rawest form, so preprinted sentiments would not be authentic enough for my tastes. Instead, I'll tell you the truth . . .
I'm tired. My body aches all over and the headache has been with me for almost 2 weeks now. My shoulders and back are sore, I've lost feeling in one toe and am missing a toenail from another. My hair is dingy, my lips are cracked and I think this frog-voice my be permanent. When I get up in the morning, the limp from the plantar fasciitis takes longer and longer to subside. But more than my physical ills, I'm mentally exhausted. All the writing, traveling, networking, and learning new things each take their toll. I miss my family. My husband and 3 kids are at home without me. I'm alone in a foreign country where I'll see nothing but the inside of a hotel and convention center.
One year ago today I passed my L1.
One year.
One crazy, exhausting, amazing, unbelievable year.
Many stories from that year are recorded my this blog: passing the L1, working my first event, passing the L2, organizing my first judge conference, my first team lead. Stories of the people, places, and experiences that have shaped me as a judge, and as a person.
Some stories are not recorded. They are just too numerous to write. Some are reviews or exemplars. Some are too personal and too painful to share publicly. Some are still in the editing process. But those stories matter too. Each experience has shaped me and I will never be the same.
Five weeks ago I embarked on my most ambitious schedule yet. I judged an SCG Open where I had my first team lead, spoke at a mini conference 5 hours from my home, floor judged GP Orlando, ran registration for GP San Antonio, and judged GP Mexico City - on 5 consecutive weekends. In between I struggled to keep up with my personal and family obligations, hosted judges in my home, worked on our upcoming regional judge conference, wrote and edited blog posts for both my personal blog and for The Feedback Loop, and studied for an L3P.
While I wouldn't actually recommend this particular schedule, I also wouldn't change it. Each of these weekends offered me unique opportunities and steps I need to take to meet my personal goals in the judge program. From team leading for the first time to my first international event, my growth as a judge has taken off during this period. I'm excited to use my Spanish to help players and to work for a new TO. I'm gaining confidence in everything from my ability to translate Magic cards to my ability to ride a bus. (Yes, public transportation terrifies me.)
One of the most important things I've learned from judging is that you get out what you put in. I've chosen to invest myself in the program, and it has in turn invested in me. The time and effort I have chosen to spend have resulted in opportunities that I have opted to take. The cycle continues with me continually improving and learning and the program continuing to build me up.
I'm going to take a minute to thank a few people who have chosen to invest in me:
Jessica Livingston for our long talk last night after a hot chocolate date. Your insights keep me on track and your friendship means the world to me.
David Hibbs for stepping up to be our RC as well as an amazing mentor and friend. You took a chance on me and you continue to accept me despite my flaws and support my goals in the judge program.
Riki Hayashi for believing in me. When I first approached you, I had no idea what your reaction would be, but you accepted the feedback I offered and have invested in me and given me additional opportunities.
John Carter for mentoring me. Words cannot express what your friendship and advice has meant to me this year. We met on my first weekend as a judge and you saw something in me that was worth developing. You are a demanding teacher, but I respect the high standards you hold for me and I'll continue striving to improve.
Sara Mox for listening to me. When I was lost in a complicated situation and didn't know where to turn, you took the time to help me sort out my convoluted thoughts and pointed me in the right direction. I'm still a judge today because of you.
Jeff Zandi, Dawna Havnar, Joe Sapp, Jim Shuman, James Anderson, Kyle Knudson, Sean Catanese, Antonio Zanutto, Ben Quasnitschka you guys each were a part of my GP Albuquerque weekend and my first weekend as a judge. Those early insights shape the judge I have become. Thanks for being a part of the train wreck that was my introduction to the fabulous world of judge travel.
My family. My mom serves as our babysitter. She's always there to help out when travel plans are crazy, tournaments run long, and the migraines hit after an event. While I'm not always good at expressing it, I appreciate my mom more that I can describe. She has loved and supported me and my family through this crazy journey with a smile on her face and enough energy to keep up with all the moving pieces.
Brian Leonard. My amazing husband has stepped up and supported my dreams in a way I never even imagined. When I told him my lofty judge goals, he said, "We'll make it happen." Despite working full time and being a college student, he spends his weekends taking care of 3 preschoolers so that I can travel the world in my judge blacks. He's always there to listen to my rantings, proofread my blog posts, work at my judge conferences, floor judge for me, and tell me when I'm wrong. His integrity, honesty, and unfailing love have made my journey possible.
To wrap things up, last June at GP Columbus, my team lead Adena Chernosky asked us about our judge goals. One of mine was to judge a GP in Latin America. Well . . . . check! Take that one off the list!
I still have many things I want to accomplish as a judge, so I'd better go hop in the shower because my shift starts in 2 hours. I can't imagine a better way to spend my first Judgiversary than on the floor.
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Unsporting Conduct at GP Atlanta
At GP Atlanta, I had the opportunity to work on the Main Event for the first time. After doing registration and sides, my excitement at finally getting on the floor of the Main Event heightened my anticipation for the day. When I arrived, I learned that I would be helping players pick up sealed pools first, then transitioning to the floor later in the day. On one hand, it saddened me to have to wait longer, but on the other hand, being a logistics person, the opportunity to observe the new process of sealed deck construction using only preregistered pools fascinated me as well. Each player received a deckbox containing his/her six packs which had already been opened and listed on a customized deck registration sheet showing only his/her cards. The player simply constructed a deck, then indicated which cards it included on the provided list.
In addition to myself and our team lead, my team consisted of a judge from Argentina enjoying her first US event and a veteran GP L2. We met in the morning, got to know each other a bit, and prepared to work. The morning passed mostly uneventfully while we handed out pools to players. The process moved smoothly overall. The most exciting part for me came when I noted a problem with the traffic flow as players backtracked when heading towards a banner. I noted that a slight change in the banner's placement could alleviate the problem. I passed on the suggestion to my team lead, someone moved the banner, and the players stopped backtracking. Seeing feedback lead to real-time change excited me and made me feel valued, and seeing the success added to the fun.
After round three when deck construction closed, our team headed to lunch at the nearby CNN Center. As a first-timer to Atlanta, this place is awesome: a huge food court situated amid cool shops, offices, and a hotel while boasting a giant selection of food options, clean tables, and interesting scenery. Our team lead led us to a Chinese place where we received heaping plates of food, then conversed at a comfortable table. He had several prepared questions that led to some fun discussions. The structure seemed a little forced to me, but I noted that he carefully ensured everyone participated in the conversation. I really appreciated when he shared his tips on team leading, such as using policy scenarios to get judges talking.
We returned to the event to take the floor for round 5. My first call was a Game Loss for Tardiness. While it constituted a straightforward call, I realized that I had not heard an official announcement of the tardiness times. I double checked with another judge that we were at 0/10 before issuing the penalty. I likely missed that announcement since I still distributing sealed pools when the first round began, but I will know to ask for that information in the future.
My next call proved to be an interesting one. Noah called a judge and explained that Arlo had cast Harnessed Lightning targeting Noah's Empyreal Voyager. Both players agreed on that much, but then their agreement ended. Arlo claimed that he said "neg 3" while pointing at the Voyager. He then picked up the die representing his energy which had been on 5, fiddled with it, then replaced it showing 6. Noah placed the Voyager in his graveyard, then noticed the energy counter, pulled it out of the graveyard and called a judge. Noah asserted that Arlo did not say anything and he had only assumed the choice of 3. Upon seeing the die he thought that Arlo had only chosen to spend 2 energy. I picked up and slowly read Harnessed Lightning, which allowed me a moment to collect my thoughts before continuing.
While investigating, I struggled to maintain control of the situation as both players interrupted one another several times. As Noah told his version of the story, Arlo exclaimed, "That's bullshit!" I informed him that his behavior would lead to a penalty if it continued, and tried to focus on understanding each player's version of events. Arlo declared that he had clearly stated the 3 and had mishandled the die. When Noah began to speak again, Arlo interrupted with, "That's a lie!" The second time he made a lie comment, I informed him that he would be receiving a USC-Minor and asked him to let me finish the ruling. After hearing both sides, I believed that Arlo had intended to cast the spell for 3 damage, but may not have spoken loudly or clearly enough. Additionally he had not calculated his new energy total correctly. A compelling factor to me was the lack of logical reason for casting the spell for 2 - while technically legal, doing so would make no sense. In the end, I issued Arlo a GRV for the incorrect energy total, but opted not to issue FtMGS to Noah since he called a judge immediately. Arlo also received the afore mentioned USC-Minor for his disruptive behavior.
The player's outburst left me a bit shaken, but my team lead had been watching and took me aside to discuss it. He offered practical suggestions for separating the players, maintaining better control of the situation, and getting the information I needed more efficiently. His recommendations included using height to gain control while at the table or physically separating the players by moving one away from the table. He reassured me that I had come to the correct conclusion and handled the situation appropriately, while providing guidance for future incidents. I especially appreciated how he reaffirmed my abilities and left me feeling more confident than I had before.
Another judge who observed the interaction chatted with me about it afterwards. He informed me that he believed I waited too long to issue the USC and that after the "bullshit" comment would have been preferable. I, recalling my years as a junior high teacher, generally allow people to release some 'smoke' before I feel the need to react. Being a new judge, I felt unsure about how much is 'too much' and when a player's behavior crosses the line into Unsporting Conduct. After we spoke, he polled several other judges and later contacted me again to let me know that the majority agreed with when I had issued the penalty.
The remainder of the day passed without incident. We took a half-round break in round 6 and round 7 flew by. At the end of the day, we debriefed as a team, each reporting on what we learned as well as discussing an interesting policy scenario. I had an excellent first day on the main event, and although giving my first ever USC was a bit unnerving, as each judge first passes, I become a bit more confident and a bit more prepared to handle my next challenge.
In addition to myself and our team lead, my team consisted of a judge from Argentina enjoying her first US event and a veteran GP L2. We met in the morning, got to know each other a bit, and prepared to work. The morning passed mostly uneventfully while we handed out pools to players. The process moved smoothly overall. The most exciting part for me came when I noted a problem with the traffic flow as players backtracked when heading towards a banner. I noted that a slight change in the banner's placement could alleviate the problem. I passed on the suggestion to my team lead, someone moved the banner, and the players stopped backtracking. Seeing feedback lead to real-time change excited me and made me feel valued, and seeing the success added to the fun.
After round three when deck construction closed, our team headed to lunch at the nearby CNN Center. As a first-timer to Atlanta, this place is awesome: a huge food court situated amid cool shops, offices, and a hotel while boasting a giant selection of food options, clean tables, and interesting scenery. Our team lead led us to a Chinese place where we received heaping plates of food, then conversed at a comfortable table. He had several prepared questions that led to some fun discussions. The structure seemed a little forced to me, but I noted that he carefully ensured everyone participated in the conversation. I really appreciated when he shared his tips on team leading, such as using policy scenarios to get judges talking.
We returned to the event to take the floor for round 5. My first call was a Game Loss for Tardiness. While it constituted a straightforward call, I realized that I had not heard an official announcement of the tardiness times. I double checked with another judge that we were at 0/10 before issuing the penalty. I likely missed that announcement since I still distributing sealed pools when the first round began, but I will know to ask for that information in the future.
My next call proved to be an interesting one. Noah called a judge and explained that Arlo had cast Harnessed Lightning targeting Noah's Empyreal Voyager. Both players agreed on that much, but then their agreement ended. Arlo claimed that he said "neg 3" while pointing at the Voyager. He then picked up the die representing his energy which had been on 5, fiddled with it, then replaced it showing 6. Noah placed the Voyager in his graveyard, then noticed the energy counter, pulled it out of the graveyard and called a judge. Noah asserted that Arlo did not say anything and he had only assumed the choice of 3. Upon seeing the die he thought that Arlo had only chosen to spend 2 energy. I picked up and slowly read Harnessed Lightning, which allowed me a moment to collect my thoughts before continuing.
While investigating, I struggled to maintain control of the situation as both players interrupted one another several times. As Noah told his version of the story, Arlo exclaimed, "That's bullshit!" I informed him that his behavior would lead to a penalty if it continued, and tried to focus on understanding each player's version of events. Arlo declared that he had clearly stated the 3 and had mishandled the die. When Noah began to speak again, Arlo interrupted with, "That's a lie!" The second time he made a lie comment, I informed him that he would be receiving a USC-Minor and asked him to let me finish the ruling. After hearing both sides, I believed that Arlo had intended to cast the spell for 3 damage, but may not have spoken loudly or clearly enough. Additionally he had not calculated his new energy total correctly. A compelling factor to me was the lack of logical reason for casting the spell for 2 - while technically legal, doing so would make no sense. In the end, I issued Arlo a GRV for the incorrect energy total, but opted not to issue FtMGS to Noah since he called a judge immediately. Arlo also received the afore mentioned USC-Minor for his disruptive behavior.
The player's outburst left me a bit shaken, but my team lead had been watching and took me aside to discuss it. He offered practical suggestions for separating the players, maintaining better control of the situation, and getting the information I needed more efficiently. His recommendations included using height to gain control while at the table or physically separating the players by moving one away from the table. He reassured me that I had come to the correct conclusion and handled the situation appropriately, while providing guidance for future incidents. I especially appreciated how he reaffirmed my abilities and left me feeling more confident than I had before.
Another judge who observed the interaction chatted with me about it afterwards. He informed me that he believed I waited too long to issue the USC and that after the "bullshit" comment would have been preferable. I, recalling my years as a junior high teacher, generally allow people to release some 'smoke' before I feel the need to react. Being a new judge, I felt unsure about how much is 'too much' and when a player's behavior crosses the line into Unsporting Conduct. After we spoke, he polled several other judges and later contacted me again to let me know that the majority agreed with when I had issued the penalty.
The remainder of the day passed without incident. We took a half-round break in round 6 and round 7 flew by. At the end of the day, we debriefed as a team, each reporting on what we learned as well as discussing an interesting policy scenario. I had an excellent first day on the main event, and although giving my first ever USC was a bit unnerving, as each judge first passes, I become a bit more confident and a bit more prepared to handle my next challenge.
Monday, November 7, 2016
Lessons from Levine
During the course of a Grand Prix weekend, any individual floor judge is unlikely to have a lot of meaningful interactions with the Head Judge, however at GP Dallas/Fort Worth, several situations led me to work directly with Head Judge Eric Levine.
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A player called me asking for a time extension due to being legally blind. The player appeared to be playing without any other accommodations. I had taken a call from this player in a previous round and had noted a time extension on the match slip, but had not further inquired. A quick investigation revealed that at the beginning of each round, he called a judge and requested an extension, which the judge granted. Unsure of how to handle the situation, I asked the player to wait a moment while I asked the Head Judge about the appropriate time extension.
Eric responded by saying that while we make reasonable accommodations for players with disabilities, we could not offer blanket time extensions each round. The potential impact on the tournament of those extensions is too large. He took the time to explain his reasoning to me carefully, then asked if I was comfortable explaining that to the player. My trepidation stemmed from the fact that the player had received them each previous round, but I appreciated Eric's confidence in me as well as his taking my comfort level into account. I agreed to handle the explanation and to my surprise Eric remained nearby while I did so. He ensured that I had the support I needed for what could have been a contentious player interaction, but he allowed me to complete the call I had taken, building both my credibility with the player and my confidence.
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On Saturday I served on Steven Briggs' pairings team. He assigned me the task of waiting next to the printer and catching the sheets as they printed, then handing each letter range to a waiting judge for posting. To accomplish this task, I stood on the edge of the stage facing a sea of judges at the beginning of each round. As we awaited round 4's pairings, L3 John Carter, the logistics team lead, hopped up onto the stage and yelled at the assembled judges about putting match slips in their pockets at the end of rounds. His explosive outburst left the assembled staff and the players behind them shocked, to say the least. My unique perspective from the corner of the stage showed me expressions of bewilderment, anger, fear, confusion, and remorse. Eric calmly walked up behind Carter mid-tirade. As Carter sensed his presence, he stopped and Eric quietly said, "Carter, we need to talk." A quirky grin on Carter's face followed by a "Yep!" demonstrated that Carter knew he had overstepped his bounds. He quickly followed Eric off the back of the stage.
Eric's handling of the incident demonstrated several things about his leadership. He observed, and quickly assessed the situation. His first priority was to get the event back on track. Next, he trusted his people. When he left with Carter, he didn't feel the need to issue instructions to his team leads or make an announcement to the staff as a whole. He simply handled the incident and let everyone else continue doing their jobs. Finally, he criticized in private. I don't actually know what was said, but since Carter issued a public apology before the next round, I'll assume that Eric didn't condone Carter's initial approach. Overall, Eric was clearly in control of the situation, but used a low-key manner to diffuse the tension and move things along.
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While sweeping for slips, I took a call from two obviously agitated players. Alex was searching a library and showed me that the openings of the sleeves did not all face in the same direction. After a few quick questions I learned the library belonged to Neal and Alex had cast Pithing Needle. I took the deck and looked through it noting that there did not seem to be a pattern to the upside down cards and it appeared that the deck had been mash-shuffled. Alex continued to hint that he thought Neal was cheating, that Neal had done it on purpose, etc. Neal, clearly annoyed at Alex, snapped back after several of Alex's comments. Seeing the obvious tension at the table and knowing the round would end in a moment, when Alex said that I should get the Head Judge, I agreed.
Despite the fact that I hadn't finished delivering a ruling, the situation was escalating fast, time was short, and it looked like I would be getting Eric one way or another. Luckily, another judge walked by sweeping for slips and I quickly stopped her and asked her to watch the table. On my way to fetch Eric, I dropped off the match slips she and I had collected with another judge who took them to the stage. Eric saw me approaching purposefully and he immediately joined me on the walk back to the table. I explained the situation as we went, and he chastised me for not completing my ruling.
At the table he looked at the library in question, then turned to the players. He explained to them that their behavior towards me had been inappropriate and that he had found the exact same thing that I had. He quickly corrected the cards in the library and instructed the players to resume playing. Alex demanded to finish searching the library.
By this point, time in the round had ended. Their match slip showed the players already had a previous time extension. Alex took his pen and lifepad and began writing notes about Neal's deck. He rudely asked Eric how much extra time they would receive. Eric let him know that he would not have enough time to write the entire contents of the library and encouraged him to move the match along. As play resumed, Alex and Neal continued to snipe at one another making pointed comments about minute details. Alex, clearly angling, queried, "How much of a time extension do we get for this?" Eric pulled out his phone, set a timer, dropped it on the table next to Alex and stated flatly, "You have 5 minutes." Alex looked to Eric and sneered, "Can we get a table judge for the rest of the match?" Eric and stood a bit taller looked right at him, and put his hands on his hips saying, "I'm not going anywhere." I could feel the switch flip and that Eric had reached his nonsense-limit. He didn't need yelling or threats to convey his displeasure, his presence spoke for itself. Neal mostly quieted down to continue the match, but Alex grumbled a bit more. Eric's proximity seemed to quell things enough that the match could proceed. After five minutes and five painfully long turns a member of the EOR team grabbed the slip and took off.
Eric and I walked back to the stage together at a good clip. He looked at me and said, "You were right to come and get me when you did." Surprised, I turned and he continued, "That wasn't going to stop." On some level I had sensed that at the table, but to hear the HJ validate my decision made me stand a little taller.
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During round 9, I wondered if we should do something to prepare the pairings boards for the following day. With this being my first time on a pairings team, I was unsure of all the tasks for which our team was responsible, so I asked Briggs. He directed me to ask Eric. Eric thought about my query for a moment, then he asked the other pairings team lead to join us. Our trio relocated the pairings boards and prepared them to post the next day's player lists which would be printed after round 9.
What struck me about Eric in this interaction is that he wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty; he grabbed a board and began dragging it into position. He balanced his role as a HJ with the concept that we're all responsible for the needs of the event. An appeal claimed him for a bit, but he later returned to verify that our task had been completed. Seeing him work alongside us reminded me that while each person has a specific role, at the end of the day, the we're all on the same team and share the same goals.
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Towards the end of the weekend I approached Eric to thank him for being so accessible. I noted that his presence on the floor had made finding a burgundy shirt fast and easy. He thanked me for the feedback, then pointed out that Appeals Judge Jeff Morrow had been the source of their accessibility and asked me to let Jeff know that I appreciated it. He balanced accepting my feedback and giving credit to the proper person.
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To close out the event Eric gathered us all for a final debrief. He thanked us for our work and reminded us to share feedback with judges with whom we had worked. Later, while looking at my notes, I realized that the person for whom I had the most feedback was Eric himself, so I followed his directive and wrote him a review.
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A player called me asking for a time extension due to being legally blind. The player appeared to be playing without any other accommodations. I had taken a call from this player in a previous round and had noted a time extension on the match slip, but had not further inquired. A quick investigation revealed that at the beginning of each round, he called a judge and requested an extension, which the judge granted. Unsure of how to handle the situation, I asked the player to wait a moment while I asked the Head Judge about the appropriate time extension.
Eric responded by saying that while we make reasonable accommodations for players with disabilities, we could not offer blanket time extensions each round. The potential impact on the tournament of those extensions is too large. He took the time to explain his reasoning to me carefully, then asked if I was comfortable explaining that to the player. My trepidation stemmed from the fact that the player had received them each previous round, but I appreciated Eric's confidence in me as well as his taking my comfort level into account. I agreed to handle the explanation and to my surprise Eric remained nearby while I did so. He ensured that I had the support I needed for what could have been a contentious player interaction, but he allowed me to complete the call I had taken, building both my credibility with the player and my confidence.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Saturday I served on Steven Briggs' pairings team. He assigned me the task of waiting next to the printer and catching the sheets as they printed, then handing each letter range to a waiting judge for posting. To accomplish this task, I stood on the edge of the stage facing a sea of judges at the beginning of each round. As we awaited round 4's pairings, L3 John Carter, the logistics team lead, hopped up onto the stage and yelled at the assembled judges about putting match slips in their pockets at the end of rounds. His explosive outburst left the assembled staff and the players behind them shocked, to say the least. My unique perspective from the corner of the stage showed me expressions of bewilderment, anger, fear, confusion, and remorse. Eric calmly walked up behind Carter mid-tirade. As Carter sensed his presence, he stopped and Eric quietly said, "Carter, we need to talk." A quirky grin on Carter's face followed by a "Yep!" demonstrated that Carter knew he had overstepped his bounds. He quickly followed Eric off the back of the stage.
Eric's handling of the incident demonstrated several things about his leadership. He observed, and quickly assessed the situation. His first priority was to get the event back on track. Next, he trusted his people. When he left with Carter, he didn't feel the need to issue instructions to his team leads or make an announcement to the staff as a whole. He simply handled the incident and let everyone else continue doing their jobs. Finally, he criticized in private. I don't actually know what was said, but since Carter issued a public apology before the next round, I'll assume that Eric didn't condone Carter's initial approach. Overall, Eric was clearly in control of the situation, but used a low-key manner to diffuse the tension and move things along.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While sweeping for slips, I took a call from two obviously agitated players. Alex was searching a library and showed me that the openings of the sleeves did not all face in the same direction. After a few quick questions I learned the library belonged to Neal and Alex had cast Pithing Needle. I took the deck and looked through it noting that there did not seem to be a pattern to the upside down cards and it appeared that the deck had been mash-shuffled. Alex continued to hint that he thought Neal was cheating, that Neal had done it on purpose, etc. Neal, clearly annoyed at Alex, snapped back after several of Alex's comments. Seeing the obvious tension at the table and knowing the round would end in a moment, when Alex said that I should get the Head Judge, I agreed.
Despite the fact that I hadn't finished delivering a ruling, the situation was escalating fast, time was short, and it looked like I would be getting Eric one way or another. Luckily, another judge walked by sweeping for slips and I quickly stopped her and asked her to watch the table. On my way to fetch Eric, I dropped off the match slips she and I had collected with another judge who took them to the stage. Eric saw me approaching purposefully and he immediately joined me on the walk back to the table. I explained the situation as we went, and he chastised me for not completing my ruling.At the table he looked at the library in question, then turned to the players. He explained to them that their behavior towards me had been inappropriate and that he had found the exact same thing that I had. He quickly corrected the cards in the library and instructed the players to resume playing. Alex demanded to finish searching the library.
By this point, time in the round had ended. Their match slip showed the players already had a previous time extension. Alex took his pen and lifepad and began writing notes about Neal's deck. He rudely asked Eric how much extra time they would receive. Eric let him know that he would not have enough time to write the entire contents of the library and encouraged him to move the match along. As play resumed, Alex and Neal continued to snipe at one another making pointed comments about minute details. Alex, clearly angling, queried, "How much of a time extension do we get for this?" Eric pulled out his phone, set a timer, dropped it on the table next to Alex and stated flatly, "You have 5 minutes." Alex looked to Eric and sneered, "Can we get a table judge for the rest of the match?" Eric and stood a bit taller looked right at him, and put his hands on his hips saying, "I'm not going anywhere." I could feel the switch flip and that Eric had reached his nonsense-limit. He didn't need yelling or threats to convey his displeasure, his presence spoke for itself. Neal mostly quieted down to continue the match, but Alex grumbled a bit more. Eric's proximity seemed to quell things enough that the match could proceed. After five minutes and five painfully long turns a member of the EOR team grabbed the slip and took off.
Eric and I walked back to the stage together at a good clip. He looked at me and said, "You were right to come and get me when you did." Surprised, I turned and he continued, "That wasn't going to stop." On some level I had sensed that at the table, but to hear the HJ validate my decision made me stand a little taller.
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During round 9, I wondered if we should do something to prepare the pairings boards for the following day. With this being my first time on a pairings team, I was unsure of all the tasks for which our team was responsible, so I asked Briggs. He directed me to ask Eric. Eric thought about my query for a moment, then he asked the other pairings team lead to join us. Our trio relocated the pairings boards and prepared them to post the next day's player lists which would be printed after round 9.What struck me about Eric in this interaction is that he wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty; he grabbed a board and began dragging it into position. He balanced his role as a HJ with the concept that we're all responsible for the needs of the event. An appeal claimed him for a bit, but he later returned to verify that our task had been completed. Seeing him work alongside us reminded me that while each person has a specific role, at the end of the day, the we're all on the same team and share the same goals.
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Towards the end of the weekend I approached Eric to thank him for being so accessible. I noted that his presence on the floor had made finding a burgundy shirt fast and easy. He thanked me for the feedback, then pointed out that Appeals Judge Jeff Morrow had been the source of their accessibility and asked me to let Jeff know that I appreciated it. He balanced accepting my feedback and giving credit to the proper person.
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Friday, September 23, 2016
Token
At least that's what the dictionary says it is.
In Magic, a token is a marker used to represent a permanent. The spell or ability that created the token may set values of the token.
In Portland, I received a token. I'd like to tell you about it . . .
On April 16th of this year I worked my first day as a Magic judge. After a very long day working on the floor, registration, then prize wall, I sat alone taking late registrations for the Super Sunday Series, when Head Judge Sean Catanese took the time to introduce himself to me as he left the building. That moment constituted a turning point in my judge career. On the heels of a less than pleasant encounter where someone had belittled me and in my exhausted state, I struggled with my decision to become a judge. I felt like perhaps I had taken the wrong road, or that no one would ever really accept me as a judge since I was a newer player, and female too. When Sean stopped to welcome me, it changed my perspective. A man in a burgundy shirt had acknowledged me and legitimized my position as a member of the program with the simple words, "Welcome to the family!"
The next day I stood a little taller in my black judge shirt and I smiled at a few more judges hoping that they would smile back. The judge community is filled with awesome people, and by that evening I was enjoying drinks and drafting with a bunch of new friends. Little did I know that I birthed a few traditions that night and made memories that will last a lifetime. (You can read more about Albuquerque here.)
Since then I have labored to improve my craft. If you know my personality at all, you know that I strive to reach the elite tiers of any endeavor I undertake. I like to "do the thing," whatever it may be, at the highest level. I fast tracked my way to L2 just 3 months later despite my awkward beginnings as a judge. I located a mentor who could teach me the rules, and committed to weekly late night study sessions. I traveled to another GP as well as working an SCG Open, some local events, and a 1K in Austin where I tested at the HJ's home afterwards. I also threw myself into the judge community writing tournament reports, planning a regional judge conference, and working with our Area Captain on local judge meet-ups. I sought mentors who could teach me the intricacies of policy and philosophy as I broadened my views and worked more outside my region.
The culmination of my efforts came when Cascade Games asked me to serve as the Registration Lead for GP Portland. Ok, so I might have mentioned a few ideas for improving the registration process after Albuquerque. And I might have demonstrated my assertive leadership skills at Dreamhack. And I might have been completely shocked when not only did I not receive a reprimand for being presumptuous, but I was offered the opportunity to apply my skills to an actual event.
Saturday proved to be another long but amazing day working with my awesome registration team. Those folks worked so hard that I treated them to Starbucks, twice! I wish I could have done more because their efforts made a crazy day manageable and fun. Despite the stresses of a large event with multiple demands to balance, I felt proud that I could lead my team effectively, communicate with my supervisors, and generally make things happen. While I'll skip the details that only a true logistics nerd (ok, yes, me) would love, I will says that I was able to manage my staff through trading/sharing with another team lead, I devised solutions to complicated problems by allowing others to shine in areas of expertise, and I never lost that personal connection with the people on my team.
Sometime on Saturday I found myself on the stage with Sean Catanese, who I had not spoken to since that day in Albuquerque. Since I knew this was his final GP to Head Judge, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank him for welcoming me on my first day as on the floor. Our brief chat ended with an interruption, but the interaction made me happy after being able to thank him in person.
Back at the hotel that night, my feet hurt too bad to even move. Luckily my Starbucks-deliveing roommate was willing to order us a pizza and go pick up some beer. Also luckily, I managed to stay awake long enough to consume a slice before falling asleep.
Once again, Sean had used a simple interaction to convey a message of great depth. He recognized my contributions to the judge program, affirmed my role as a judge, and boosted my confidence, all in a 2-3 minute conversation. The beauty and talent in his leadership both impressed me and inspired me to look for ways to do the same for other judges.
Now that token resides in my pocket when I'm on the floor. Each time I feel its weight or brush it with my hand it serves as a reminder to encourage other judges. I'm sure that one day, the time will come to pass that precious token along to a judge who needs it more than me, but in the meantime, I it will remind me to continue sharing Sean's message that 'you are valued' with judges that I encounter.
Friday, August 5, 2016
Know You
A lot of new judges ask: What do I need to do to prepare for my first Grand Prix? Veteran judges love to answer this question, and each has their own version or flavor. It usually includes comfortable shoes, drinking water, and bringing pens. Each conversation contains a lot of valuable information, but it can leave a new judge feeling confused or overwhelmed. I know it did for me! So here's my advice to a new judge preparing for his/her first large event.
This simple phrase trumps each specific detail that others may suggest. You are the expert on you. You know yourself better than everyone else, so you know how to apply the well-intentioned advice in a way that serves your personal needs.
Self Care - This is one of the first things new judges should understand. Quite simply: If you are too tired, sore, sick, or otherwise non-functional to do your job, you hurt the entire event. Yes, judges have passed out, vomited, and fallen asleep on the floor. Please don't be one of them. Get enough rest. Drink enough water. Eat healthy food including breakfast. Don't stay out too late partying with your roommates the night before. You've heard all those things. However, rather than saying 'you need to drink 8 glasses of water,' I'll say, "you need to understand your body's needs." Personally, I have a type of migraines caused by dehydration. To avoid them I need to drink 1-2 bottles of Gatorade per day to maintain my electrolyte balance. I also carry some trail mix in my bag for when I need a salty snack. Think about your personal preferences as far as eating, drinking, snacking, rest, and medications, then understand how those things affect your work as a judge. Make decisions that will have you feeling your best not just on Friday, but all weekend.
Dress Well - We'll start with the basics: your uniform. Please show up with clean, well fitting clothing in good repair. You make us all look bad when your BO precedes you to a table or your shirt looks like you slept in it (even if you did, iron it). If you need a judge shirt, be sure to let the TO know or borrow one from another judge. As far as shoes, wear comfortable ones that you can stand/walk all day it. Sitting down because your feet hurt provides bad customer service and makes you look lazy to your team lead. Best advice someone gave me: choose the kind of shoes that you normally wear every day, and buy them in black. Other tricks: wear comfortable undergarments that don't rub or chafe, yes I mean a 'judge bra' or 'judge underwear.' Also, since you won't be wearing your judge shirt unless you are on the floor working, you will want to wear an undershirt so that you can take it off. Some people put on a different shirt, commonly a regional polo over the undershirt. I've also seen just a jacket or vest worn over it, especially in colder climates. Whatever you choose is fine, remember this is about what makes you most comfortable.
Come Prepared - Bring at minimum some colored pens and a notepad. Better preparation includes sharpies, sticky notes, tape, scissors, and a highlighter. Again, this is personal preference here. I like to bring pens with multiple colors instead of multiple pens. I also like to bring a clipboard, but hate having a water bottle. Make sure that whatever you want to carry with you fits comfortably in your pockets.
Know Your Stuff - Make sure you have read/studied relevant information and the IPG. If it's sealed, read the release notes; it it's Legacy, be ready for Oracle text requests. If you you are Head Judging a 2HG side event, look over the 2HG stuff. You can almost always look up a ruling or ask another judge if you need to, so know the basics, but don't stress out over this one. Also, know when and how to get help. Ask your Team Lead or another judge if you need to. Being right is always better than being fast. Also, know when to say, "I'm pretty sure I know this, but I want to double check one detail." Then come back and say, "I was right, it's . . . ." There is no shame in consulting another judge, you will learn stuff and they will like helping you. Generally, judges worry about this one a lot, and really it's not that big of a deal.
Be There - Show up early. Listen well. Do the things you are supposed to do. Nothing is more frustrating than a judge who is MIA. Don't make your Team Lead have to wait on you, look for you, or wonder why your work is not done. If you have a problem, need to go to the bathroom, or don't know how to do a task - ASK. Communication is key here. For example, if the Head Judge asks you to go get him coffee, don't wander off to do it without telling your Team Lead who will be expecting you to hang pairings in 3 minutes. The Head Judge will be ok with you hanging pairings and then getting the coffee. There are a lot of people doing a lot of things. To make the event smooth, all of those things have to be coordinated. Be a team player here and pay attention to what's going on around you; it will help you, your team, and the event.
Learn Something - While this may go without saying, your goal should always be to improve yourself and your craft. Meet some new people. Try a new skill. Maybe you have never done a Polish method deck check. Maybe you have never been on the pairings team. Perhaps you can work a shift at registration or help breakdown afterwards. It could be a trick to remember people's names or asking about someone's cool shoes. If you think you have nothing left to improve upon, you should probably consider being done judging. Most judges love to help, teach, and mentor, so don't be shy. Ask about what you want to know. Observe carefully. Think critically. Make sure that when you leave, you are a better judge than when you arrived.
Write It Down - No matter how sure you are that you won't forget, write it down. Take notes about cool interactions. Jot down that player's name and table number. Scrawl a note so you don't forget. You'll be surprised how much information will come at you and how fast. With so much going on, don't risk it - write it. It also helps you appear collected and competent to have good notes when talking to a HJ or Team Lead. Notes make writing reviews and tournament reports later much easier too. Writing doesn't end when the event does. Committing your thoughts to paper makes them shareable so others can learn from you too.
Have Fun - Trite, maybe, but true. If you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong. Enjoy the energy, the camaraderie, the challenges, and the triumphs. It'll fly by, so be prepared to apply to your next GP soon!
KNOW YOU
This simple phrase trumps each specific detail that others may suggest. You are the expert on you. You know yourself better than everyone else, so you know how to apply the well-intentioned advice in a way that serves your personal needs.
Self Care - This is one of the first things new judges should understand. Quite simply: If you are too tired, sore, sick, or otherwise non-functional to do your job, you hurt the entire event. Yes, judges have passed out, vomited, and fallen asleep on the floor. Please don't be one of them. Get enough rest. Drink enough water. Eat healthy food including breakfast. Don't stay out too late partying with your roommates the night before. You've heard all those things. However, rather than saying 'you need to drink 8 glasses of water,' I'll say, "you need to understand your body's needs." Personally, I have a type of migraines caused by dehydration. To avoid them I need to drink 1-2 bottles of Gatorade per day to maintain my electrolyte balance. I also carry some trail mix in my bag for when I need a salty snack. Think about your personal preferences as far as eating, drinking, snacking, rest, and medications, then understand how those things affect your work as a judge. Make decisions that will have you feeling your best not just on Friday, but all weekend.
Dress Well - We'll start with the basics: your uniform. Please show up with clean, well fitting clothing in good repair. You make us all look bad when your BO precedes you to a table or your shirt looks like you slept in it (even if you did, iron it). If you need a judge shirt, be sure to let the TO know or borrow one from another judge. As far as shoes, wear comfortable ones that you can stand/walk all day it. Sitting down because your feet hurt provides bad customer service and makes you look lazy to your team lead. Best advice someone gave me: choose the kind of shoes that you normally wear every day, and buy them in black. Other tricks: wear comfortable undergarments that don't rub or chafe, yes I mean a 'judge bra' or 'judge underwear.' Also, since you won't be wearing your judge shirt unless you are on the floor working, you will want to wear an undershirt so that you can take it off. Some people put on a different shirt, commonly a regional polo over the undershirt. I've also seen just a jacket or vest worn over it, especially in colder climates. Whatever you choose is fine, remember this is about what makes you most comfortable.
Come Prepared - Bring at minimum some colored pens and a notepad. Better preparation includes sharpies, sticky notes, tape, scissors, and a highlighter. Again, this is personal preference here. I like to bring pens with multiple colors instead of multiple pens. I also like to bring a clipboard, but hate having a water bottle. Make sure that whatever you want to carry with you fits comfortably in your pockets.
Know Your Stuff - Make sure you have read/studied relevant information and the IPG. If it's sealed, read the release notes; it it's Legacy, be ready for Oracle text requests. If you you are Head Judging a 2HG side event, look over the 2HG stuff. You can almost always look up a ruling or ask another judge if you need to, so know the basics, but don't stress out over this one. Also, know when and how to get help. Ask your Team Lead or another judge if you need to. Being right is always better than being fast. Also, know when to say, "I'm pretty sure I know this, but I want to double check one detail." Then come back and say, "I was right, it's . . . ." There is no shame in consulting another judge, you will learn stuff and they will like helping you. Generally, judges worry about this one a lot, and really it's not that big of a deal.
Be There - Show up early. Listen well. Do the things you are supposed to do. Nothing is more frustrating than a judge who is MIA. Don't make your Team Lead have to wait on you, look for you, or wonder why your work is not done. If you have a problem, need to go to the bathroom, or don't know how to do a task - ASK. Communication is key here. For example, if the Head Judge asks you to go get him coffee, don't wander off to do it without telling your Team Lead who will be expecting you to hang pairings in 3 minutes. The Head Judge will be ok with you hanging pairings and then getting the coffee. There are a lot of people doing a lot of things. To make the event smooth, all of those things have to be coordinated. Be a team player here and pay attention to what's going on around you; it will help you, your team, and the event.
Learn Something - While this may go without saying, your goal should always be to improve yourself and your craft. Meet some new people. Try a new skill. Maybe you have never done a Polish method deck check. Maybe you have never been on the pairings team. Perhaps you can work a shift at registration or help breakdown afterwards. It could be a trick to remember people's names or asking about someone's cool shoes. If you think you have nothing left to improve upon, you should probably consider being done judging. Most judges love to help, teach, and mentor, so don't be shy. Ask about what you want to know. Observe carefully. Think critically. Make sure that when you leave, you are a better judge than when you arrived.
Write It Down - No matter how sure you are that you won't forget, write it down. Take notes about cool interactions. Jot down that player's name and table number. Scrawl a note so you don't forget. You'll be surprised how much information will come at you and how fast. With so much going on, don't risk it - write it. It also helps you appear collected and competent to have good notes when talking to a HJ or Team Lead. Notes make writing reviews and tournament reports later much easier too. Writing doesn't end when the event does. Committing your thoughts to paper makes them shareable so others can learn from you too.
Have Fun - Trite, maybe, but true. If you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong. Enjoy the energy, the camaraderie, the challenges, and the triumphs. It'll fly by, so be prepared to apply to your next GP soon!
Friday, June 17, 2016
Perspectives
When learning to do something new, I like to learn it right. Sometimes that's easy - read the rules and follow them. However, many things are an art and require actual practice to develop skill in applying those rules correctly and consistently. The Magic judge program includes thousands of individuals all over the world in a wide variety of situations all applying the same set of standards to a diverse set of players. Even judges who are highly skilled often come to different conclusions or have variance in their application of fixes.
Last weekend at Grand Prix Columbus I had the opportunity to serve on a staff of talented judges and witness the art of judging first hand. Let me give you a few examples of the things I saw . . .
Note: Players' names are fictional. Active player is the player whose name begins with an A. The nonactive player's name begins with an N.
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Andrew cast Green Sun's Zenith, searched for a creature and put it onto the battlefield, then passed turn. On his next turn his Sylvan Library trigger resolved and he chose to put two cards back on top of his library. Next he went to declare attackers and noticed the Green Sun's Zenith still sitting on the battlefield. He called a judge who determined that it was accidentally left there instead of being shuffled back into his library. The fix that made sense at that point was to shuffle it back into the random portion of the library (thus not shuffling the 2 cards placed on top by the Sylvan Library). After the call, the judges involved discussed that they could have also opted to move Green Sun's Zenith to the graveyard. While neither is specifically supported by policy, the shuffle fix produces a closer approximation of the actual correct game state.
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While watching a Top 8 match in a Friday afternoon grinder between Al and Ned, Al complains that Ned is playing slowly. I watch Ned who has 2 cards in hand as he flips them back and forth apparently thinking. A quick scan of the game reveals that he has only enough mana available to cast 1 of them. The board state is cluttered, but not necessarily complicated. I note that there are approximately 10 minutes left in the round. After Ned makes his play casting 1 of the creatures I say, "I will need you to play faster." Al plays quickly and on Ned's next turn he once again fiddles with his cards, rearranges his lands, and after I prompt him to play faster finally plays both cards. On Ned's next turn he draws a plains which he looks at, puts down, picks up, puts down, picks up . . . I counted to 15 in my head and then interrupted to give the Slow Play Warning.
While writing on the slip, I overhear the next turn. Al draws for turn then plays a Silvergill Adept revealing a Cursecatcher. He says, "Draw?" and Ned says, "ok." Al draws a card. Next he casts another Silvergill Adept (the card he just drew) again revealing the Cursecatcher. He says, "Draw?" and Ned says, "Ok." Then Ned says, "Ooops he shouldn't have drawn those cards JUDGE!" I look at the game and Ned points to his Spirit of the Labyrinth.
After considering the situation I determined that it should be a GPE-GRV for Al and a GPE-FtMGS for Ned. However I was unsure on whether or not to back up. Al only had 2 cards in hand, the Cursecatcher (known to all) and the card drawn off the last Silvergill Adept. I opted to confer with another judge before proceeding. I let the players know, then I located a nearby L2 and asked him to assist me. He came to the table and spoke to the players walking through the situation. While he was doing that, another judge asked me a question and momentarily distracted me. Then L2 asked me to step away from the table with him. We agreed on the call, but he said that he was not comfortable with the backup either.
He wanted to confer with our L3 team lead so we sought him out. L3 appeared to have his hands full with several issues, but he finished what he was doing and listened as L2 and I explained our situation. L3 then told us that it should be ruled a HCE for Al and still FtMGS for Ned. Using the HCE fix Al would reveal the unknown card from his deck and Ned would select it to be shuffled back into Al's library. He then asked if I was comfortable delivering the ruling and when I said I was he sent me back to the table to handle the situation.
Later that evening at Eric Levine's policy seminar on Hidden Card Errors, I became sure that this was in fact not an HCE. I explained the situation to Eric, who agreed that is should have been a GRV.
The next day I sought out L3 and asked him about it. As we went over the story again the disparity became clear. He did not realize that Ned had confirmed Al's draws. In our haste to explain the situation to him, L2 and I had not articulated that point well and that led to the odd ruling.
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During the main event in a round 4 match, Abe said "Move to cleanup step." Nell said "Ok." Abe had 8 cards in hand, so he discarded a Force of Will. Nell stopped him saying, "Whoa, hang on. Before you discard, activate Stoneforge Mystic and Aether Vial." Abe called for a judge, who ruled that Nell had not agreed to move past his priority in end step. The Head Judge who heard the appeal agreed that saying 'ok' is simply an acknowledgment of the proposal, not an acceptance of it.
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While working the Chris Rush Memorial Sealed side event, our event's L2 took a judge call from the main event. When he returned, I asked him what happened and he told the following story: Starting Game 2 a player presented a 60 card deck to his opponent, but had 16 cards in his sideboard due to the fact that he normally runs 61 in his main board. He noticed before drawing his opening hand and called a judge on himself. At this point L2 asked me if I knew the ruling. I said it's a Game loss, but there is a downgrade to a Warning option. He said that's correct, so he consulted a Head Judge of the main event. In this case, the HJ decided to issue the GL. L2 and I discussed it a bit more and neither of us could understand why the HJ made the decision not to downgrade. Seeing that HJ was nearby and available, I sent L2 over to ask him. The answer: "I probably should have downgraded."
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On Sunday a player in the main event had a Windswept Heath in play. He said, "Fetch" while picking it up and touching it to his graveyard. Then, realizing that he was at 1 life, said, "Oh wait, nevermind." His opponent called a judge. The floor judge ruled that he did in fact fetch and was required to do so and lose the game. Unfortunately, I didn't hear the result of the appeal.
My takeaway from the weekend was that no matter how exact we think the rules are, there will always be situations that require using our judgment - we are judges after all. Being a strong judge doesn't mean never being wrong, it means understanding the rules, applying them to the best of our ability, and being willing to trust ourselves to handle the tough situations as best we can. We each add unique experiences and ideals to the program and those can be seen in the choices and rulings we make. The convergence of those perspectives constitutes the body of judge wisdom we all draw upon.
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Welcome to the family!
A bit of backstory
I certified as a judge 6 days before I was on staff at Grand Prix Albuquerque. I applied 3 months in advance and was (not surprisingly) declined. While saddened, I understood and decided to attend as a player instead.Eight days before the event I received the following e-mail from Kyle Knudson, the judge manager:
Hey Erin,Now I'm not the girly type, but I think I may have actually giggled when I read that message. I might have also jumped from my chair and preformed a most unladylike dance. Then I had to settle down and write a chill response like "Sure, ok, I guess I can do it if you really need me; I don't mind too much." Then it hit me: he asked ME. Not my husband, the soon-to-be L2 (who would have probably been a much wiser choice). I verified this fact with my husband, and we both chuckled at the fact that I was staffed at a GP before him.
We had some Judges drop out and I was hoping we could have you on Staff instead of playing. I know it's pretty close to the event, but if you are still interested let me know.
Thanks :)
The fact that I HAD to pass my L1 exam in 2 days also hit me like a ton of bricks. As if re-testing at the Judge Conference in front of everyone wasn't bad enough!
Note: To read about my L1 tests, click Failed or Passed.
My husband was added to the GP staff as well, and thanks to a lot of great judges who helped us along the way, we both passed our exams at the conference. As the week progressed, another local judge, Jim Shuman, was activated and he became an addition to our room. While we drove to Albuquerque on Thursday, we got a call from another last minute addition, and Ben Quasnitschka joined our crew. He caught rides along to way to meet up with us at the event. I drove the 10 hours on Thursday, and we made great time, arriving in Albuquerque to enjoy dinner at the Frontier Diner and got settled in our cozy room.
Friday
Then, we spent the day at the venue scoping things out in preparation for our first day of work. We met Dawna the accountant, signed our paperwork, and picked up our compensation. I did find it interesting that we were paid before we even owned a judge shirt, but I guess we judges engender a certain level of trust. (Either that or everyone just knows that we love what we do so much that we would never no-show.)
We introduced ourselves to our team leads, found out where we would be working, and received our judge shirts. So I had asked for an XL . . . little did I know it was a ladies cut. Let's just say that I'm not exactly a 'ladies cut.' I ended up with a men's cut 2XL that fit a bit like a tent, but on the plus side, it would fit pretty much anyone.
A glance into our closet made me smile. Crisp black judge shirts and pressed black slacks filled its hangers. Comfortable black shoes lined the floor. Ben started singing, "I've got a lov-e-ly bunch of judge shoes. Do-do-do-do There they are just standing in a row . . ."Saturday
I couldn't sleep! Not that I'm a great sleeper to begin with, but the anticipation (and possibly the nachos from dinner) kept me up all night. Ben's alarm went off at 5:30, a leftover from the previous weekend's judge conference. Jim's went off at 5:57 - early shift! After Jim, I got up and showered and joined him for breakfast. In the lobby we saw a parade of judges, mostly high level ones. All the folks in black pants and black shoes either wearing a hoodie or a T-shirt were clearly my soon-to-be co-workers. Since the shuttle was full, Jim agreed to drive his personal car and take judges to work. I joined him on his last trip over and arrived at the convention center about 8:30.My schedule for the day placed me at the registration desk beginning at noon, and after registration ended for the day I would move to the prize wall until the evening's last event concluded. I felt lucky to have been selected for the extended shift but a little disappointed that I would have to wait 3 long hours to get started.
I offered to shadow in Jim's morning event just to get in some floor experience. What an experience it was! Due to a miscommunication, I loaned my judge shirt to another judge who forgot his, planning to have my husband bring over a replacement shirt from Jim's closet before my shift started. Good thing we all wear the same size!
Since I was there early, I observed the setup for a side event from checking out the room to obtaining product. I was grateful to Adena's list of things to bring, as the scissors, sticky notes, and sharpies came in handy!
Another judge asked Jim, "Is she one of yours?" to which Jim replied, "No, but she's a grandbaby judgeling." Jim certified my mentor, Josh McCurley. How funny to hear that 'judge family trees' are well known in the community. I felt so proud that Jim claimed me as a product of his teachings.
As the players started to arrive, I truly felt the role of a judge settle on my shoulders. Players treated me with that standoffish level of respect and called me ma'm. They asked a lot of questions - but they were all easy. "What time does the event start?" "Where is the restroom?" "Can I use my own basic lands?" Nothing like the crazy scenarios judges ask each other. While I was supposed to be a shadow, the players didn't know that, and Jim certainly didn't treat me like one, so I stepped into character and answered their questions with a smile. I enjoyed these initial interactions and realized that I was setting the tone for the event with my approachable demeanor. I wanted them to know that judges are there to help and would be happy to interact with them no matter their need.
When the event began, I joined Jim in watching the players and a nearby hand shot up as a player called, "judge." Jim nudged me and we walked to the table and greeted them. Andy explained that he had mistakenly cast an instant spell on his own turn as if it were a sorcery spell. A quick mental check of the game state, life totals, board state, and players' attitudes revealed that nothing else was going on and it was a straightforward call. I looked to Jim and he said, "Make your ruling." (Me? Me? My brain screamed! I get to make a ruling. A real ruling on the floor of a side event at a real GP. OMG!) I looked at Andy and explained that while I understood his situation and that it was not the way he would have liked to play it, he had cast the spell legally and that it would remain cast. I was not 100% sure that my ruling was correct, but since my Head Judge was standing next to me, I hoped that he would consult with me if necessary. I really appreciated Jim letting me make that call, supporting my decision, and debriefing me privately afterwards.
I took a few more calls, and learned a few more things. I got teased by a player when I didn't have a pen in my pocket. Darn it! I had specifically purchased new, multi-color pens perfect for deck checks, and then left them in my bag at the front of the room rather than putting one in my pocket. Rookie mistake - easy fix.
While I was a bit disappointed to be staffed in a non-judge role, I completely understand the logic of not assigning a new, not even certified at the time of application, person to work the floor. Also, I indicated in my application that I could "rock registration" and that "there will be no line." So I set out to make that happen! Joe Sapp, my team lead, turned out to be amazing and his people-first mentality really resonated with me. The two ladies with whom I worked proved to be excellent teachers and I soon mastered my tasks.
I spent most of the next 7 hours registering players for scheduled side events. I enjoyed the interactions and being able to help. For the most part the players were awesome, looking for a fun experience, sharing jokes, and enjoying themselves. Some of them came back several times, so we discussed how they had fared in each event. My team lead sent me on multiple breaks and took great care of all his staff.
I returned to registration and got back to work. A hour or so later, Joe Klopchic, the judge who started my husband into judging before me, walked by to pass along the high-five. What a fun way to make someone smile! David Hibbs, a local L3 who attended as a player dropped by to give me periodic updates on his play in the main event as well. Then Trevor Nunez came by with Jim. Meeting Trevor was a treat because he's in our regional USA South Slack judge chat and he had spent the last 2 months helping me study for my L1 exam. The community feel of being a part of a GP staff really helped me get past the first day jitters and preform at my best.
When registration closed, I moved to the prize wall. While it sounded fun, it proved to be quite a challenge for me. Since I had no experience with the prize wall set-up and am new-ish to the Magic community, I found myself unable to answer most players' questions about items' cost or contents. Basically a player and I would start talking, but I could not find what they needed or inform them about our products. I felt useless. Friendly, willing to help, and useless. Luckily they decided to reopen registration for the Super Sunday Series. Many of my players from earlier events came by to sign up and I was back to doing what I did well.
Around 11:30 as we were closing the registrations I noted a flash of burgundy as Sean Catanese, a Head Judge, walked out of the main hall. He looked tired and I know he had been working hard all day. I offered him a smile. He walked over and introduced himself to me and thanked me for the work I was doing. He asked where I was from and mentioned that he had not met me. When I stated that I was newly certified and this was my first time on staff he reached out to shake my hand and said, "Welcome to the family!" At that point in a long day, those words meant everything to me.
We returned to our room, thankful for a fridge full of leftovers and roommates who waited up for us. We debriefed about the day, all swapping stories of our calls, both good and bad. Finally, around 2am, we crawled into our beds and drifted off.
Sunday
My insomnia continued and I was awake by 5am. After 45 minutes of lying in bed not-sleeping, I gave up and took a long hot shower. I dressed in my judge kit, grabbed my laptop, and headed downstairs for breakfast. A cup of hot chocolate and a breakfast biscuit later, I greeted many staff members and judges as they came down for breakfast. One of the earliest was John Carter from Cascade Games who I had met the day before. I smiled inwardly at the number of names I remembered and a roommate's mention of the "L3 parade."Back at work, I spent a long day having a blast at registration. My husband and I managed to take dinner breaks at the same time and met up with our roommate Jim and an L2 from Oklahoma named Joni Bailey. We shared stories over gyros and left feeling refreshed.
Since registration had closed, I needed to speak with Kyle to receive my next assignment. Much to my surprise, Jim accompanied me and asked if I could help him on the floor. Wow! Jim is the best! Kyle agreed and Jim assigned me to a 2 Headed Giant event where I worked with its Head Judge until it ended at 10:30ish.
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