AGazine, September 2014

News and Notes

Events across the AGLOA leagues during the next month:

To see all of our of upcoming events, visit our Calendar page. If your league’s events are not listed, please send us your schedule.

Outstanding Seniors: Margaret Dowling and Taylor Glorioso

These two young ladies from Mount Carmel Academy in New Orleans were nominated at the 2014 Nationals by their coach, Geoffrey Philabaum, who wrote as follows.

“When I was told I would be the moderator for Academic Games, I was very excited because I loved Scholars Bowl in high school. I was ready to talk about Greek myth, random math theorems, and Beethoven. Little did I know that I was entering a world of intricate cube games, intense presidential trivia, and irreversible attacks on all propaganda – a world I knew absolutely nothing about!”

“Two young ladies, Margaret (Maggie) Dowling and Taylor Glorioso, were my salvation. They not only had a thirst for success, but they also had an intense desire to help me grow the club, while learning the games. Under their leadership at our school, the club doubled in size, and we were able to quadruple our fundraising efforts. They compiled new materials for future members and reestablished community partnerships previously lost.”

“Not only are they impeccable leaders, but they are also formidable players with numerous local and national accolades to their names. However, what is most impressive about them is that they are genuinely motivated by a contagious, altruistic love for the games. Their selflessness is clearly evident in how they help coach not just our team members, but also a home school team and ‘rival’ members in the New Orleans League, while still earning Honor Graduate distinctions and taking Honors and AP courses. At competition they bring extra materials just in case anyone might forget something important, and even though they are going up for a match, they will stop and ask if I need anything. As they were preparing for Nationals, they planned not only for what they needed, but also what would help the other players during late night study sessions.”

“In short, they are exceptional!”

Outstanding Educator: Gena Asevado

Gena Asevado has been involved in Academic Games at Trist Middle School in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, for six years, teaching Propaganda, Presidents, On-Sets, and Equations. Here are some excerpts from her nomination at the 2014 Nationals.

After Katrina, St. Bernard Parish was in desperate need of a Middle Division coach. Trist was the first middle school to open. She practiced with her students often. She practices on Fridays, Saturdays, lunch practices, and one day during the week. When St. Bernard added two other middle schools, she assisted those coaches and helped expand the program to those schools. She would even drive to other middle schools to assist with their practices. She also helps organize summer trainings for new coaches. Under her leadership, Academic Games is present at all middle schools in St. Bernard Parish.

One of her players wrote: "When someone mentions ‘an outstanding Academic Games coach,’ there’s no doubt in my mind that it would be Mrs. Asevado. She is remarkably dedicated, from bringing doughnuts early in the morning at Saturday practices, to our fun crazy pens we get each day at Nationals. She gives us more than we could ever ask for. However, she still does more. Mrs. Asevado pushes us to be better than our very best. She challenges us to concentrate and want to win. Plus, she can always make us laugh in practice, no matter what. She is my role model; she inspires me by everything she has done for us and how she can believe in us to do our best. She’s always selfless and thinks about others."

Another coach wrote: "She is our cheerleader. Practices with her are lively, fun, and always entertaining. She tells great stories, usually about the other coaches, and the kids love waiting for her morning story. She has started many traditions at Nationals. She began the tradition of a special pen for each day and our annual pen picture."

Down Memory Lane

The Rules Committee meeting at the 1984 Nationals at Rock Eagle 4H Center (GA) produced the proposals listed below. A 2/3 majority of the 11-person committee was required to pass a proposal.

1. The same five-player team must play four games; they must count their finish in at least one math game (Equations or On-Sets), at least one social studies game (Mr. President or World Card), and at least one language arts game (LinguiSHTIK or Propaganda/Strange Bedfellows). The fourth game may come from any of these three areas or could be WFF’N Proof.
2. Addendum to the above proposal: Should a minimum number of teams entered in a division of a game be required before that game can count toward sweepstakes?
3. That at the Olympics, no individual playoffs be held. At least three individual awards will be given in each division of each game. Ties for the third position will not be broken, and all individuals in such a tie will receive an award. In cube games, all players who finish with perfect 24’s for four rounds will receive an award. (If there are no players with 24, then start with 23 and take at least the top three, and so on.) The top individual in each subject area of each division will be determined by total points in the two games of that area. Any players tied for highest score for the two games will all receive an award.

Proposal 1 passed in principle, but the committee was divided on whether WFF’N Proof would count as one of the four games pending settlement of the question about requiring a minimum number of teams for a game to count posed in #2. Proposal 3 was defeated.