Greetings Judges! This week’s Judge of the Week is Nole Clauson, L2 from Gillette, Wyoming. Nole tested for L1 at GP Salt Lake City and reached L2 at GP Denver.

Why did you become a judge?
I love being around Magic, especially events like the old regional pre-releases or GP’s. However, I’ve accepted that I’m not good enough and do not have the (pick one: time, ambition, skill, desire) to play at a high level. I saw judging as my way to have a reason to go to events, still feel like I was being successful, and still be around the Magic culture and community.

Occupation: Currently I’m a computer technician at Office Depot, however I hope to start a new career working for the Boy Scouts of America at the beginning of next year.

Favorite card: Knowledge Pool I love cards that fundamentally change how the people in the game have to play magic, and this is one of the most recent. (Note: this card becomes far less fun when paired with Curse of Exhaustion or Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir)

Least favorite card: Door to Nothingness Commander has ruined me for cards that say “target player loses the game” or “you win the game”

Favorite format: Commander if it’s constructed (I write and edit for Commandercast.com), Cube for limited.

Commander general: Karona, False God

Favorite non-Magic Game: 1000 blank white cards (if you have never heard of this game, Google it. It’s kinda off the wall but super fun.)

Best tournament result: I got 69th at a SCG open after not playing magic for 3 months.

Random fact about yourself: I am currently studying how to hypnotize people.

Tell us your favorite judge story.
There are so many. At SCG Salt Lake, Jared Sylva made the “no cash transactions” announcement immediately after giving the judges our lunch stipend. I then walk up to our head judge and said that I needed to report a cash transaction. I am maybe 3 feet away from Jared and this gets his attention as well. I then proceed to tell the head judge that Jared gave me $40 for “services rendered” and I didn’t know what to do.

Tell us an embarrassing story that you’re not afraid of everyone knowing.
At my first comp REL event I did not have a judge shirt, so I borrowed a black dress shirt that was about 2 sizes too small. Midway through round one I had a button pop off and hit a player in the back of the head. I spent the rest of the tournament judging with an unbuttoned black shirt and a black t-shirt underneath.

How has being a judge influenced your non-Magic life?
Someone much smarter than me (I wish I could remember who), once called the judge program “a cult of self-improvement that happens to run Magic events on weekends.” The skills that the Judge program teaches you (things like time/project management, teamwork, and customer interaction) are skills that can be ported over to anything in life.

You were nominated because you were tasked as the State Coordinator of Wyoming. Could you explain the dynamics and duties of being a State Coordinator?
The biggest part of my job is to help build and strengthen the judge program in Wyoming, as well as serve as a resource and go between for local communities and the judge program. I help stores find judges for larger events, help judges find resources within the program, make sure that information such as judging opportunities gets disseminated to a local level.

Right now, the biggest part of my job has been finding and recruiting new judges. At the beginning of this year, Wyoming had 6 judges all of whom were level 1. By the end of this year, we will have 11 as well as several candidates in the works. My goal be the end of 2014 is to double the number of judges in Wyoming.

What motivates you to continue being a judge?
Every time I go to an event I am struck by both how much I have improved over my last event and how much better I want to be for the next one. The people in the judge program are some of the most amazing people to work with and to be a part of bringing people into that awesomeness and revel in it myself keeps me coming to every event I can make it to.

What’s the best part about your local Magic community?
The community in Wyoming is great. While we are very geographically isolated (for example, I have to drive 80 miles to get to my 2nd closest LGS), it still feels like family when you get there. I always look forward to States every year as, to us, it’s a great chance to get together, visit with old friends, and play some great magic in (to quote my players) “the most casual competitive event of the year.”

What’s the biggest rule-breaking play you’ve ever made as a player?
Growing up playing at a kitchen table my group did not know how regeneration worked. To us, regeneration basically read “cast this from your graveyard for its regeneration cost.” BTW this make Ancient Silverback from Urza’s Destiny possibly the most busted card ever.

What would you be doing now if Magic no longer existed?
I’d have much more free time, much more disposable income, and much less fun in my life.

What character in Magic (real or fictional) represents you the best, and why?
(Don’t say Fblthp, don’t say Fblthp, don’t say Fblthp) I’ve always seen the duality of Sorin (especially Sorin, Lord of Innistrad) and the balance between what is right and what he wants is something I can relate to. If he had blue in there somewhere he would have my personality down pretty well.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
Just a huge thank you to all of you who make the judge community so awesome. Keep on being as awesome as you all are.

Two Truths and a Lie
Two of the following statements is true, and one is false. Figure out which!

1. I am an ordained minister.
2. I once got lost in the woods for 2 days and had to be found by Search and Rescue.
3. I am a classically trained vocalist and have performed in front of Whitney Houston and Morgan Freeman.