June 2018 Anniversaries

Here are the June 2018 judge anniversaries!

15 years

from Loule, Portugal
from Belleville, United States
from Lisboa, Portugal
from Lyssach, Switzerland
from Pfastatt, France
from Alexandria, United States
from Kansas City, United States
from Port Huron, United States

10 years

from Kuringen, Belgium
from Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic
from Moscow, Russia
from Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States
from Coventry, United Kingdom
from Ciney, Belgium
from Overland Park, Kansas, United States
from Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
from Tehuacan, Mexico
from St. Louis, Missouri, United States
from Rockwall, Texas, United States
from Denton, Texas, United States
from Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

5 years

from Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States
from Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
from North Caldwell, New Jersey, United States
from Burlington, Vermont, United States
from Nikaho, Akita, Japan
from Mississauga, Canada
from Belleville, Canada
from Clovis , New Mexico, United States
from Boston, Massachusetts, United States
from Gainesville, Florida, United States
from Anchorage, Alaska, United States
from Taichung, Taiwan
from London, United Kingdom
from Portoguaro, Italy
from Kaliningrad, Russia
from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States
from Rosyth, United Kingdom
from ., Italy
from Mississauga, Canada
from Kenner, Louisiana, United States
from Rzeszów, Poland
from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States
from Moscow, Russia
from Vancouver, Washington, United States
from Rancho Cucamonga, California, United States
from Cagliari, Italy
from Lahtam, New York, United States
from Niskayuna, New York, United States
from Smithfield, Rhode Island, United States
from Cleveland, Ohio, United States
from Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
from Lisboa, Portugal
from Manteca, California, United States
from Gothenburg, Sweden
from Stavanger, Norway
from Atwater, California, United States
from Paderbonr, Germany
from Toronto, Canada
from Tracy, California, United States
from Toronto, Canada
from Gävle, Sweden
from Albany, New York, United States
from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, United States
from Varese, Italy
from Obertshausen, Germany
from Harrisburg, United States
from Lithia, Florida, United States
from Leicester, United Kingdom
from äæ, China
from Mankato, Minnesota, United States
from SP, Brazil
from Lafayette, California, United States
from Madrid, Spain
from Princeton, New Jersey, United States
from Exeter, United Kingdom
from Turnersville, New Jersey, United States
from Canton, New York, United States
from Brunswick, Maine, United States
from cuernavaca, Mexico
from St. Johnsbury, Vermont, United States
from St. Johnsbury, Vermont, United States
from Newton, Massachusetts, United States
from Smithfield, Rhode Island, United States
from Portland, Oregon, United States
from León, Mexico
from Poway, California, United States
from Kaiserslautern, Germany
from Belo Horizonte, Brazil
from San Luis Potosi, Mexico
from Daphne, Alabama, United States
from Davis, California, United States
from Austin, Texas, United States
from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States
from Wuxi, China
from Yorktown Heights, New York, United States
from Lyon, France
from Mexico City, Mexico
from Tampico – Tamaulipas, Mexico
from Waterville, Maine, United States
from Atlixco, Mexico
from Manchester, Connecticut, United States
from Brasília, Brazil
from St Andrews, United Kingdom
from Saint-Petersburg, Russia
from Adairsville , Georgia, United States
from Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
from Alcalá de Henares, Spain
from Alcalá de Henares, Spain
from Manchester, United Kingdom
from Groningen, Netherlands
from äæ, China
from SungNam-si, South Korea
from Heilbronn, Germany
from Saint Petersburg, Russia
from Saint-Petersburg, Russia
from Melaka, Malaysia
from Centerville, Ohio, United States
from Dijon, France
from Newport, United Kingdom
from DKI Jakarta, Indonesia
from Vancouver, Canada
from Berlin, Germany
from Vista, California, United States

Congratulations, and thank you for all your hard work!

15 years!!

This month we have 6 featured judges: , , , , , and . First we have Peter Jahn celebrating his 15 year anniversary with his RC, :

Pete Jahn is one of my favorite people in the judge program, and I am very excited to talk about his history as a judge and how amazing his fifteen years have been.

I’ve been around for a while in the program. Pete has been around for longer. He has trained some huge number of judges over time. He has 24 L1 certifications in JudgeApps, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg, because Pete does much more than just kick out a test to certify a judge. He mentors, he builds skills, and he passes along what he knows. I know he taught me how to do deck checks, how to take calls, and how to investigate players for cheating. I’ve seen him do the same for literally dozens of judges, making a huge impact on judges all across the country and world.

I’ve taken road trips with Pete and his wife Ingrid to GPs, to GenCon, to Origins, and to PTQs. We have discussed topics ranging from policy philosophy, fundamental Magic rules, how to deal with problem players, and how competitive players think.

Pete has played competitive Magic extensively, and took that competitive play experience and applied it to judging and training judges.

Pete is also a writer. He has been writing about MTG and MTGO for much longer than he has been a judge, and his tende cay to improve people and pass on things learned is very present there. His State of the Program report on how MTGO is going is a crucial collection of MTGO data, published regularly on PureMTGO, and I use it as a resource quite a bit. He even has one published just June 1st at http://puremtgo.com/articles/state-program-june-1st-2018

Pete is a quiet cornerstone of the judge program. He has not been tremendously actively lately, so many newer judges might not have seen him. If you talk to any judge in the Madison area, or Minnesota, or Chicago that has been judging for more than a couple years, you will have a great story about how amazing Pete is, and how he has helped them become a better judge.

Forging those battlefields

Next up, we have QJ celebrating 5 years in the judge program. His RC, , has this to say:

5 years ago, the Southeast Asian region received a rock. The rock didn’t seem particularly remarkable. It was solid enough but rough and unpolished. People were not particularly impressed. There were some concerns about where the rock had been before too. But as the rock was slowly ground and polished, it transformed. It became more than what it used to be. And when the rock started to shine we knew we had something special.

I’m sure many in the Judge Program have seen similar transformations. For us here in Southeast Asia, QJ was that rock. From being the one that needed polishing, he’s now one of the foremost judges in our region and doing his part as polisher to make others shine too. He does this regularly both at the many events he attends, and outside of events such as at conferences and through other online channels.

On a personal level, I’m blessed to have received a great friend. I doubt I’m the only one, and I’m sure there are a few others inside and outside our region who can say the same. This is one of the best things about being a part of our Judge family.

Thanks for being with us the past 5 years, QJ. Here’s to many more to come!

Serenading our hearts

This month, we celebrate the Level 3 anniversaries of a quartet of judges who all got their Level 3 certification 5 years ago. First, we will hear from Mid-Atlantic US Regional Coordinator, , who wrote this about Casey Brefka:

“It’s my pleasure to congratulate Casey Brefka on the fifth anniversary of his Level Three certification. While Casey has been known for the last few years for his work as a staple of the Grand Prix circuit and a leader in the Tennessee judge community, Casey’s judge career actually began in New England, where he was one of the linchpins of a burgeoning judge community in the Boston area. Many of the strongest judges in New England — including Elliot Raff, Brogan King (another outstanding judge who relocated to the Mid-Atlantic), and Kaylee Mullins — all benefited from working with Casey. He’s a gregarious presence at events, a dedicated problem-solver, and a loyal friend.

It wasn’t a surprise to many when Casey advanced to Level Three at Grand Prix Miami, back in 2013. Since that time, Casey has taken on an event schedule that would be considered aggressive by all but the most hardened road warriors. While Casey’s burgeoning career as a musician has given him less time for events of late, he’s of great benefit to the events he attends. Casey is what I like to call a Firefighter judge — whenever something is burning down (or about to burn down), throwing Casey at the problem will usually ensure that the problem is resolved quietly and efficiently.

Congratulations on your five-year Level Three anniversary, Casey. It’s a privilege to call you a peer and a blessing to call you a friend.”

Our angelic voice

Next, we hear about Josh Stansfield from fellow Southwest US judge, :

“In the five years since receiving his L3 certification, Josh has taken up a role as one of the Southwest Region’s greatest resources for judges looking to improve their rules knowledge and familiarity with tournament procedure. Having been christened the ‘Rules Robot’ for his uncanny ability to word-for-word cite sections of rules text, Josh is, without exaggeration, one of the smartest people I know. His formidable knowledge of the rules is tempered with a great generosity of spirit—when I lost a beautiful hand-crafted deckbox Josh had gifted me for Christmas, he took the time, materials, and effort to create another one for me. These and many others are a testament to Josh’s inherent patience, wisdom, and kindness that belies a gruff exterior. That’s right, Josh—your secret is out. We all know you’re a teddy bear. The Southwest is a better region for having you in it, and for five years of leadership and support, thank you.”

Something something something exemplar

Now, we have some thoughts about Bryan Prillaman from Southeast US Regional Coordinator, :

“Bryan seems like one of those judge who have been an L3 forever. I met him at my very first Grand Prix, and he’s been a friend and mentor to me since before I even moved to the Southeast Region. Whether it was discussing Morph Game Losses, pushing me to come into my own on Side Events, steering me in the right direction as I organized my first Conference, or even now helping me get my bearings as RC, BPrill has been an amazing resource. These are only a small fraction of the help he’s provided me over the last few years, and I’m sure anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting him has a similar story to tell.

While Bryan may not be able to attend every event, he gives more to the Program than anyone I’ve ever met. He has been a host of the JudgeCast podcast for 7 years. He’s the Exemplar Program lead and the lead of the Annotated IPG project. And, when his daughter’s busy schedule allows, he can still be found on the floor of Pro Tours, Grand Prix, and SCG Opens. His largest event as HJ was a 720 person Open in Dallas, but he’s slated to Head Judge the SCG Atlanta Team Trios Open at the end of June, where he will likely break that record.

I can’t wait to see what the next 5 years will have in store for Bryan!”

Definitely *not* Ronald

Finally, we will hear from Canadian Regional Coordinator, , about Jason Wong:

“I’m very pleased to celebrate Jason’s 5 year L3 anniversary. Jason’s resume in the last 5 years includes multiple Pro Tours (including one as an L2 in Montreal), GPs, head judging for multiple Starcitygames.com Opens, countless local events, L3 panels, and high-level mentorship. When I was coming up Jason was always someone I looked up to – and not just because he’s 8-foot 62 inches tall – but because he was both a strict mentor with a keen policy sense and a killer tournament judge.

It may surprise you to learn that Jason considers himself a bit on the “lazy” side. Outside of the program this may be true, but he has a very strong sense of what should and shouldn’t be in the judge program. When he is interviewing a potential L2 candidate, leading a Saturday team at a GP, or taking an appeal as the HJ of a premier competitive event, Jason is focused and ‘super effective’!

He’s the kind of double-threat you can trust to mentor and certify judges of any level, and also perform any role admirably on the tournament floor. You rest easy when Jason takes on a responsibility. You can *trust* him.

Let’s talk about trust in the judge program for a second. I know many, many judges who are afraid – specifically they’re afraid of making mistakes and having it completely end their judge career on the spot.

“If I blow a ruling, the HJ will now know I’m a bad judge and I’ll never get on another GP.”

“If I’m wrong on a Knowledge Pool discussion on the forums everyone will jump down my throat and I’ll feel embarrassed (and also people will think I’m a bad judge and I’ll never get staffed for GPs).”

We believe there are secret dossiers of ‘bad judges’ and ‘good judges’ and we’re powerless to control which list we’re on. Not all of these concerns are totally unfounded either. Many feel that they won’t be extended the benefit of the doubt. They can’t trust others with their points of confusion for fear of looking like a dummy – and this slows growth and insulates judges from each other.

I think we could be more forgiving with each other. We could be more open. We could trust each other more.

But you *can* trust Jason. I’ve brought various confusions, worries, and misunderstandings to him countless times in the past and he’s been nothing but patient with me. He hasn’t judged me (pardon the pun), and he never responded to my questions with an “I can’t believe you don’t already know this” face.

He will absolutely give you blunt feedback but it’s never unkind. He exemplifies the philosophies of ‘radical candor’ – that the kindest thing you can do for someone is to look out for their best interests by alerting them to their problem areas and suggest a better path. I don’t know if Jason sees himself as “kind” person, since sometimes the act of attentive listening and responding with honest and direct feedback can be difficult and uncomfortable, but I think his approach takes courage and shows a real caring for others.

I guess that makes him a triple-threat: you can trust him with community development, you can trust him with your tournaments, and you can trust him with your faults and confusions. We’re all better for his presence, and I hope he and his Pokémon stuffed animals continue to keep us on our toes for at least another 5 years :)”

Best wishes to all four of you for your 5 years of Level 3 service!

Happy anniversary to all of you! We look forward to many more years of judging from you all.

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