We reached out to Steffen to ask about Brenden and their motivations for Judge Booth:<\/span><\/p>\nDP: What motivated you to write an Exemplar, as opposed to a review?<\/b><\/p>\n
SB: <\/span>Since it wasn’t a working experience I wanted to highlight; writing a review would’ve been somewhat besides the point. My goal was not to give private feedback to Brenden about how he could run the booth better at the next GP, but rather to show other people that what he did was (in my opinion) very exemplary. He set himself a goal (to bring a fun and educating project to a live event with thousands of players) and worked very hard to reach it. In the end, not only did he himself and the players at GP Vancouver profit from it, but the judge program as a whole (there were several new L1s certified at the booth) and the [Judge Booth] project itself gained a lot.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\nDP: What was most impressive to you regarding what you wrote about?<\/b><\/p>\n
SB: <\/span>I only found out after I submitted the recognition that Brenden wasn’t even on staff for that GP, but rather had to cover his own costs all by himself just so that he can attend the event and teach the players about rules, instead of playing at the GP!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\nTo sum up, Steffen adds:<\/span><\/p>\nSB: <\/span>This was one of the easiest exemplar recognitions I ever had the pleasure to write. \ud83d\ude42 Thanks again, Brenden!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\nEh-xemplary Highlights, Wave 9 <\/b><\/p>\n
While these two judges were truly eh-xemplary examples from Wave 9, and their nominations likewise highlight many of Lansdell\u2019s goals for the Canadian arm of the project going forward, we\u2019re also here to share with you some of the other golden nominations submitted this time around! <\/span><\/p>\nTo Brendan Capel from Jeffrey Orom<\/b> – <\/span>\u201cYou’ve always been the leader of the central Alberta judging staff and the keystone of the magic community in Edmonton, not only for judges, but players and TOs as well. You’ve repaired TO relationships, led monthly judge meetings, and always been available for advice and knowledge. I can’t imagine anyone else having the same impact on the community.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/p>\nThis Wave, our focus has been on community building and leadership, and it\u2019s evident here that Brendan has a knack for both of those things. Jeffrey\u2019s nomination does an excellent job nailing down our three central tenets of a good exemplar.<\/span><\/p>\nSpecificity: <\/span><\/i>Brendan is \u201ca keystone\u201d in Alberta because he organizes judge meetings and has repaired relationships between Tournament organizers, while also offering up rules knowledge <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> leadership advice. The thing that stands out most is Brendan\u2019s ability to bring together different segments of the community and, while there aren\u2019t any details attached to the reparations between stores, that is certainly due to the sensitive nature of that conflict. <\/span><\/p>\nPraiseworthiness: <\/span><\/i>Brendan has stepped up in a huge way to coordinate judges in a vast and diffuse section of an already large region. We expect judges at L3 to take on these larger leadership projects, but Brendan\u2019s interpersonal skills and his passion for his community have pushed him to step up to the plate. <\/span><\/p>\nRelevance to Community Growth: <\/span><\/i>Jeffrey points out first that this judge uses his skills and ties to the community to restore the balance between feuding TOs. Strong communities, and large ones, at that, are likely to have multiple businesses in competition with one another. Finding a way to mediate conflict, to therefore provide the best possible places for your players to play, is incredibly valuable to any city with a vibrant M:tG player base. <\/span><\/p>\nTo Alex Larente from Chris Hrichinsen<\/b>– <\/span>Alex, the hard work you have put into getting people involved in the Judge Discord chat had been outstanding. You really have a passion for bringing people together and creating a meaningful dialogue. Your commitment to keeping this ongoing has created a stable and reliable way for judges to interact regardless of distance!\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\nOnline communities, especially in a Region as large and diverse as is Canada, help dissolve the distance that physically (and sometimes philosophically) distances us. Alex\u2019s concerted effort to drive engagement with the Judge Discord has been really moving and if you\u2019re a Judge in Canada you\u2019re probably involved in at least some Discord activity–or you\u2019re seriously missing out! <\/span><\/p>\nSpecificity: <\/span><\/i>This nomination focuses exclusively on one facet of Alex\u2019s work as a judge: the Discord chat. Chris\u2019s nomination is beautifully succinct and clear, and ties Alex\u2019s very visible efforts in the judge program to all the criteria for exemplary behaviour. <\/span><\/p>\nPraiseworthiness: <\/span><\/i>Engagement with an online community and even advertising such a community is not in itself exemplary. Instead, Alex has a noted \u201cpassion\u201d for community building and he works hard within the chats to \u201ccreate a meaningful dialogue.\u201d This work in community development–really community creation–all comes from a Canadian L1 who has stepped up and gone far beyond what is expected of judges in his role. <\/span><\/p>\nRelevance to Community Growth: <\/span><\/i>The Discord chat has become central the Canadian Judge identity; indeed, the judges involved in the chat from outside our Region often joke about being Canadian by association, and that the strong Canadian presence on the main server gives the impression that the chat was intended to be for Canadians. Rather, this speaks to Alex\u2019s unmatched efforts to promote engagement with the platform among our judges, and the resultant awareness that we in Canada have of the Judge Discord. He has helped build a new community in the blogosphere that thereby brings the bright minds we have here to the fore. <\/span><\/p>\nTo Jason Wong from Jon Goud<\/b> – <\/span>Jason has provided immense benefit not only to myself in my rookie RC days, but also to the region. He has taken the lead on developing an L2 Tester process for Canada. This is particularly important as advancement to L2 is one of the biggest blockers in the Canadian community due to the low number of L3s and the immense geographic distance between them. He took a huge load off of my shoulders, and the community will be much stronger for it. On an individual basis we always talk about judges taking care of each other because burnt-out judges aren’t great at … well … judging. On Sunday of GP Vancouver I was drowning a bit in L2 tests and debriefing all of them would have lasted much later than either I or the candidates likely wanted to wait. He offered to step in and debrief the test of the last candidate waiting while I was still debriefing another test. This meant that each L2 candidate got a quality\/thorough debrief (especially important since both did not pass, so they required extra care) and all 4 of us didn’t need to delay anyone from leaving the venue. Jason’s efforts have effectively allowed me to expand the reach of the RC role at and outside of tournaments.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\nAs L1s and L2s, we are often wowed by the work done by our great L3s, but even L3s, who carry heavy expectations, strive to build this program up and contribute beyond their regular capacities. Jon\u2019s exemplar for Jason showcases the diligent work involved in bringing our region together, as these two pillars of the Canadian community evidently were working together to improve the quality of other judges here through higher order project creation that many of us will eventually benefit from by testing for L2 or by becoming L2 testers. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>Specificity: <\/span><\/i>In my opinion, the most significant part of this recommendation lies here: not only did Jason take on leadership in the development of the L2 tester process, but he also volunteered extra time to engage directly with L2 candidates, thereby growing the program and simultaneously bailing out a friend. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>Praiseworthiness: <\/span><\/i>Again, as the highest level achievable in our current program, L3s are seemingly always doing great things for judging at large, but here a judge is taking steps to overcome \u201cthe biggest blocker in the Canadian community\u201d when it comes to personal growth, but also community development (as it is difficult to get L2s to all the places that need them). Likewise, Jon notes that with Jason\u2019s help, he has been able to expand the role of the RC to better serve a Region that is so geographically diverse and expansive, it could have 5 RCs. <\/span>
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\n<\/span><\/i>Relevant to Community Growth: <\/span><\/i>I want to focus here on the importance of debriefs, since I\u2019ve spent a good deal of time talking about how the L2 tester program will benefit community growth. Failing tests is hard. Setting an expectation and not achieving that goal often spells the end of a particular project for many people, myself included. Jason\u2019s work at the GP meant that the judges who did not this time join the ranks of L2 had the opportunity to destress, ask questions, and talk privately and personally to someone that I know to be great motivator and mentor. It\u2019s really important that Jon included not just Jason\u2019s nationwide efforts, but also his personal connections with judges as it is incredibly important that as our Region grows, and as we grow and enter or integrate new communities, that the strengths of our bonds with one another grow as well. <\/span><\/p>\nTo Martin Goulet, on behalf of Jay Hunter,<\/b> – <\/span>\u201cMartin has made himself the very heart of a Magic community here. His commitment to the game is amazing, but his ability to engage and encourage players of all levels really puts him to a higher level. He showcases approachability not just answering single instance in-game questions, but also trying to encourage understanding of the rules that go along with those rulings, whether by talking with players one-on-one after, or encouraging players to ask him ruling and judge questions through his store’s burgeoning stream. He also actively tries to develop your understanding on your own; we both enjoy great chats whenever a new set comes out dissecting new cards and rulings, like Exert from Amonkhet. There are definitely 9-5 judges that will be there to do what they need to, but Martin has shown that he is more of a 24\/7 one.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\nJay\u2019s nomination is important to the growth of the exemplar program, first because it showcases another way to have your voice heard–write-ins! It\u2019s obvious that Martin is central to his community, but because that community centralizes on his store, there aren\u2019t always folks around to see the great work Martin does! <\/span><\/p>\nSpecificity: <\/span><\/i>Jay has done an excellent job of fleshing out the more emotionally driven reason for giving Martin an exemplar (that being, Martin is \u201cthe heart of a Magic community.\u201d) How does Martin pump that lifeblood? He answers questions at all kinds of events, but also he sits down with players to explain those rulings more clearly when he\u2019s not taking time away from a match. He also provides a judge questions segment on his store stream to get people interested and involved! Likewise, Martin takes time to explain and explore new rulings, both to better himself as the main judge for his store, but also to help others around him learn. <\/span><\/p>\nPraiseworthiness: <\/span><\/i>Martin clearly goes above and beyond. As Jay notes, Martin is \u201cmore of a 24\/7\u201d judge, always willing to help his community, and to utilize the various avenues available, in store, online, and in uniform. Mentorship is an important L2 quality that Martin employs as an L1 in his area, which in itself is praiseworthy. But, coupled with his emphasis on player experience, helping not just judges, but also players to better understand how and why the rules work, and to try and eliminate the feel-bads by doing so, is exemplary indeed. <\/span><\/p>\nRelevance to Community Growth: <\/span><\/i>Here\u2019s where we can return to Jay\u2019s \u201cheart of the community\u201d metaphor–Martin\u2019s work fosters interest and love of the game for new players, maintains a positive and safe environment for everyone involved, and his passion for rules and policy drives interest in the Judge program. Recently promoted to L2, I\u2019d be very surprised if we did not see new judges popping up in Martin\u2019s area shortly! <\/span><\/p>\nFrom the Judge Feedback form to Jeremy White – <\/b>\/\/ From the judge feedback form: “Had a great experience. Played multiple events over the course of two days and the head judge was very personable, fun, fair and did a great job. Made for a good inclusive environment.” This feedback was from the pre-release weekend, and I’d like to highlight the “inclusive environment” feedback here. Pre-Releases are, for many, the only sanctioned magic they play all year. Creating a safe bridge between the kitchen table and the LGS is, in my opinion, one of the most important things we can be doing for the health of the game. It sounds like you are headed in the right direction – great work \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/i><\/p>\nAs our illustrious RC once said: \u201cFeedback form. Feedback form. Feedback form.\u201d Written, calculated feedback is invaluable to our growth as individuals in the program, and ultimately to the strength of Canadian Judges on an international stage. Getting your TOs and players to write you reviews thus not only helps you learn, but helps others in the community get to know more about all the great work you do, even when no judges are watching! <\/span><\/p>\nSpecificity: <\/span><\/i>Jon has used this submitted feedback to demonstrate an incredibly valuable point: not everyone is a tournament Magic player, so developing inclusive and safe spaces, especially at events like pre-release where your kitchen table freeform players and your PPTQ grinders come together for brief night of levity. <\/span><\/p>\nPraiseworthiness: <\/span><\/i>Jeremy\u2019s focus on fun and fairness, and therefore on inclusivity at the store in question, made this player\u2019s weekend. They attended multiple events under Jeremy\u2019s purview, and he really stepped up and maintained a great atmosphere, especially when Pre-Release events tend to drag sometimes for those involved in 3, 4, and sometimes 5 events in a row. Likewise, as Jon said, creating avenues for casual players to first set foot in an FNM is so incredibly important to Magic. <\/span><\/p>\nRelevant to Community Growth: <\/span><\/i>For some players, myself included, the first pre-release can brick wall desire to play at a local game store for an extended period of time. Jeremy\u2019s efforts to maintain an upbeat, inclusive space not only makes players more likely to come back, but also gives them a point person to reach out to as they begin their journey in the world of LGS Magic. <\/span><\/p>\nFrom Jan de Vlaming to Tyrone Cabral – <\/b>Tyrone has done a fantastic job in developing the player community at one of our LGS. Every event or FNM he does there he spends his time making sure that everyone feels welcome and that nobody leaves the store having had a bad experience. If someone had a rough night at modern Tyrone will talk with them, ask them how they felt their games went, how their deck played, if there was anything they thought they might have wanted to do differently; he makes sure that he engages them and turns a bad evening into a positive experience. He’s also been working very closely with the store owner and TO in order to offer more competitive geared events for the community. The community at Play N Trade would not be the same without him.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\nJan\u2019s exemplar is excellent for its focus on the players in the community. Implicit in a lot of exemplars is the fact that, yes, a good tournament took place, and yes this judge was working that tournament, so therefore players benefitted from this judge, but Jan focuses on how Tyrone actively makes the experiences of his players better from week to week. I know that I personally could be be less competitive when playing in tournaments, and we have all oft heard tales of “the judge who uses their knowledge to rules lawyer,\u201d but this exemplar showcases how judges can and should, as experienced members of the community, reach out and help their players blossom. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>Specificity: <\/span><\/i>Jan calls attention to all the little behaviours that add up to Tyrone being an excellent ambassador for Play n Trade, but also for the Judge community: he talks strategy, encourages players who had a tough night, helps them modify decklists, and engages with everyone to ensure they have a good time. <\/span>
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\n<\/span><\/i>Praiseworthiness: <\/span><\/i>Judges are expected to run good tournaments. Good judges tend to help connect their players to certain resources and sometimes answer questions about upcoming tournaments, and of course, to run good tournaments. Great judges never \u201cturn it off,\u201d and Jan\u2019s exemplar shows us that Tyrone really is great–he is constantly helping out his players, functioning in a teaching and mentorship capacity, and making everyone feel welcome and included, regardless of the tournament or player. <\/span>