Note: This is a candidate page for a Judge Foundry Election. Information on this page is provided by the candidate, and does not represent the opinions or positions of the Elections Committee or of Judge Foundry. For more information about this election, see the schedule and index for the 2024 Regional Advocate Election.
- Name: Chevy Larson
- Location: Lethbridge, Alberta
- Election: Regional Advocates 2024
- Running For: Western Provinces RA
Nomination Statement
Hiya! My name is Chevy Larson, I use They/Them pronouns, and I’m a L2 based out of Lethbridge. I started my magic and judge journey about 2 years ago which makes me pretty new compared to most. Some might see this newness as a weakness, but for me this is something that gives me perspective that others may not have. My biggest judge skill is my people and communication skills. I am often known as the “judge with the yellow hair” from many players who may not know my name but have interacted with me at events over and over again. From my bright and colourful hair, to my vibrant personality, I believe I am a good option to represent my region.
My vision for RR is being someone people aren’t afraid to talk to, and someone that can help ANY judge no matter the background and experience. I don’t want people to see their level as an indicator of quality of skill, but as a floor that they can ascend up from. Having a drama background makes talking to people a secondary nature for me and I would love to be able to use that skill for advocating for judges, players, and anyone in the community that needs a louder voice for them.
As a Nonbinary queer judge, the community can often feel closed off to those individuals who fit outside of the “typical” magic player demographic. I want judges and players of any background, sexuality, gender identity, etc to feel like Magic is a place where they not only belong but are wanted. It can often feel alienating not seeing other players or judges look or act different than the “norm” since people may feel uncomfortable going against the grain. I want to show people that being different is not only mega cool, but also needed to change the community for the good. My real life job is that of a teacher, and seeing what inclusivity and community can do for students and other professionals makes me want to bring more of that out in our Magic and Judge communities.
At the end of your first six months as Regional Advocate, what does “success” look like?
Honestly, just being able to understand the role and getting my feet on the ground, feels like a grand success for a new position that is being created. There are going to be tiny roadblocks that we won’t see until they pop up, so being able to tackle these head on is pretty successful.
What skills/experience do you bring to the role of Regional Advocate?
My real life job as a teacher fills a bunch of the skills of RA. Being able to improvise and think on your feet is a huge skill that not everyone may have. I am a great communicator due to my degree in Dramatic Arts and Education, this also allows me to speak publicly and with ease. I am already deep within the magic community which I see as a strength.
Describe your plans to recruit and utilize Area Communicators.
I want to be able to help judges in smaller communities by setting them up with judges from nearby larger communities so these judges feel just as important. It can be hard in Canada with how spread out everything is to find someone to communicate with, so having Discord channels or Facebook pages can bring people from smaller communities together.
What can you do to distinguish the Western Provinces region from the Eastern Provinces region, and the US regions?
I think Western is pretty distinct from the East and from the US and that is something I want to keep strong and to highlight within the West. We have a large player base and tend to be independent or “cliquey” some might say. But, I think this view is a bit incorrect. I have never been apart of a more inviting, supportive, and diverse group of people than Magic communities here in the West. I want to be able to have the West be more involved in the happenings of the judge/magic world. We can often feel like the odd one out because we tend to be very independent so I want to be able to take that independence and show others that we can be a team player as well.
If you plan to reach out to legacy program judges that have not joined Judge Foundry, how would you approach them?
Reaching out to past judges is always an interesting time. The first thing I do is just chat with them. Chat about why they haven’t joined the new program, what they like/dislike about the new program, etc. From these questions the conversation can be tailored for them. Not every judge program is going to fit the needs of every judge, there were plenty of judges who didn’t join JAc when it started up and that was okay. Being open to the conversation and to the critiques is a great way to gain more knowledge on what could be changed/added while also showing others that you ARE open to these different views.
The Western Provinces currently has about half as many certified judges as the average region. What, if anything, would you do as RA to close this gap? Why?
I think the West has an extremely large player base when it comes to magic. There is often this joke that Judges can’t be pro players and when you become a judge you lose your abilities. People often laugh at this statement but it isnt necessarily wrong. As a judge you have to choose whether you are working or playing an event. This choice becomes easier if there are certain formats you dislike cough Lane with Pioneer cough but for the average grinder this choice becomes harder, so I think a great way to close this gap is to just talk to players about what it is to be a judge, to be kind, be a symbol of the good that comes from judging and to show that on off seasons they can still enjoy various magic related events by working as part of a team. This vibrant energy will show people that this is a fun and amazing opportunity. We often focus on the negative aspects of judging OR we often see more negative people in the limelight cause they may be louder than others, this causes a negative view of judges that make people not want to be around that. I am the light that magic needs, the vibrant and bubbly energy i bring to every event shows people that judges arent just bad cops, we are real people and we care about them.