Welcome back! Hopefully you’re coming back because you’re as interested in education as I am! If it’s your first time joining us, then welcome in general! I encourage you to read our mission statement and goals for education here, if you haven’t already. The purpose of this post is two-fold. I want to make a quick statement about why I keep saying “we” and “us”, and then introduce those people. As an added bonus, I’ll also be including a nice catch-all email address for education!
So, I’ll start by saying, at the end of the day I own any choices that happen. Ultimately it’s my call, and I’ll take any hit that comes with it. I’ll break the ties, so to speak. That being said, I’ve come to some realizations as well. I can’t do everything, I need to trust some people, and I need a sanity check now and then. With those things in mind, I came to the conclusion that I needed a team of people. I needed people good with details, in case something slips by me. Additionally, I needed people to disagree with me in an articulate way. I love the idea of the “tenth man rule”. If you are unfamiliar it’s from tons of fiction, and is based on an actual idea used by the Israeli military. The idea is (mostly) that if everyone agrees unanimously, it is one person’s job to take a contrary opinion. Essentially, the team is there to be a forced voice of reason.
I set up this group wanting one person who I feel is similar to myself, and two who are a fairly drastic difference. Now, as a fun game, I’ll let you decide who fits which description!
First up, we have Eliana Rabinowitz. Eliana describes herself as:
“I’m an L2 from Pasadena, CA. I can frequently be found out-of-region, judging at Grand Prix in many other areas of the US. In addition to working on this sphere, I am involved in the Judge Buddy Project, which pairs up newer judges at GP’s with more experienced GP judges who can help them learn the ropes more quickly and have a really positive experience.”
Next up we have Nicholas Zitomer. As a quick aside, you may find me moonlighting on his blog from time to time! Nik was kind enough to write:
“I have been a judge in the Northern Atlanta area for more than 5 years. My love of community and judge education is evidenced in my weekly blog, The Elvish Farmer, as well as my role in the planning and execution of numerous regional online judge classes. I also serve as the project lead for the Conference Policies and Guidelines project, helping to shape the policies that govern successful conference efforts. On top of all of this, you can frequently find me at US – Southeast Regional large events and conferences, as well as HJ-ing multiple PPTQs every season.”
Next up we have Nicolette Apraez! Possibly while at 40,000 feet, Nicolette filled us in a bit on herself:
“I moved to Atlanta at the end of 2015, and have enjoyed getting to know the judges in the area. While I make it a point to attend Southeast Regional Conferences, Grand Prix, and SCG Tour Events, you’ll likely see me traveling to events more than you’ll find me at home. In addition to Judging, Scorekeeping, and occasionally working Admin Staff at events, I help run the regional online judge classes, and serve as Event Host Lead for the Pro Tours and World Magic Cup.”
Finally, a little bit about me. I have lived in Florida for the past 20 or so years, by way of Pittsburgh (go Steelers!). In my day to day life you will find me at the local college where I’m a professor of mathematics. When I’m not doing that I’m typically working on something judging related, spending time with my fiancé and her daughter, or otherwise watching football or clips from the Voice.
Also, since the last post there has also been a nice consolidated email that the group can access. Aside from reaching out to any of us individually, you can simply email mtgeducationsphere@gmail.com and we will all be there!