Perplexed Pentathlon Pondering

[storytimewithjoe]

Here in the final stretch before Pentathlon, I cannot help but become reflective. Over the years, I have entered and/or judged a metric buttload of arts competitions. As an entrant, one of the single most frustrating things that I have encountered in the past is to have a judge takes off points, and then write on my judging sheet that I should have discussed XYZ, or that XYZ was incorrect when I clearly documented otherwise in my write-up. Reading the judging sheet, my first instinct is to slap my hand to my forehead in pure frustration, and then yell, “But I DID discuss XYZ!” or “But that IS the way it was done…as I discussed thoroughly.” 

 

So where is the disconnect?

 

Did the judges not have time to read my write-up thoroughly? It is possible. Judging an A&S competition can be grueling. As a panel of judges discusses item by item, and the clock ticks away, sometimes the reality hits that by the end, there just isn’t as much time to judge as thoroughly as they had the first item. It isn’t great. It isn’t ideal. But it DOES happen. It has happened to me as a judge. That is just an unfortunate reality.

 

Or…

 

Did I just not effectively communicate?  Could it be that the judges were looking for a discussion on X, Y, and Z, and I either wrote so much that they couldn’t find it, or that I did not express myself clearly? Also, a very realistic possibility. When I create a write-up, I contain all the information that >> I << would look for if I were the judge of this particular item. Because I am somewhat all-over-the-board in terms of my arts, I don’t have any one particular style or outline that I typically follow in my discussions, simply because different art forms place emphasis on different aspects. Do I shoot myself in the foot more often than not? It is very possible.

 

Win or lose – I couldn’t care less. I have won arts competitions in the past, and don’t really need more kudos. What I DO hope to get out of this pentathlon experience is information. I am curious to see if the judges have information to offer me so that I may improve in different artforms. I am curious to see if the information that I present is clear and conveys information in a “reader-friendly” format that the judges find helpful. I am curious to see if the judging in one particular area is harsher or more tolerant than another. 

 

Long story short, I hope more than anything to gain some good and practical insight.

Comments

[vittoriosa.livejournal.com]

I think that judging weirdness is usually a case of a) the judge not reading carefully, or b) the judge not actually being familiar with the field/topic of the competition. I've had the same experience as you, where I thought I clearly explained why I did XYZ, and then the judge asks, "Why did you do XYZ"? SO frustrating! Even worse, one of the first competitions I ever entered, one of the judges actually took away points for something I had done that was totally historically accurate (the judge said I ought to have done something way modern instead of the period thing I did). Go figure.

I think your approach to the write-up (including info you would look for as a judge) makes great sense, and I have a suspicion that the best judges are also experienced competitors -- they've done enough of those write-ups that they have a better sense of how much info is needed there. (By the way, I really like the term "write-up" as an alternative to "documentation," which for some reason seems to terrify people. Do you mind if I borrow that? ;-)

When I judge I probably go overboard. I read very carefully and make really extensive comments (like, fill-every-corner-of-the-page extensive), because I want to help the entrants learn to think critically about their process. I can't help it; it's the academic in me. But I did recently have someone tell me (without irony, I think ;-) that I was her favorite judge because my comments were so thorough and helpful, and that was awesomely gratifying.

[joeguppy.livejournal.com]

Hi there,

By all means, use "Write up". Call me crazy, but I think it makes more sense. The documentation is the hard-core facts that are out there that you and I had nothing to do with - the pyramids are documentation. When I discuss the pyramids, that is my write-up. Make sense?

Personally, as gruelling as it can be - I LOVE judging! It gives me a great opportunity to learn.

[eowyna.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it is very frustrating to be questioned about something that was answered in the write-up. But some judges are not fast readers, and just skim. I really like documentation that gives you a summary in no more than two pages, then refers you to other parts of the doc package if one wants to know more about a particular thing.

[joeguppy.livejournal.com]

I'm trying something like that this go-around. Hopefully, it'll make a difference.