A&S judging

[I. Marc Carlson]

<"Pug Bainter" <pug at interval.net>>
>  I know personally, that I want to enter only displays as well as receive
>  any *constructive* criticism I can get during them or at events. (I can
>  get the other kind of criticism anytime. *grin*)

I was discussing this with my wife last night, and her opinion on giving
comments at A&S displays and competitions was to paraphrase my dear 
departed grandmother's advice on card readings "Never give a bad one"
(which can be also rephrased to mean "if you can't find somthing nice
to say about an entry, don't say anything at all"-- and at the very least
you can (if you really think that they need help, or should be praised
more than you can manage with mere words) ask to see them later to discuss
their work.

>  I have this strange feeling about "competitions" that just doesn't fit
>  right with me. Part of this is due to the fact that brewing can not be
>  judged against Viking bone carving, weaving (except from said drink),
>  armor making, etc.

I have some deep, personal problems with "competitions", although 
displays and simple evaluations don't bother me.  When I am competing,
*I don't want criticism*.  I want to win, or not (that seems to be the 
way they do it at the fair, after all :) ).

Since it has become SCA practice that "competitions" are meant for 
evaluating your work, and not for *competition*, I tend not to take 
part in such SCA "competitions". (It's just one of *those* things...)

But as long as it's come up, perhaps if we had fewer "A&S competitions", 
and more "A&S evaluations" we could start to clear up some of the stresses 
of "Ok, just what can I say about this 14th century Scandinavian folding 
bone (or whatever)?" since the need to compare it *against* something else 
would be alleviated.  Moreover, it would emphaisize a different reason for 
entry, pulling it away from the competative framework that the term 
"competition" dictates (and which some people may not be comfortable with).

Of course, this DOES run smack into the SCA cultural value that "if you
don't get a goodie for it, what's the point?"...

I. Marc Carlson, Reference Librarian    |LIB_IMC at CENTUM.UTULSA.EDU
Tulsa Community College, West Campus LRC|Sometimes known as:
Reference Tech. McFarlin Library        | Diarmuit Ui Dhuinn 
University of Tulsa, 2933 E. 6th St.    | University of Northkeep 
Tulsa, OK  74104-3123 (918) 631-3794    | Northkeepshire, Ansteorra