AGazine, September 2012

News and Notes

Most leagues have already had or will soon have their opening meetings and initial training sessions. At least one league has already begun play. Here’s some events that have already occurred.

• August 21: Palm Beach (FL) Academic Games League (PBAGL) Basic Equations Training (Teachers only)
• August 28: PBAGL Adventurous Equations Training (Teachers only – optional)
• Sept. 4: PBAGL Basic Equations Practice Match
• Sept. 4: New Orleans Academic Games League (NOAGL) Opening Moderators Meeting
• Sept. 6: Propaganda Workshop for teachers from all three New Orleans area leagues
• Sept. 9: Michigan League of Academic Games (MLAG) Opening Meeting
• Sept. 11: Martin County (FL) Academic Games League LinguiSHTIK Coaches Meeting
• Sept. 11: PBAGL Basic Equations Rounds 1 & 2 (MJS Adventurous)

Events submitted for the next month – it’s interesting to see what games the various leagues start with and when and where they play their tournaments.

• Sept. 18: PBAGL Propaganda Training (Teachers only) @ John Leonard High School
• Sept. 25: Martin County (FL) LinguiSHTIK Practice Round, Rounds 1-2 (El/Mid only) @ Murray Middle School
• Sept. 25: PBAGL LinguiSHTIK Training @ John Leonard High School
• Sept. 28: St. Bernard Parish (LA) Propaganda Tournament @ Chalmette Elementary School, 9:45 a.m.
• Sept. 29: MLAG Regional Tournaments
• Oct. 2: Martin County (FL) LinguiSHTIK Rounds 3-4-5 (El/Mid only) @ Murray Middle School
• Oct. 2: PBAGL Basic Equations Rounds 3 & 4; Elem @ John Leonard High School 3:30, Mid/Jr/Sr @ Forest Hill HS, 4:15 p.m.
• Oct. 2: NOAGL Propaganda Tournament Jr/Sr Sections A & B @ Jesuit High School, 4 p.m.
• Oct. 3: NOAGL Propaganda Tournament El/Mid Sections A & B @ Brother Martin High School, 4 p.m.
• Oct. 9: Martin County (FL) LinguiSHTIK Rounds 6-7-8 (El/Mid only) @ Murray Middle School
• Oct. 9: PBAGL Basic (4-5 only) & Adventurous Equations Rounds 5 & 6 Elem @ John Leonard High School, 3:30 p.m.; Mid/Jr/Sr @ Forest Hill HS, 4:15 p.m.
• Oct. 9: NOAGL Propaganda Tournament Jr/Sr Sections D & E @ Jesuit High School, 4 p.m.
• Oct. 10: NOAGL Propaganda Tournament El/Mid Sections D & E @ Brother Martin High School, 4 p.m.

If your league’s events are not listed, please send us your schedule.

AGLOA Board News

The AGLOA Board has engaged HelmsBriscoe, a firm that researches, evaluates, and presents the ideal venue for your event. A number of cities have submitted information and follow-up visits are in progress.

• Atlanta, GA – Larry Liss and Adrian Prather will visit several hotels on October 6
• Baton Rouge, LA – four Louisiana Board and Tournament Council members visited in July, touring the same hotels used for the 2005 Nationals and obtaining updated information
• St. Louis, MO – Larry Liss and Brother Neal Golden will visit the city on October 11
• Columbus, OH or Louisville, KY – no site visits yet

2012 Outstanding Senior: Jordan Holmer

Jordan w/ nominating sponsor Leah Wehmeyer

The last of our 2012 Outstanding Seniors to be recognized in the AGazine is Jordan Holmer of Jesuit High School in New Orleans, LA.

Jordan started Academic Games at St. Philip Neri School where he was coached by 2012 Outstanding Educator Holly LaCoste. When Jordan started at Jesuit in eighth grade, he had two goals: (1) He wanted to be successful in Academic Games, and (2) He wanted to leave a legacy in the Academic Games community.

He particularly enjoyed Equations, as his friend and teammate Alex Hebert explains.

I’ve never seen a person more obsessed with any game. Jordan can practically recite the rulebook, learned every trick he could get his hands on, and even made up some of his own tricks. He created and typed up a booklet of Equations strategies and ruses.

Jordan’s Equations career culminated in a perfect 24 at the 2012 National Tournament.

As for a legacy, he helped improve Jesuit’s program considerably. He began a vigorous recruiting campaign that increased the membership in the club fivefold. He set up a schedule of practices twice a week at lunch and once after school. He also collaborated with another school to have joint practices.

The 2011-12 Jesuit Junior Division team, coached by Jordan, swept every game in local competition and finished 3rd in Sweepstakes at the 2012 Nationals.

Jordan also went beyond his own school to have a lasting impact. He became an AGLOA certified judge so that he could officiate at the local Elementary/Middle rounds. He enlisted Alex to help him teach a team of home schooled children, one of whom qualified for Nationals in their very first year of competition.

Now that he attends Marquette University in Milwaukee, Jordan will be missed in the New Orleans Academic Games League. But his legacy lives on.

Down Memory Lane

The seventh annual “National Academic Games Olympics” was held May 6-10, 1972, in Michigan, the only time it has ever been staged in that state. 280 students, the largest number to that point, gathered at an idyllic setting, the Waldenwoods Conference Center north of Ann Arbor MI.

Competition was held in eight games:

• Mr. President
• AmeriCard/EuroCard
• Propaganda/Strange Bedfellows
• Equations
• On-Sets
• WFF ‘N Proof
• (LinguiSHTIK, a staple of today’s tournament, was a few years from its birth.)

Pennsylvania captured all three sweepstakes championships. South Park Elementary won the Elementary Division (Grade 6-below) championship. Allegheny Valley took the Junior Division (Grades 7-9) crown. Mount Lebanon Senior High took home the Senior Division (Grades 10-12) grand trophy.

Complete 1972 Nationals results | 1972 WFF ‘N PROOF Newsletter