[MR] A&S Competitions: Apples vs. Oranges

[Kerri Martinsen]

> I tend to agree with Violante.  Just as at crown
> tourney there was a
> separate competition for the food (which was
> specific) from the rest of A&S
> (which was general), the more specific a competition
> can be, the better
> qualified the judges can be.  You wouldn't ask the
> best heavy fighter to
> judge the technique of an archer would you?  Some
> people may be
> jacks-of-all-trades, but most of us tend to spend
> time in one or two areas.
>
> While the tempora is a neat idea for showing off a
> time frame, it would also
> be a good idea to rotate disciplines in competition
> (embroidery, costuming,
> metalwork, wood work, scrolls, etc).  I think it
> would be extremely
> interesting to VIEW several different time periods
> worth of embroidery at a
> time to see how things changed.
>
> The biggest disappointment I have encountered in
> competitions is the lack of
> reading of documentation.  If you ask for it, PLEASE
> read it!  It is
> frustrating for the entrant, and honestly, makes the
> judge look silly -
> especially if they comment directly against
> something in the documentation
> (as so many other people have pointed out).
>
> I've started entering food competitions because I
> can honestly spend more
> time on the research end and THEN make the item, as
> opposed to costuming
> where I tend to jump in and start sewing.
>
> I won't stop entering, but it just takes me more
> focus to do some things,
> and with a little one, I don?t have much time for
> focus. :)
>
> Vitha
>
> --
> Lady Hrosvitha von Celle
> Per pale sable and gules, a fret and on a point
> pointed argent a pair of
> shears inverted sable.
>
>
>
>
>
> On 2/24/03 3:28 PM, "Michelle -TJ- King"
> <dona_violante at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > Greetings, all!
> >
> > I don't enter competitions for a variety of
> reasons.
> > My biggest reason lately is that I feel most A&S
> > competitions aren't fair either to the contestants
> or
> > the judges in one important aspect.  There are too
> > many different categories on display.  When an A&S
> > competition includes costuming, C&I, embroidery,
> card
> > weaving, wood carving, metal working, bead making,
> how
> > can anyone say that one is *truly* better than
> > another?  Yes, you can judge the mastery required
> to
> > do the work; the documentation; the extent to
> which
> > medieval techniques were used.  But too often,
> those
> > criteria aren't used to judge the entry.  There
> just
> > isn't the time for the judges to adequately take
> all
> > those aspects into account.  If a competition is
> for
> > "Pre-1000 Items", how do you decide what is
> "best"?
> >
> > I tend not to judge for the same reason.  I'm not
> > qualified to comment on somebody's poetry or
> brewing
> > or metal working.
> >
> > My kudos to those competitions with well-defined
> > criteria.  For example, the competition at Twefth
> > Night for best garb from East of Byzantium (even
> > though my own Spanish garb didn't qualify), or the
> > upcoming "Most Authentic Middle Eastern garb"
> contest
> > at Challenge of the Heart (though again, I don't
> know
> > whether Moorish garb counts!).
> >
> > Put people on a level playing field, and that will
> > help address the issue of compeitions being
> "fair".
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Violante
> >
> >
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