Why we don't print the date on Bump trophies

It was a rough week. At the beginning, the weather report was categorically perfect. There was absolutely no chance of snow after Wednesday until sometime in Big Lex. Then, slowly and steadily, the forecast began to deteriorate. By Wednesday it was clear that if things didn't change, we'd be in for it. And it was also clear that, the sooner we shut down, the better. It was going to be bad enough that plenty of people had already bought plane tickets; they didn't need to land in a snowstorm, or get stranded at a tournamentless venue in the middle of (stormy) nowhere. We would have to salvage what we could as soon as possible. And so, with fair certitude on Thursday morning, we agreed to shut down. It was the right decision, regardless of whether the snow were to actually happen; there is no such thing as acceptable risk when you're talking about students on roads in bad weather. And that was that. (Although I do admit to waking up this morning quite pleased that it had not just merely snowed, but really most sincerely snowed. And it still is snowing, for that matter.)

But oh, the agony. Yeah, I put in a lot of work and get really stressed out, but there is enormous satisfaction to pulling off a successful tournament, and I know that, at this point, we can and we do. We have some fun aspects that make Bump unique, like crappy prizes, and we've been in business long enough now that we usually make things happen efficiently. Food. Rounds. Housing. We've got a great team of kids working hard, great parents helping wherever they can, experienced tab people I can count on while I'm running around stoking some other engines. The disappointment for everyone when, after all the preparation, it just doesn't happen, is palpable. I feel especially for the seniors. There is something special about running a major tournament, and the seniors are my generals at the ballot tables, keeping it all together, enjoying their positions of authority in their primary school activity. It sucks not to get to enjoy that experience.

When we made the final decision, I could have perhaps come up with some other arrangement, but it just didn't feel right. I couldn't imagine reorganizing 200+ housing slots, or getting people to get new plane tickets. I couldn't imagine going through all the registration hassle again. I wish I could have figured out something. It just didn't seem to be in the cards.

You know what feels the worst? There's a judge list I posted, with Hen Hud graduates going back to 1996. 1996! Saturday night we were going out after the tournament, I didn't care how late it was (if I had to, I'd have popped over to the all night A&P and bought stuff and cooked it). And I think I had made it clear that this was a dinner for present and future alumni. I wanted my core team from now in there too, Hush and McLean and Emily, people who have done the activity for 4 years and been Bump stalwarts since I had them majordomoing. And anyone else who was still with us probably at around nine o'clock Saturday night while I was pissing and moaning over neverending final rounds while playing Jack in the library...

Thanks to everyone. Thanks first and foremost to the Hen Hud Forensics Team. You guys did a great job this year. You got the housing, you showed up when I needed you, you kept at the admin to get the rooms. Thanks to the alums for remembering. Thanks to the parents for understanding. Thanks to the registrants for supporting the tournament and for supporting the difficult but inevitable decision to cancel it.

Today I am going to rearrange the command deck at Chez HQ. I'm going to figure when to plan a chez on the Intelligent Design Pffft for Nicole and DIML (and no doubt at least Horaceman, the superhero without any superpowers, whose voracious appetite for debate is a little scary). I'm going to talk to the Nostrumite, who, if 2ARGRL is any indication, has absolutely no idea what the AFF is about for Jan-Feb. I'm going to watch a movie, one of those blizzard films I've been storing up since the invention of the DVD (to tell the truth, I haven't watched one yet, but if there ever was a day, this is it). I'm going to start creating questions for Debate Jeopardy at our last meeting of the year. I'm going to print out the order for the District trophies to give to the folks tomorrow when I pick up next year's Bump trophies. Lots of stuff. After all, how often do I get an unexpected day off? Two days, if you count tomorrow.

Enjoy the free time. I'm sure you can find something productive to do too.