New Mexico Science Olympiad Mission Possible Event Policies

Last updated 2/11/10

Welcome to Mission Possible 2010

1. Impound is mandatory. Doors will open at 8:00 AM to begin impound, which ends at 9:00 AM. Task Sequence List is due at the time of impound and may not be modified thereafter. All items you plan to use with your device must be impounded along with it.

2. Judging will begin at 9:00 AM and should conclude by 2:00 PM.

3. You must be signed in before 1:00 PM in order to compete. No Exceptions.

4. Check in with event staff when you return to compete. They will direct you to sign in and give you instructions on where set up your device. If you do not check in you will not be queued for participation. Be sure to sign up under the name of your school - not the name of your town. Teams will be admitted for competition in order of check-in time. If you have scheduling concerns make them known at check-in time. We will do our best to accommodate issues, but make no guarantees.

5. Once you are signed in, you must remain present until your participation is completed. Be nearby and ready to begin setup when instructed. Teams absent when called to set up will be removed from queue.

6. Parents and coaches may observe the event but may not assist the student team members in any way (aside from assistance with transporting the device).

7. Only team members and their coach are allowed in the Staging and Evaluation Area. All others must remain in the Waiting Area.

8. Only devices actively engaged in official setup or evaluation are allowed on tables or in the Staging and Evaluation Area. Event staff will direct you when it is your turn to set up.

9. You must be wearing proper safety eyewear at all times while in the Staging and Evaluation Area (including setup time). If you do not have them on you will not be allowed to enter. Failure to follow safety procedures will result in disqualification.

10. The set-up period is timed and cannot exceed 30 minutes. Event staff will escort you to your table and mark the time you begin. After 30 minutes (or sooner if you are ready) you will be asked to stop. Your device will be quarantined until the judges arrive for evaluation. You will be called back at that time to perform the event. Last minute preparations are appropriate at that time (final set-ups that can not be executed until run time).

11. The ideal run time, as chosen by the event supervisor, will be revealed to each team privately when they are ushered to their setup area. If event staff does not inform you of the ideal run time it is your responsibility to ask them for it. Whether you chose to reveal that information to other teams is left to your discretion.

12. All device construction should be finished before the device is brought to the event. The 30 minute set-up time is meant to give you time to make last minute preparations for converting your device from 'transportation/impound condition' to 'competition condition.' It is not to be used as a time for construction of your device. Repairing minor damages to the device that are incurred during transport is acceptable, however do take proper care to safeguard against this risk. Remember that you may not have access to electrical outlets, water supply and other amenities at the competition site. Any equipment and related safety supplies required to meet these needs must be provided by the team.

13. Remember that your List must be in the approved format and easily legible - typewritten is best. Unintelligible lists will not be accepted and the device will not be allowed to compete. Only tasks listed on the Task Sequence List are eligible for points. Task Sequence List is due at time of impound.

14. We will be photographing each device for judging reference and future promotion of the event. If you prefer that we not use the picture of your device please alert the sign-in staff, and we will delete your picture after the event judging is complete.

15. When judging is complete you may remove your machine from the Staging and Evaluation area or you may return it to impound for later retrieval. Keep in mind that appeals may not be honored after the device has been removed from the area.

16. Final judging results will be calculated by the judges after your evaluation. Your raw scores may not be accessible.

17. Above all, remember why you're here - to learn and have fun! We will do our best to judge fairly and accurately. Please understand that we are all here for a common purpose. Good sportsmanship is paramount. Thank you!