Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery
Do you think that they should do this at all regional events?
|
All regionals? Not necessarily. I'd be in favour of them being given out on the basis that multiple teams can't share the award—but simply giving them out for 2
nd, 3
rd and 4
th place, irrespective of actual calibre, could well diminish the prestige accorded the honourable mention. I'd have to say that only in the event of a truly difficult decision (and
not the cliché "it was hard to choose from among so many deserving teams") should honourable mentions be distributed.
Consider, however, that my impression of the purpose of an honourable mention may not be consistent with that of the judges and the judge advisors—it is possible that they desire to recognize the numerical rank of the teams' submissions, and not the specific merits of their submission (as measured against some arbitrary standard).
So, that's a "no" to necessarily giving them out at all regionals, but a "yes" to giving them out at the discretion of the judges (as is usual for me, there's more to it than a simple binary response can convey).