News & Notices
USITT Tech Olympics 2012
Photos/R. Finkelstein
They gathered in the ballroom: 152 elite technicians from schools across the country poised to spring into action and go for the gold.
They matched skills in competition against their peers to win individual prizes and take possession of the coveted USITT Tech Olympics Trophy at the Long Beach 2012 Conference & Stage Expo. The best of the best from each team raced the stopwatch in events designed to test their ability and teamwork using the everyday skills of a theatre technician.
Working professionals volunteered to judge and "coach" while a small army from the Stage Management Mentoring Program led, organized, timed, and kept score. Chet Craft, of James Madison University, was riding hard on the event this year, and successfully led his team of stage managers to one of the most successful Tech Olympic events ever.
The award for Best Technician is given to the single participant who places consistently higher than all others in the competition. This year, Sam Juhnke and Benjamin Rush were separated by only two points while William Strickland was only five points below that. The fourth position was over ten points lower, so these three students did very well and are to be congratulated on their wide range of accomplishments.
- First Place, Sam Juhnke, Minnesota State University, Mankato
- Second Place, Benjamin Rush, University of North Carolina School of the Arts
- Third Place, William Strickland, University of North Carolina School of the Arts
The award for Best Performing Team goes to the team whose members finish with consistently high placement across all events. The trophy once again went to the reigning champions, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. This amazing group of talented students has taken the trophy home for over five years in a row, but SUNY-Fredonia and Minnesota State University-Mankato came very close to taking the trophy home this year.
- First Place, University of North Carolina School of the Arts
- Second Place, SUNY-Fredonia
- Third Place. Minnesota State University-Mankato
The Costume Change event required a two-participant team to direct and assist an actor through a quick change of costumes, while maintaining decorum and organization. Sandra Fox, head of wardrobe for Cirque du Soleil's Love, adjudicated the event, assisted by student Jessica Van Oss, of Northern Illinois University. The best times were:
- First Place, Sam Juhnke and MJ Olson, Minnesota State University-Mankato
- Second Place, Courtney Bedgood and Caitlin Margolen, High Point University
- Third Place, Rachel Fischer and Nick Mengie, SUNY-Fredonia
- Third Place, Jenna Goldberg and Colleen Heaney, SUNY New Paltz
In Knot Tying, participants must correctly demonstrate their ability to tie three knots: a clove hitch with two half hitches, a bowline around an object, and a butterfly knot. Ross Rauschkolb, technical director for Oklahoma City University, judged this event, often teaching better knot techniques to the participants for their second attempts. The best times were:
- First Place, Benjamin Rush, University of North Carolina School of the Arts
- Second Place, Chad West, Elon University
- Third Place, Kcarie Ingerson, North Dakota State University
- Third Place, William Strickland, University of North Carolina School of the Arts
- Third Place, Bridget VanDyke, University of North Carolina School of the Arts
For this year, the Lighting Focus event was a solo endeavor. Each participant was asked to focus two pre-hung instruments to a set of given shapes. The ever-present Ellen White, outreach specialist for Electronic Theatre Controls, was joined by Lowell Olcott, field project coordinator for the West Coast Office of ETC, and Ryan Bundy, senior account executive for Intelligent Lighting Creations, to judge this crowd favorite. The best times were:
- First Place, Sam Juhnke, Minnesota State University-Mankato
- Second Place, Chris Noorville, Stephen F. Austin State University
- Third Place, Curtis Marxen, University at Oklahoma
In the Props event, the participant had to strike existing props from a given on-stage table to a marked prop table, and then take a different set of props from the prop table and set them up properly onstage. Tracy Armogost, opera set director assistant for the Santa Fe Opera, and Randy Lutz, opera props director for the Santa Fe Opera, set some very high standards for the participants this year. The winners were:
- First Place, Benjamin Rush, University of North Carolina School of the Arts
- Second Place, Justin Petito, SUNY-Fredonia
- Third Place, Hillary Abbott, Ohio Northern
For the Sound event, a team of two participants had to successfully set up a sound system to supply signal to a set of standard speakers from two separate sources - one playback source and one microphone. Jeremy Kumin, general manager of Enttec, and Rusty Wandell, head of sound design for Webster University, created a tough challenge for the participants. Many could not finish the event, but of those who did, these teams were the best:
- First Place, Jaeden Wellner and Sam Juhnke, Minnesota State University-Mankato
- Second Place, Joe Disbrow and Isaac Steinhour, Ohio Northern
- Third Place, Brad Gray and Sam Hughes, University at Oklahoma
For the Stage Manager event, two-member teams had to accurately tape out a ground plan in a pre-marked area using various spike tapes provided to them. Three amazing adjudicators — Tayneshia Jefferson, stage manager for Indiana University; Tina Shackleford, stage management lecturer from Carnegie-Mellon University; and Steve Jacobs, director of training workshops for Chicago Spotlight — were able to run two teams in tandem this year. The winners were:
- First Place, Nick Mengie and Taylor Morse, SUNY-Fredonia
- Second Place, Ingrid Abrahamsen and Chris Noorville, Stephen F. Austin State University
- Third Place, Paige Carter and Dan Koch, Elon University
The Swage a Sleeve event asked the participant to use a standard swaging tool to correctly terminate the end of a piece of 1/8-inch aircraft cable with a sleeve and thimble. Ken Fraza, facility manager of the McHale Performing Arts Center, critiqued each student's work with the eye of a seasoned professional. The best times for this event were:
- First Place, Carl Rogarto, High Point University
- Second Place, William Strickland, University of North Carolina School of the Arts
- Third Place, Gretchen Skellenger, Wartburg College
Each participant who finished first in each event, as well as all three of the best performing technicians, was given a $50 gift certificate for ToolsForStagecraft.com, jointly donated by ETC and ToolsForStageCraft.com. Hall Associates Flying Effects donated themed t-shirts to the stage managers, the adjudicators, and the participants. ETC Lighting also donated two additional Source Four lens tubes and an additional instrument for the Tech Olympics in 2013. Intelligent Lighting Creations is donating focus gloves for the 2013 Tech Olympics in Milwaukee. Exhibitors who wish to donate additional supplies or prizes for the next Tech Olympics are encouraged to contact the USITT Office and speak with Ron Procopio, 800-938-7488 ext. 107 or ron@usitt.org.
Industry professionals are always needed to help judge the Tech Olympic events. This is a great chance to meet students from across the country, give some great advice, and get hands dirty for a good cause. There is also free pizza and drinks! Those who think they have the "right stuff" can contact Tracy Nunnally at tnunnally@niu.edu.
