Messages

16

General Discussion / Re: Help with possible February Tour

« on: October 20, 2011, 09:25:03 PM »

here's a google doc with venues all across the country
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArGJha4cIjTwdDhYT252cWtSbzVWdlFpQjVCMmxtNmc&hl=en_US#gid=0

17

General Discussion / Re: win in killeen

« on: October 18, 2011, 03:13:13 AM »

Killeen will be hosting a win and your in Wednesday 16 November... we already have 4 teams but if a team wishes to get in then reply on this thread and I can expand my venue time..I also got a nice deal on a hoe tell if anyone needs a room.

just FYI - 4 is the max # of teams you can have in a single W&I bout

18

General Discussion / HELP The Digital Storytellers project reach it's goal!

« on: October 04, 2011, 03:06:35 PM »

Hey Slam Fam,

A bunch of Bay Area folks are working on a new project called "Digital Storytellers" which is focused both on writing workshops and helping youth share their stories with a broader audience through the use of technology. We've already gotten a small grant and have a couple others pending but need your HELP to reach our goal. You know how many kids there are out there without a voice. Here is the link to a kickstarter campaign designed to create in and after school poetry workshops for high-school students. Donations will help fund workshops that teach under served kids to write and perform spoken word and make poetry based documentary films. This campaign will culminate in a multi-generational poetry showcase in November.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/393083197/voice-of-a-generation-presents-digital-storyteller

19

General Discussion / Re: IWPS Question

« on: September 15, 2011, 01:34:44 AM »

Just saw the list. Soooooopeer confused how the priority system came up with those names.

where's the list?

20

General Discussion / Re: Hip Hop HeadQuaters Update: Open Mic/RapSlam

« on: July 29, 2011, 06:21:02 PM »

pretty sure Jelal would be down... doubt he ever looks here though. you should post something on FB were people will see it. could even have simone or one of the folks with access to the nps 2011 profile create an event there.

21

General Discussion / Re: Slammaster Access Request Archive

« on: July 26, 2011, 09:45:06 PM »

HELP!!! I'm having a nervous break down and I dont knwo what to do.  Its my first year.  I'm 2Deep and I'm Slammaster of Busboys and Poets ( Washington, DC).  I'm clueless! Where do I get the registration forms for Nationals? I registered my team/paid dues. . . . do they have to be registered individually? I feel so stupid.  All help accepted.  Email:2deep. poet@gmail. com

Don't feel stupid. The first time's the confusing(est) one. We're all a bit stressed out at this time of year and the steps aren't really laid out in plain language anywhere easily findable. You and each of the poets on your team does need to become a psI member if you're not already. You do that here on the site, at the store for $25 each (and that's something that many (most?) SMs have the poets do for or cover themselves). If need be you can also do it when you turn in your paperwork and register your team at NPS (but that makes more work for the overworked folks doing the registering). Each of you also needs to sign the COH (code of honor) and the Video Release and anyone who's filming needs to sign the Shooter Agreement. You should print out the forms and bring them with you already filled out and signed. Don't bring your whole team to registration and fill them out there - the folks behind you in line will throw things at you and the folks doing the registering will yell.

Most of the forms are here - http://www.poetryslam.com/forum/index.php?topic=6813.0
(attached to the first post in the thread)

The COH is here - http://www.poetryslam.com/forum/index.php?topic=6823.msg69796#msg69796
(attached to the 2nd post in the thread)

I'll also email you the same info.

22

General Discussion / Re: NPS 2011: Poets to be remembered

« on: July 26, 2011, 07:14:25 PM »

Doh! I didn't see what you said there Simone - my question was answered before it was asked.

23

General Discussion / Re: NPS 2011: Poets to be remembered

« on: July 26, 2011, 06:53:04 PM »

I agree that this is a hard call to make, especially given the short amount of time we have before NPS. I am going to stick with my original plan for 2011 Finals, which will be people who competed at NPS and people who personally touched the lives of many there. I know this may seem arbitrary, but I do have to draw the line somewhere and we only have a few weeks to do so.

Please keep this discussion going for 2012.

Melissa Heagerty absolutely "touched the lives" of the Bay Area contingent... is that 5 teams / 30 or so folks enough to qualify as "many there"?

24

General Discussion / Re: a couple random NPS questions

« on: July 23, 2011, 03:19:04 PM »

PSi still pays for a team of 4 plus an extra person (slam master, coach, alternate, 5th poet, etc) to go to all events for free.

Jesse, with all due respect, this is simply not true in any way shape or form. It actually couldn't be further from the reality of the situation. psI charges the team to attend the events; that charge is called "registration". We certainly don't get into anything for "free". If I'm not paying for my team to attend the events what exactly was that $500 for?

Well, yes. That's splitting hairs, a bit. Part of the influx of money is definitely registration fees, sponsorships, etc., which then go into a general budget that PSi controls. PSi then controls that money and what it's spent for. One of those things that PSi applies this money to is a ticket package for registered teams.

I agree with you that we pay for it in the same way that we pay for any governance. If 5 "free" tickets were no longer included as part of the package for registration, teams would have to consider whether that was still worth it.

But I agree, it's not "free." It's included in our registration package, which we pay for, along with bags and sometimes t-shirts.

-Jesse

Um, not really splitting hairs at all... passes are just a part of the package that we pay for. The push back here is because that package used to include up to 6 passes and now it includes up to 5. That's effectively the same thing as registration going up by $75 for some subset of teams (or a volunteer requirement being added). I don't agree that we're paying for this in the same way that we pay for governance - that's what membership fees are for. Registration fees for NPS/iWPS/WoWPS are just that - a charge for a specific activity. Now, if not all of those fees (the $38K that teams have paid in) is used on NPS or if $38,000 plus whatever comes in from the general public/sponsorships/etc isn't enough to make this event happen that's a whole different ball of wax.

@scott - is putting this on the books as a proposal for the EC to consider after NPS something for the SM meeting?

25

General Discussion / Re: a couple random NPS questions

« on: July 22, 2011, 08:34:49 PM »

PSi still pays for a team of 4 plus an extra person (slam master, coach, alternate, 5th poet, etc) to go to all events for free.

Jesse, with all due respect, this is simply not true in any way shape or form. It actually couldn't be further from the reality of the situation. psI charges the team to attend the events; that charge is called "registration". We certainly don't get into anything for "free". If I'm not paying for my team to attend the events what exactly was that $500 for?

The last 2 years, I've been able to organize a small regional team competition through sponsorships with no registration fee and free lodging that still has a cash prize. Small events that require driving are a big difference from the international madness that is NPS, though. Which is why there's a PSi development director writing grant requests. Hopefully, that person is able to make progress and we can defray the costs of NPS in the future.

we run our regional here like you run yours - it's either free or cheap to register and if we do charge 100% of that money goes to prizes. I realize that nps is a different kind of beast entirely, with many more moving parts. hopefully the DD can get some grants, that'd be great; I don't honestly expect for that to affect my cost though. (The camp would probably come back and other things like that would happen I'm sure.)

@jaz - team size + 1 or +2 is probably about as far as you need to go. that makes it from 4 to 7 passes required (you can have a team of 4 or 5 w/ an SM and/or coach). The more I think about it the less sense it makes that it's been the same charge weather you brought 4, 5 or 6 folks.

26

General Discussion / Re: a couple random NPS questions

« on: July 22, 2011, 03:42:07 PM »

some teams bring 4, some 5, others 6 - how about the cost reflect that? what if $450 got your team registered and 4 passes, $500 got you 5 passes and $550 got 6? Or what if some other consideration was given... say teams were able to purchase an additional pass or 2 at 1/2 price or some other discounted rate? It's not just this - it's this on top of the (continued use of an) expensive hotel, and the increase in registration (a couple years back) and that doesn't take into account increased travel costs, etc.

@scott - I signed up to volunteer when the call first went out and this probably is my last nps for a while. dunno what that means for my team yet. we'll probably let whoever the top 4 are at finals next year decide if they want to self finance.
@jesse - not hyperbole at all... "knife in the back" would be hyperbole. "finger in the eye" generally refers to some relatively slight slight, often one that is unintended to begin with. think slightly stronger than "straw that broke the camels back".
@simone - fielding a team adds no value? If not for the SMs there wouldn't really be a nat's, certainly not one of this scale. I certainly agree that there should be different pricing options.

27

General Discussion / Re: a couple random NPS questions

« on: July 22, 2011, 01:41:29 AM »

@Dahled I thought you were referring to volunteering and a finals ticket. Accept my apology for misunderstanding.

I see what happened there... no apologies necessary, more my misunderstanding than yours it seems.

28

General Discussion / Re: a couple random NPS questions

« on: July 21, 2011, 10:31:14 PM »

@Dahled I completely understand what you are saying. This is not a NEW change. This has been this way for years. Maybe you have always volunteered enough hours and it wasn't an issue.

that's just factually incorrect. it is actually a new change, just one that's been coming for a while. if this is the first year it's this way it's new. this is, in fact, the first year that only 5 passes are given. up to and including last year 6 were available to teams bringing 5 on the team and a coach or SM. as for me personally, I've been on teams for 9 of the last 10 years. in every one of those years, save one, we brought 6 and got lanyards for all.

@scott - it's shortsighted because it puts an added financial burden on the folks that are already carrying a large portion of the water for the organization. With travel and lodging we're paying through the nose to participate as it is, an extra $75 is just an added finger in the eye. If it causes more frustration with psI and drives even a single SM away from wanting to field a team it's not worth it. Maybe a better term would be penny wise and pound foolish.

29

General Discussion / Re: a couple random NPS questions

« on: July 21, 2011, 02:30:49 AM »

@Dahled Volunteers will have to volunteer a certain number of hours to receive a ticket for finals.  There is no way PSi can afford to give away over 200 finals tickets.

There's also no way psI could pull nps off with out them either. I guess I'll just have to see if Erik has me host/bout manage enough to qualify for a ticket. after spending the 5 grand or so it takes to get my team to Boston from Oakland it'd kinda suck to miss finals. at this point I have no idea how we're even going to eat so buying a ticket is pretty much out of the question for me. this is a change that imho is terribly misguided and shortsighted in that it affects SMs/coaches specifically.

30

General Discussion / Re: a couple random NPS questions

« on: July 20, 2011, 03:43:45 PM »

are volunteers getting a finals ticket this year? (or, to rephrase, is the festival pass that a volunteer gets good for entry into finals?)