There’s a formula that’s used for calculating a tournament champion, and speaker points is part of the mix. Or in the case at NITOC this year, a mix-up. An anomaly in the tab software negatively affected a round where there was a forfeit. The result was a glitch that drastically reduced a debater’s speaker points. If the software hadn’t misawarded these speaker points for Taryn Murphy, then Taryn would’ve been awarded 2nd Place Team Policy Speaker and the NITOC 2016 Tournament Champion. The Stoa Board apologizes for this mishap, and for the disappointment to Abigail Ford and the lack of acknowledgement for Taryn.
When the Board contacted Taryn and her family to explain the software miscalculation, Taryn responded with, “Titles and trophies are fleeting, and while it’s wonderful to have one’s efforts recognized, it isn’t the most important thing. What matters are the bonds we form with those around us, how we treat others, and how we exhibit Christ’s love in testing circumstances.” In a gracious post by Abigail, she concludes with, “All in all... Yes, I'm incredibly disappointed. Might have even cried a little bit. But it's not the end of the world! :) I know it's all in God's hands.” In their own words, Taryn and Abigail are stating the Stoa theme verse: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen!” — Rom 11:36
Sincerely,
Stoa Board of Directors
NITOC Results
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The Stoa Board of Directors regrets to announce that a tabulation error was made at the NITOC 2016 tournament. The parliamentary team of Austin Janik and Kai McAlister won their double octo-final debate round on a 3-0 decision. Unfortunately, it was recorded as a loss. We are very saddened by this mistake.
We have contacted the families and students involved to apologize to them for our mistake and to ask for their forgiveness.
We made a mistake. We are human and we will make mistakes. We have many processes in ballot check and tab to make sure mistakes don't happen, but unfortunately this error still occurred. Stoa operates on the transparent tabulation system. Part of being transparent involves admitting when we err and asking for forgiveness.
We will continue to work to improve our tabulation processes and investigate potential changes so that we can avoid mistakes like this in the future. We understand the importance of NITOC and the disappointment that this causes. We would like to congratulate both teams for an outstanding competition.
We pray that these young men, their parents, and coach will forgive the tournament officials for our error.
Sincerely,
Stoa Board of Directors