[APD] Re: comment about the AGA Aquascaping contest

["Bailin Shaw" <bailin_shaw at hotmail_com>]

Hi Shireen,

This year's contest was indeed hard to judge, as I should know being one of 
the judges involved.  The entrants should all be very proud of their tanks 
since they took a chance to put something they've worked lovingly on out for 
critique.  Being one of the "expert" judges  (yeah right), I had a very hard 
time this year deciding on whose tank was the best of the best.  There were 
numerous tanks I thought that deserved ribbons, but different tastes in 
styles and tanks prevented that from happening.  You have to remember, the 
judging is very subjective and each person has their own preference when it 
comes to style.

> Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2003 18:34:06 -0500
> From: Shireen Gonzaga <whimbrel at comcast_net>
> Subject: [APD] comment about the AGA Aquascaping contest
> To: aquatic-plants at actwin_com
>
> I just finished viewing the 2003 entries, and was
> absolutely floored. It was incredible. All the
> entrants should be very proud of themselves, every
> single one of them.
>
> It takes a pretty thick skin to enter a tank in this
> contest. I saw several stunning tanks that didn't
> even get an honorable mention, at the least! I felt
> really bad for those folks.
Please don't feel that way.  As a judge, even the tank that wasn't a 
"winner" was still a winning tank in my book.  These people made the effort 
to put something together and enter it in the contest.  I think they'll 
learn from the experience and that's what will make them a better 
aquascaper.  With each new idea, you improve the existing tank some more.  
That's how you grow in this area.  I'd love to see you enter a tank next 
year.  I haven't entered one in the contest yet, but have done so in some 
others.  I do plan on putting one in next year's contest.  I hope to get the 
same constructive criticism as I was asked to do for this year's contest.

> All these tanks, actually I would prefer to call them
> works of aquatic plant art, are a labor of love,
> dedication, and great effort. If I were in their shoes,
> I'd feel pretty hurt that my "kid" didn't get a ribbon.
> Perhaps I'm being too sensitive ... I guess that means
> I'll never have the stomach to enter this contest.
I agree about the competition, but I think that's what give people the added 
incentive to enter a tank and improve from year to year.  My comments and 
the other judges comments were meant as a way to give suggestions and praise 
that otherwise would go unnoticed.  It's a thankless job and one that I've 
been second guessed on already.  If I had a choice, every tank would receive 
a prize, but that's not how the competition went.  Needless to say, this is 
the last time I do this again.

> It's too bad society places such a premium on
> competition. Personally, I would have enjoyed those
> images so much more without having to see them through
> the filter of the judges' comments and ratings.
>
> my 2cents,
> 	shireen

Bailin Shaw
Executive Board Member
DFW Aquatic Plant Club
www.aquatic-plants.org

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