Re: [Hunt03] This year's hunt & stuff to do

[Michael R Korn <mikekorn MIT EDU>]

Hi.

> Can I get a volunteer to look for an HQ, once we've addressed topic #1?
> Needless to say, we have to talk about team size and MIT student
> membership ASAP.

I can reserve classroom space again this year.  Naturally I would like to 
wait 
until we've resolved the issue of a possible team split before doing this.
We should hurry, since I believe they're already allotting space for IAP.
 
> 3.  Since we have the mandate of "plenty of MIT student participation,"
> does anyone have any ideas for getting more MIT students onto our team?

I talked to a number of my friends last year about this, but none of them 
seemed too interested.  I'll continue to pester them until they give in....

I think the main reason why they're promoting MIT student participation is 
because they know that certain puzzles will be virtually unsolvable by 
people 
unfamiliar with the MIT campus.  If we're willing to live with this 
handicap, 
then we probably don't need more students.  However, on the other hand, 
each 
of the past two years there was some aspect of the hunt which required 
access 
to the Athena computing system, which is why they demanded that each team 
contain at least one student.  (Along these lines, it might not be a bad 
idea 
to have at least one _awake_ MIT student at all times.)  Also, having more 
people in the 18-25 age range could be beneficial when it comes to 
pop-culture 
references (especially since this seems like the age range of the team 
writing 
this hunt).

As far as splitting the team, I'll be happy with whatever we decide to do. 
 
Sure, a big team has a better chance of winning, but I think some of our 
solving power went to waste last year.  (Three people looking at the same 
computer doing a Google search for airports in Burkino Faso is really no 
faster than one person doing it.)  In this respect, a person on a smaller 
team 
could probably be more productive.  If this results in a more enjoyable 
hunt 
experience, I don't know.  On the other hand, there's something to be said 
for 
the sheer insanity of a 50-person team.

mike