3/21/2018 Message

SkillsUSA Utah
State Directors Message for March 21, 2018
 
Please read the following list of VERY important ‘Friendly Reminders’ and Updates about our Upcoming Utah Leadership and Skills Conference (Also known as ‘State Competition’ and ULSC)
 

• THE HEADQUARTERS LOCATION HAS CHANGED! IT IS NOW IN BUSINESS BUILDING ROOM 118!  Enter the business building through the parking lot level doors on the north side of the building.  Headquarters will be the second door on the left.
• Registration is Closed.  Technical Committees are collecting materials and making preparations. Only drops and substitutions are allowed at this point. No additional registrations will be allowed.
• Contest Update Information (This is where you will find the latest contest information from the contest judges.)
  • To view contest updates, you can:
    • Go directly to the Contest Updates page at: https://2018contestupdates.blogspot.com/ and click the contest from the list on the right of the screen OR
    • Go to our Home Page or ULSC Page on our State Website (https://www.utahskillsusa.org/) and click the ‘2018 Contest Updates’ button under the ‘Contest Status Sheet, Updates, and Fees’ Section and be routed to the Contest Updates Page.
• 2018 “General” State Conference Regulations document:
  • All advisors and contestants must review this document prior to competing at the state conference event.  These regulations closely mirror the national championship policies, procedures and regulations.  A thorough understanding of these procedures will better prepare all Utah contestants for success at the state and national levels. 
    This document is available on the ULSC Page of our State Website: https://www.utahskillsusa.org/uploads/8/1/2/7/81273014/skillsusa_utah_championships_general_regulations_3-22-18.pdf
• Contest Status Sheet (This is where you will find the contest locations and times.)
  • PLEASE CHECK THE CONTEST STATUS SHEET OFTEN! It is being updated constantly! To view it:
    • Go to our Home Page or ULSC Page on our State Website (https://www.utahskillsusa.org/) and click the ‘2018 Contest Status Sheet’ button under the ‘Contest Status Sheet, Updates, and Fees’ Section to download the excel sheet.
• Tie-Breaker Test
  • All contestants have the opportunity to take the ‘Tie Breaker Test’. In the event of a tie during any contest, the score achieved on this test will be used as the Tie-Breaker. The Instructions, Study Guide, and Test are available on our State Website:
    Instructions: https://www.utahskillsusa.org/uploads/8/1/2/7/81273014/tie-breaker_test_instructions.pdf
    Study Guide: https://www.utahskillsusa.org/uploads/8/1/2/7/81273014/test-studyguide.pdf
    Test: https://www.flexiquiz.com/SC/RG?p=14a1dfbb-4596-45aa-9d3f-8f2ad615e2dd
• Resume’ Requirement
  • ALL contestants are required to bring a one-page, hard copy/printed, typed, professional, formatted resume to their pre-contest meeting.  If they do not turn in a resume, or the resume does not have a “professional appearance”, it will result in a 10-point deduction. This deduction will apply to every member of a team event that fails to submit an acceptable resume’
  • We encourage students to store their completed resumes electronically as well (i.e. E-mail, Cloud, USB Stick, etc.) as backup for emergencies.
• Delegates
  • Any students who are registered, paid members of SkillsUSA are invited to attend the Delegate Session at the following times:
    • Thursday, April 12th at 3:30pm in the LAC Arena
    • Friday, April 13th at 2:30pm in the LAC Arena.
• 2018-2019 Officer Team Candidates   
  • Advisors, please encourage interested students to run for a position on our state officer team.  We need energetic young people to lead our student organization.  Officer team candidates must be active, registered members of SkillsUSA to serve on this team.
  • Any students interested in running for the 2018-2019 Student Officer team need to:
    • Fill out the online application on our State Website at: https://www.utahskillsusa.org/student-officer-application.html
    • Attend the Officer Candidate Orientation/Interviews on Thursday, April 12th in Student Center Room 221 at 2:00PM
    • Accepted officer applicants will be added to a ballot and are permitted to campaign at the state conference. Officers will be elected by student delegates and announced at the awards session of the state conference. Newly elected officers must be prepared to stay an extra night after the state conference ends for an orientation session with the officer team advisors. Reasonable expenses for the extra night and return travel are covered by SkillsUSA Utah.
• Advisor Headquarters Check-in
  • We ask that all school advisors stop by Headquarters (Business Building Room 118) and ‘Touch Base’ at any time either Thursday, April 12th or Friday, April 13th before Closing Ceremonies. We have a special gift for each of our advisors.
• Official Contest Clothing & Tools Requirements and App
  • Every contestant must wear the official SkillsUSA contest clothing as specified in the 2018 SkillsUSA Technical Standards.  Failure to comply will result in a “clothing deduction.”  All competition clothing items are available through the SkillsUSA Store on the national SkillsUSA website, www.skillsusa.org.
  • Contestants Clothing will be scored with the following rubric:

Improper shirt                                      -10
Improper pants                                     -10      
Improper shoes                                    -10
Improper jacket (when required)           -10
No tie / improper tie (when required)     -5
Improper socks / nylons                        -5
Unauthorized clothing (hats, vests, etc.) -5
Offensive Tattoo that is not covered       -5

• There is a new app available through the Apple Store or Google Play that outlines the EXACT contest clothing and tools required for each contest. You can search ‘SkillsUSA: Clothing and Tools’ or click one of the links below:
  • Apple Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/skillsusa-clothing-and-tools/id1165281105?mt=8
  • Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pearson.skillsusachampionship&hl=en

• Campus/Building Maps
  • All Campus and Building Maps that are currently available can be found on our State Website ULSC Page at: https://www.utahskillsusa.org/2018-utah-leadership--skills-competition-ulsc.html under the ‘Campus an Building Maps’ Section.
• Drops/No Refund Deadline - Friday, March 23rd 2018 is the final Drop/No Refund Deadline.
  • Schools will not be able to receive a refund for any dropped contestants after this date.
• Payment Deadline – Friday, March 30th, 2018 is the Payment Deadline for 2018 ULSC.
  • #1 - Submit your Registration
  • #2 - PRINT 2 INVOICES, One for your records, ONE TO MAIL WITH YOUR CHECK
  • #3 - Mail to:
    • Richard Wittwer
    • SkillsUSA Utah
    • 4318 West 1275 South
    • Cedar City, UT 84720
  • BILLING QUESTIONS/TO PAY VIA CREDIT CARD:
    • Contact Jennifer Streker - (801)540-4342 - strekerj@gmail.com
    • *There is a 3% Fee if you choose to pay your invoice via Credit Card
• Substitute Policy
  • All substitutes must be registered members of SkillsUSA before February 23rd, 2018.
  • To utilize a substitute, email Angie Day, the Assistant to the State director, with the following information at angelee.day@gmail.com:
    • First and Last Name, School, and Contest of the Contestant being Dropped
    • First and Last Name, School and Contest of the Contestant being used as a substitute.
• ALL CONTESTANTS
  • Only students that are properly registered and paid members of SkillsUSA AND properly registered and paid state conference contestants will be allowed to compete.  If one member of a “team” event cannot compete and there is not a properly registered member substitute, the whole team may be disqualified.
• General Conference Agenda
  • Can be found on our State Website ULSC Page (https://www.utahskillsusa.org/2018-utah-leadership--skills-competition-ulsc.html) by clicking the Red Button labeled ‘General Conference Agenda’ under the ‘Other Important Documents’ Section, or by following this link: https://www.utahskillsusa.org/uploads/8/1/2/7/81273014/general_schedule_3-18-18.pdf
• Tie Breaker Test
  • Instructions, Study Guide, and Test are all available on the ULSC Page of our State Website (https://www.utahskillsusa.org/2018-utah-leadership--skills-competition-ulsc.html) under the ‘Tie-Breaker Test Section’ OR at the links below:
    • Instructions: https://www.utahskillsusa.org/uploads/8/1/2/7/81273014/tie-breaker_test_instructions.pdf
    • Study Guide: https://www.utahskillsusa.org/uploads/8/1/2/7/81273014/test-studyguide.pdf
    • Test: https://www.flexiquiz.com/SC/RG?p=14a1dfbb-4596-45aa-9d3f-8f2ad615e2dd
• Technical Standards
  • The Contest Technical Standards are your best resource for what to expect for each contest. They can be accessed through a Paid Professional Membership on the National Website. 
  • Instructions for how to access them can be found on our State Website under the ‘Conferences and Events’ drop down menu OR by following this link: http://www.utahskillsusa.org/uploads/8/1/2/7/81273014/how_to_access_technical_standards_2016-2017.pdf
• Lunch:
  • A “free” box lunch and bottle of water will be available for all student and advisor participants during the lunch hours on Friday, April 13th.  More details coming soon.
• Membership & Conference Fees
  • All student contestant membership fees must be paid to the SkillsUSA National Office before March 1st, 2018 to avoid a possible contest disqualification.
  • All State conference registration fees must be paid prior to participation at the state conference to avoid a possible contest disqualification.
• We STRONGLY encourage that your contestants not only check the Date, Time, and Location of their contest the day before, but that they PRINT the following documents to have with them in case they do not have internet access to our website:
  • Contest Status Sheet
  • Campus/Building Maps
  • General Conference Agenda
  • THEIR RESUME!
• NO PROVIDED BUSSES THIS YEAR
  • VERY IMPORTANT: Due to the very high cost and extremely low ridership in recent years, SkillsUSA Utah will not be providing bus transportation to any state conference venues this year. If your contest is not held at the SLCC Taylorsville/Redwood campus, it is the responsibility of the advisor/school/district to provide transportation to and from the contest site!  This includes contest sites at Ogden Weber ATC, Davis ATC, Utah Valley University, the Iron Workers Training Center, etc.  Please plan accordingly and make arrangements for additional bus drivers as needed to accommodate the additional driving hours.
• Models
  • Models are not required to register as a state conference participant.  Nail Care and Esthetics models and assistants in Action Skills, Principles of Technology, and Job Skill Demonstrations A and Open must be active SkillsUSA student members. Models and assistants are not required to be from the same school as the competitor. They are not considered contestants and are not required to attend contestant orientation meetings. Since models and assistants are not involved in the written test and are not considered contestants, they are also not eligible to receive medals.
• SLCC  Campus Policies:
  • Our wonderful hosts at Salt Lake Community College have asked me to remind all participants of the visitor policies that will be enforced during the state conference.
    • Parking is limited to “general parking” areas.  Do not park in any restricted or limited use stalls unless you have the appropriate vehicle designation.  Buses must be parked in the parking lots North of the LAC building.
    • No “outside” food may be consumed in the SLCC Student Center.  (Example: Do not order delivery pizza or bring multiple pizzas into the student center.  In case you are wondering why, SkillsUSA Utah has paid a financial penalty for this in the past!)
    • No portable furniture is allowed in any SLCC campus building.  (Example, folding lawn/beach chairs.)
    • No signs, posters or tape can be applied to any walls or bulletin boards of any building.
    • SLCC wants to thank you for your cooperation.  Let’s all be pleasant guests during our visit on the campuses of Salt Lake Community College.

 
Special thanks to all our advisors! We truly appreciate your hard work and dedication.
 
Warm Regards,
 
Richard Wittwer
SkillsUSA Utah State Director
skillsusa.utahstatedirector@gmail.com
435-590-8386