Tag Archives: Summer

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Watersport

Athletic Competition Timing Standards

Today we update our understanding of best practice catalogs for outdoor and indoor watersport; primarily swimming and rowing.  Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

Summer Sport

 

Natatoriums 300: Advanced Topics

Sapienza – Università di Roma

USA Swimming and the National Collegiate Athletic Association Swimming are two distinct organizations that oversee different aspects of competitive swimming in the United States. USA Swimming governs competitive swimming in the United States across all age groups and skill levels, while NCAA Swimming specifically focuses on collegiate-level swimming and diving competitions within the NCAA framework. Both organizations play crucial roles in the development and promotion of swimming in the United States.

Governing Body:

USA Swimming is the national governing body for the sport of swimming in the United States. It is responsible for overseeing competitive swimming at all levels, from grassroots programs to elite national and international competitions.
NCAA Swimming: NCAA Swimming is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which governs intercollegiate sports in the United States. NCAA Swimming specifically deals with collegiate-level swimming competitions among universities and colleges.

Scope:

USA Swimming is responsible for organizing and regulating competitive swimming for all age groups and skill levels, from youth swimmers to Masters swimmers (adults). It oversees swim clubs, hosts competitions, and develops national teams for international events.
NCAA Swimming: NCAA Swimming focuses exclusively on college-level swimming and diving competitions. It sets the rules and guidelines for swimming and diving programs at NCAA member institutions.

Membership:

Individuals, swim clubs, and teams can become members of USA Swimming, allowing them to participate in USA Swimming-sanctioned events, access coaching resources, and benefit from the organization’s development programs.
NCAA Swimming: NCAA Swimming is composed of collegiate athletes who compete for their respective universities and colleges. Athletes are typically student-athletes who represent their schools in NCAA-sanctioned competitions.

Competition Format:

USA Swimming hosts a wide range of competitions, including local, regional, and national meets, as well as Olympic Trials and international events. Swimmers compete as individuals, representing their swim clubs or teams.
NCAA Swimming: NCAA Swimming primarily consists of dual meets, invitational meets, and conference championships at the collegiate level. Swimmers represent their respective universities or colleges, earning points for their teams in dual meets and competing for conference and national titles.

Scholarships:

USA Swimming itself does not offer scholarships. Scholarships for competitive swimmers are typically awarded by colleges and universities based on an athlete’s performance and potential.
NCAA Swimming: NCAA member institutions offer scholarships to talented student-athletes in various sports, including swimming. These scholarships can cover tuition, room, board, and other expenses, making NCAA swimming an avenue for athletes to receive financial support for their education.

 


 

Swimming, Water Polo and Diving Lighting

Beyond the Stopwatch

Computer-vision drowning detection

Nitro Cold Brew

BOSTON WEATHER

Consolidated Financial Statement 2024: $3.541B

2026 Summer Construction Project Maps

Nitro cold brew is bubbling up in coffee shops almost everywhere. The nitrogen-infused beverage became one of the hottest new offerings for coffee lovers looking for something different.   The cold brew — made by steeping coffee grinds in cold water for multiple hours — is dispensed from a stout tap, similar to what you’d find at your local bar.

Image: Chemical & Engineering News

WBUR City Space | Campus Planning & Operations

Warren Towers Modernization — $550 million


Howard Zinn taught at Boston University from 1964 to 1988.  His intellectual legacy has not held up well among serious historians.  Zinn presented American history as a simplistic morality play of evil elites versus virtuous “the people.” Scholars across the political spectrum, including left-leaning historians like Michael Kazin and Sam Wineburg, have criticized it as a “polemic disguised as history” and a Manichean fable rather than rigorous scholarship.

The book is filled with selective quoting, decontextualized facts, major omissions, and heavy reliance on secondary sources that support his Marxist-tinged narrative. Detailed critiques, such as Mary Grabar’s Debunking Howard Zinn, document numerous factual distortions regarding Columbus, the American Revolution, slavery, WWII, and more. 

Zinn openly rejected “disinterested scholarship” in favor of activism, producing advocacy rather than balanced analysis. While influential in activist and popular circles, its methodological flaws and lack of nuance have kept it outside mainstream academic respect. 

 

City Journal (February 6): “The Downfall of Ibram X. Kendi”

Discusses the collapse of Kendi’s Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University, alleging mismanagement of $55 million with minimal research output. Describes Kendi as a “symbol of the BLM era’s destructive passions” and notes his move to Howard University. 

— Christopher F. Rufo

Pool, Spa & Recreational Waters

“Innenansicht des Kaiserbades in Aachen” | Jan Luyken (1682)

 

Education communities provide a large market for recreational and therapeutic water technology suppliers.  Some of the larger research universities have dozens of pools including those in university-affiliated healthcare facilities.  Apart from publicly visible NCAA swimming programs there are whirpools in healthcare facilities and therapeutic tubs for athletes in other sports.   Ownership of these facilities requires a cadre of conformance experts to assure water safety.

NSF International is one of the first names in this space and has collaborated with key industry stakeholders to make pools, spas and recreational water products safer since 1949.   The parent document in its suite is NSF 50 Pool, Spa and Recreational Water Standards  which  covers everything from pool pumps, strainers, variable frequency drives and pool drains to suction fittings, grates, and ozone and ultraviolet systems.  

The workspace for this committee is linked below:

Joint Committee on Recreational Water Facilities

(Standards Michigan is an observer on this and several other NSF committees and is the only “eyes and ears” for the user interest; arguably the largest market for swimming pools given their presence in schools and universities.)

There are 14 task groups that drill into specifics such as the following:

Chemical feeders

Pool chemical evaluation

Flotation systems

Filters

Water quality

Safety surfacing

The meeting packet is confidential to registered attendees.  You may communicate directly with the NSF Joint Committee Chairperson, Mr. Tom Vyles (admin@standards.nsf.org) about arranging direct access as an observer or technical committee member.   

Almost all ANSI accredited technical committees have a shortage of user-interests (compliance officers, manufacturers and installers usually dominate).  We encourage anyone in the education facility industry paying the bill for the services of compliance officers, manufacturers and installers to participate. 

We maintain this title on the standing agenda of our Water and Sport colloquia.  See our CALENDAR for the next onine meeting; open to everyone.

Fullerton College

Issue: [13-89]

Category: Water, Sport

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Ron George, Larry Spielvogel


More

Model Aquatic Health Code

IAPMO Swimming Pool & Spa Standards 

UL 1081 Standard for Swimming Pool Pumps, Filters, and Chlorinators | (UL Standards tend to be product standards so we rank them lower in our priority ranking than interoperability standards.)

Aquatic Health Code

County Fair

Standards Arizona | Other Agricultural Extension Offices

Chandler High School

4-H is a U.S.-based network of youth organizations whose mission is “engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development”. Its name is a reference to the occurrence of the initial letter H four times in the organization’s original motto head, heart, hands, and health, which was later incorporated into the fuller pledge officially adopted in 1927.  In the United States, the organization is administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture.

Maricopa County Cooperative Extension

Farm Electrical Power

Agriculture

Before the Harvest

Amphitheaters

University of Virginia — McIntire Amphitheatre
Concordia University Irvine — Nelson Amphitheatre
University of Houston — Wilhelmina’s Grove Amphitheater

“Panoramic View of the Greek Amphitheatre at Syracuse” 18th Century Abraham Louis Rodolphe Ducros

From from time to time — particularly in the months of fairer weather, when many events are hosted outdoors — we break form from the grind of responding to c0nsultations to simply enjoy these spaces  See our CALENDAR for our periodic Lively c0lloquia when we drill down into technical specifics.

서울대학교

Outdoor amphitheaters rely upon a broad ecosystem of consensus standards that quietly support every performance.  Among them:

  • NFPA — National Electrical Code, including Articles 518, 520, 525 and related provisions
  • SMPTE — media production and broadcast systems
  • Audio Engineering Society (AES) — professional sound systems
  • Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) — site and performance lighting
  • ASTM International — seating, concrete, accessibility and materials
  • ASCE — structural loading for stages, roofs and canopies

 

Outdoor Events

University of Melbourne (Architect rendering of project in process)

Furman University

High Point University

George Fox University Oregon

Globe Theater / Southern Utah University

Point Loma Nazarene University

Augusta University / Georgia

Singapore Management University

Swarthmore College

Silliman University Amphitheater / The Phillippines

University of Colorado

South Dakota State University

University of Mary Washington / Virginia

California State University San Marcos

Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

Clemson University

University of Virginia

College of Idaho Centennial Amphitheater

Texas Woman’s University

Swarthmore College

Pomona College

Oakland University Meadowbrook Theater / Rochester, Michigan

More coming


LEARN MORE:

Open Air Audio

 

Readings: The “30-30” Rule for Outdoor Athletic Events Lightning Hazard

Thunderstorm | Shelter (Building: 30/30 Rule)

The standards for delaying outdoor sports due to lightning are typically set by governing bodies such as sports leagues, associations, or organizations, as well as local weather authorities. These standards may vary depending on the specific sport, location, and level of play. However, some common guidelines for delaying outdoor sports due to lightning include:

  1. Lightning Detection Systems: Many sports facilities are equipped with lightning detection systems that can track lightning activity in the area. These systems use sensors to detect lightning strikes and provide real-time information on the proximity and severity of the lightning threat. When lightning is detected within a certain radius of the sports facility, it can trigger a delay or suspension of outdoor sports activities.
  2. Lightning Distance and Time Rules: A common rule of thumb used in outdoor sports is the “30-30” rule, which states that if the time between seeing lightning and hearing thunder is less than 30 seconds, outdoor activities should be suspended, and participants should seek shelter. The idea is that lightning can strike even when it is not raining, and thunder can indicate the proximity of lightning. Once the thunder is heard within 30 seconds of seeing lightning, the delay or suspension should be implemented.
  3. Local Weather Authority Guidelines: Local weather authorities, such as the National Weather Service in the United States, may issue severe weather warnings that include lightning information. Sports organizations may follow these guidelines and suspend outdoor sports activities when severe weather warnings, including lightning, are issued for the area.
  4. Sports-Specific Guidelines: Some sports may have specific guidelines for lightning delays or suspensions. For example, golf often follows a “Play Suspended” policy, where play is halted immediately when a siren or horn is sounded, and players are required to leave the course and seek shelter. Other sports may have specific rules regarding how long a delay should last, how players should be informed, and when play can resume.

It’s important to note that safety should always be the top priority when it comes to lightning and outdoor sports. Following established guidelines and seeking shelter when lightning is detected or severe weather warnings are issued can help protect participants from the dangers of lightning strikes.

Noteworthy: NFPA titles such as NFPA 780 and NFPA 70 Article 242 deal largely with wiring safety, informed by assuring a low-resistance path to earth (ground)

There are various lightning detection and monitoring devices available on the market that can help you stay safe during thunderstorms. Some of these devices can track the distance of lightning strikes and alert you when lightning is detected within a certain radius of your location. Some devices can also provide real-time updates on lightning strikes in your area, allowing you to make informed decisions about when to seek shelter.

Examples of such devices include personal lightning detectors, lightning alert systems, and weather stations that have lightning detection capabilities. It is important to note that these devices should not be solely relied upon for lightning safety and should be used in conjunction with other safety measures, such as seeking shelter indoors and avoiding open areas during thunderstorms.

Seawolf Grounds

ANCHORAGE WEATHER

University of Alaska System Financial Reports 2024: $1.490B (p. 4)

2026 Summer Projects Impact Maps  | Projects

Facilities & Campus Services


 

Sydney Laurence | A Golden Afternoon, Mount Mckinley National Park ...

“Mount McKinley, Alaska” | (1923) Sydney Laurence

Easy Greek Salad

West Virginia University Financial Statement 2024 | $1.234B

The Recipe

Standards West Virginia

Related:

Fruit Smoothie

 

Southern Ice Cream

Standards Mississippi

University of Mississippi Financial Statement 2023: $1.207B

🍧

US Department of Agriculture | § 58.2825 United States Standard for ice cream.

Southern ice cream often differs from ice cream in other regions of the U.S. in several ways, reflecting regional tastes, ingredients, and traditions:

  1. Flavors and Ingredients:
    • Pecans and Pralines: Southern ice cream frequently incorporates pecans and pralines, which are popular in the region.
    • Peaches: Georgia is known for its peaches, so peach-flavored ice cream is a Southern staple.
    • Sweet Tea and Bourbon: These flavors are inspired by Southern beverages and can be found in ice creams.
    • Buttermilk: Buttermilk ice cream has a tangy flavor and is a nod to traditional Southern cooking.
  2. Style and Texture:
    • Custard Base: Southern ice cream often uses a custard base, which includes egg yolks, giving it a richer and creamier texture compared to the typical Philadelphia-style ice cream that uses a simpler cream and sugar base.
    • Churned at Home: Traditional Southern ice cream is often made using hand-cranked ice cream makers, producing a different texture and incorporating more air, which can make it lighter and fluffier.
  3. Historical Influence:
    • Cultural Heritage: The South’s diverse cultural heritage influences its ice cream, with recipes passed down through generations and reflecting African American, Native American, and European influences.
  4. Popular Brands and Shops:
    • Regional Brands: Brands like Blue Bell, which originated in Texas, are particularly popular in the South and known for their classic Southern flavors.
    • Local Shops: Small, local ice cream parlors in the South often offer unique, homemade flavors that highlight regional ingredients and traditions.

These differences highlight the South’s rich culinary traditions and how they extend even to sweet treats like ice cream.

University of Mississippi | Lafayette County

William Faulkner Home: Rowan Oak

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