This message includes the following topics of information…
…for everyone:
- Where/when do I show up for MIST on Friday?
- Is my MIST ID Number at Nationals different from Regionals?
- Are Orientations mandatory to attend on Friday?
- What if I miss Orientations on Friday…what should I do?
- Where/when do I show up for MIST on Saturday?
- Where/when do I show up for MIST on Sunday?
- What is the Penny Power Struggle?
- What should I be prepared for?
- Is there anything I need to know about competitions?
- Will there be any guest registration?
…for those who are driving:
- How do I get there?
- Where can I park?
…for those who are flying in from out-of-town and staying at the Hotel:
- Will there be transportation during the weekend?
- How do I get to MIST on Friday?
- What is MARTA?
- MARTA Directions from Airport to Holiday Inn Downtown Decatur
- MARTA Directions from Airport to W.D. Mohammed High School
- MARTA Directions from Airport to Georgia Tech
WHERE/WHEN DO I SHOW UP FOR MIST ON FRIDAY?
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Orientations, Ice Breakers, and Lunch will be held at the Warith Deen Mohammed High School at the following address:
735 Fayetteville Rd SE,
Atlanta, GA 30316
- Local volunteers must arrive by 8am.
- In-town participants and coaches must arrive by 9am.
- Out-of-town participants and coaches must arrive by 11am.
Friday Prayer will be held at the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam at the following address:
560 Fayetteville Rd SE,
Atlanta, GA 30316
The Atlanta Masjid is walking distance from WD Mohammed High School. Friday Prayer will be at 2pm.
Basketball will be held in the Shareef Abdur-Rahim Gymnasium at W.D. Mohammed High School.
- Sisters Basketball is scheduled 3:30-6:30pm.
- Brothers Basketball is scheduled 6:30-10:30pm.
IS MY MIST ID NUMBER AT NATIONALS DIFFERENT FROM REGIONALS?
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Yes, your MIST ID Number at Nationals is different from the MIST ID Number you were given at Regionals. Your new MIST ID Number will automatically be sent to each of you within the next few days, insha Allah. You will ONLY receive your MIST ID Number in this manner. If the email address you provided during registration does not work, you will be notified to correct your email address immediately (via telephone, etc.) before you may receive your MIST ID.
ARE ORIENTATIONS MANDATORY TO ATTEND ON FRIDAY?
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Absolutely yes. That is, if you plan on competing in MIST Nationals. After Orientations and Friday Prayer are done, you have the option to leave for the day if you are not competing in Basketball.
Anybody coming from out-of-town who has not yet checked into their hotel room will be provided transportation to the hotel after Friday Prayer. Brothers who are competing in Basketball will be shuttled back at 6:00pm from the Hotel to the Gymnasium once Sisters Basketball is complete.
WHAT IF I MISS ORIENTATIONS ON FRIDAY…WHAT SHOULD I DO?
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Anyone who misses Orientations on Friday must notify us by via email at mist.nationals@gmail.com. We will prepare an orientation session for you first thing Saturday morning.
WHERE/WHEN DO I SHOW UP FOR MIST ON SATURDAY?
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The entire program will be held at Georgia Tech, centered around the Klaus Advanced Computing Building at the following address:
266 Ferst Drive,
Atlanta, GA 30332
The program is scheduled to begin at 8:30am and end at 11:00pm.
WHERE/WHEN DO I SHOW UP FOR MIST ON SUNDAY?
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The program is scheduled to begin at Georgia Tech’s Klaus Advanced Computing Building at 8:30am at the following addres:
266 Ferst Drive,
Atlanta, GA 30332
Beginning 11:30am, lunch is being served and Dhohur Salah is being offered at Al-Farooq Masjid of Atlanta at the following address:
442 14th Street NW,
Atlanta, GA 30318
Beginning 2:30pm, the Awards Ceremony is scheduled to commence at the Holiday Inn Downtown Decatur at the following address:
130 Clairemont Ave,
Decatur, GA 30030
The Awards Ceremony is scheduled to conclude by 6:00pm.
WHAT IS THE PENNY POWER STRUGGLE?
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The Penny Power Struggle is our version of Penny Wars. Each region will have a bucket at the Information Table with their name on it. For every penny inserted into the bucket, one point will be awarded to the team. For every other coin or bill inserted into the bucket, it’s value in pennies will be subtracted from the total number of points of the region. Penny Power Struggle points are not to be confused with overall team points of any team. The winning region takes all the money collected through this healthy fundraising tool.
WHAT SHOULD I BE PREPARED FOR?
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1. Bring your camera! Also don’t forget to bring equipment to charge your batteries and to transfer photos to a computer. We kindly ask you to help us take pictures of your team and turn them in at the Information Table anytime during the weekend so we can utilize them for the Awards Ceremony.
2. If your region/team is willing to create a short video of your trip to Nationals and your experiences, please plan to bring any equipment you may need to do so. If you are able to complete your video (time limit: 3 minutes) and turn it in before the Awards Ceremony, we may decide to show it.
3. Dress nicely. On Friday, please wear your team or regional spirit wear (for bonus team points). Otherwise, stick to business casual, professional, or formal wear. No jeans. All participants are highly recommended to dress with modesty. If you have to think if it’s appropriate, then it probably isn’t. Try to stay on the conservative side. Yes, that’s for you too, my brothers.
4. All meals are covered from Friday Lunch through Sunday Lunch except for Friday Dinner (breakfasts will be served by the hotel). We will provide a list of restaurants around the area in case anybody wants to go out and see Atlanta on Friday. Remember, all students MUST be accompanied by at least one coach during all times of the weekend.
5. Turn in team banners during Orientations for extra team points.
IS THERE ANYTHING I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COMPETITIONS?
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Yes. Please read the following points:
1. Debate: No personal notes or laptops may be used during competition. Here are your topics:
* Illegal immigrants in America should have the same rights as US citizens.
* Iran should not have the right to pursue nuclear energy.
* The US should be allowed to wiretap its citizens for the purpose of homeland security.
* Developing countries should get debt relief.
* Iraq should be split into separate countries (Kurd/Sunni/Shiite) and not remain unified.
* The UN should have stronger regulatory power over the actions of nations.
* American troops should be pulled out of Iraq immediately.
* Religion should not be taught in public schools, in any capacity.
* Developed countries have a responsibility to help non-developed countries.
* The 21st century is a century of progress for Muslims.
2. Math Olympics: Calculators are allowed.
3. Short Film: Bring your Short Film in DVD format. Make sure you check that it works before arriving. Turn in one copy during orientations and keep one for yourself (just in case). Loading your video to YouTube can also help in case of emergency.
4. Remember to bring in three copies of Poetry, Newsletter, Children’s Book, Prepared Essay, Prepared Oratory, and Short Fiction submissions.
5. MIST Bowl: Bring your A game.
WILL THERE BE ANY GUEST REGISTRATION?
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Yes, absolutely. Guest Registration allows you to attend everything related to MIST and enjoy all the included meals.
- $45 for the full weekend.
- $20 per day.
- $10 for Awards Ceremony.
- $5 for any seconds on meals provided by MIST.
HOW DO I GET THERE?
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Google maps! 
Addresses are provided above for all locations. Just beware of Atlanta traffic!
WHERE CAN I PARK?
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Holiday Inn Downtown Decatur: Parking deck behind the hotel costs $7 for guest overnight parking and $2 for one-time visitor parking.
WD Mohammed High School: Free parking lot. Auxiliary parking at Atlanta Masjid and Publix (walking distance: one block).
Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam: Free parking lot.
Georgia Tech: Parking deck under the Klaus Advanced Computing Building and parking lot in front of Howey Physics Building. Free on weekends except during special events. On Sunday, Georgia Tech is having their FASET (Freshman Orientation Session), so parking may be congested and the maximum parking fee would be $10 in designated lots.
Masjid Al-Farooq of Atlanta: Free parking deck behind the masjid.
WILL THERE BE TRANSPORTATION DURING THE WEEKEND?
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Yes! If you are staying in the hotel during MIST weekend and won’t have your own car, then all you have to do is show up to WD Mohammed High School on Friday, and we got you covered from there. We have arranged for buses to shuttle people between all our destinations throughout the weekend. Just rely on “The MIST Transporter” Brother Hammad Rahman for all your transportation needs. Even if you miss one of our buses or get lost coming by yourself, Br. Hammad has pledged to do his best to find a way to get you to where you need to be!
The MIST Transporter
Br. Hammad Rahman
770.366.1680
Please call or text for any transportation help during MIST weekend
HOW DO I GET TO MIST ON FRIDAY?
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Take MARTA.
WHAT IS MARTA?
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Please utilize the Atlanta metro to save money. MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) costs $1.75 for a one-way fare (including all rail and bus transfers) and charges $0.50 to print your ticket. If you know you will need to ride MARTA once more (for example, to get back to the Airport after MIST), it is smarter to get a two-way ticket to save the extra printing cost. If you will need to ride MARTA more than twice, purchase the $5 Breeze Card instead, which comes with two free trips and can be reloaded without any printing cost.
MARTA DIRECTIONS FROM AIRPORT TO HOLIDAY INN DOWNTOWN DECATUR
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To: 130 Clairemont Ave., Decatur, GA 30030:
1. Take any train North to Five Points Station.
2. Transfer at Five Points Station to a train going East, and get off at the Decatur Station.
3. Call the hotel at 404-371-0204 to have their complimentary shuttle pick you up from the station. The Hotel is also walking distance from the Station.
MARTA DIRECTIONS FROM AIRPORT TO W.D. MOHAMMED HIGH SCHOOL
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To: 735 Fayetteville Rd SE, Atlanta, GA 30316
PLEASE NOTE: These directions are best for those who are getting on MARTA at 9:00am. If arriving before or after 9:00am, please call/text Hammad Rahman (770.366.1680) to see if there is a better route to take according to the train/bus schedules at that time.
1. Take any train North to Five Points Station.
2. Transfer at Five Points Station to a train going East, and get off at the Inman Park Station.
3. Transfer to Bus Number 107 and get off at the intersection of Glenwood and Fayetteville Road.
4. Walk down Fayetteville Road and the high school is on the right.
MARTA DIRECTIONS FROM AIRPORT TO GEORGIA TECH
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To: 266 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332
1. Take any train North to Midtown Station.
2. Go out of the station towards West Peachtree Street and take the Tech Trolley. Get off in front of the Klaus Advanced Computing Building.
Jazakum Allahu khairan,
The MIST Crew