Frequently Asked Questions

Congress Covid-19 Policy

Please read the congress's Covid-19 policy at the bottom of this page for all Covid related questions.

What is the facility like this year?

The 2023 US Go Congress will be held at the Kent State University (KSU) Student Center, about 1 hour south of Cleveland, Ohio, and 30 minutes east of Akron. All Go events will take place in the Kent Student Center.
  

The main playing areas are on the 2nd floor, and Youth, Masters, and lecture rooms are on the 3rd floor. The 1st floor has a food court, bank with ATM, post office, and bookstore. The city of Kent is a compact, modern college town.

What is the weather like?

Weather in the summer can vary dramatically over the course of a single day. Daytime temperatures usually run in the 80’s – 90’s °F / 27°- 32° C, but nights can cool down significantly. Being near the Cuyahoga River, it can get humid. Heavy rain is possible.

Time Zone  

Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (US & Canada) (UTC-4)

Is there wireless internet access?

Wireless internet access is available to all Congress participants. Upon check-in, each participant will receive a login and password that will grant access to the Kent State’s secure wireless network. The network is available throughout the campus.

Is there cell phone service?

The three major carriers have service on campus: AT&T, T-Mobile/Sprint, Verizon. You can also use a voice-over-internet service like Skype, Viber, WhatsApp, WeChat, etc. Newer smartphones also support Wi-Fi calling.

What time should I arrive and leave?

Most people will arrive on Saturday morning or afternoon, July 8, and leave on Sunday morning, July 16, after breakfast. The registration desk opens at 2 PM Friday and 10 AM on Saturday. The Welcome Ceremony begins at 7:30 PM Saturday. If you decide to arrive on Sunday the 9th, the registration desk will be open to handle late arrivals.
 

A Friday Night option is available for attendees coming a day early. You can sign up for this during registration. Arrivals on Thursday the 6th can be accommodated with advance notice. It is also possible to extend your stay a few nights.

Where should I stay?

The congress has blocks of rooms of various types in three dorm clusters, including ADA rooms, and a block of rooms in the Kent State Hotel. There are also hotels a few miles from Kent; please refer to the Housing page.

Meals & Meal Plans

Meals on campus can be purchased directly with cash or credit, or through a pre-purchased meal plan. We have access to both cafeterias, the main one in Eastway Center is a 4-minute walk from the Student Center, the other in the Innovation Hub is about a 9-minute walk.
 

There is a meal plan for $30/day that runs from opening Saturday lunch to closing Sunday breakfast. There is also a per-meal plan for $12.75; unused swipes will be credited. Meals are tracked by card swipes. The meal card is worth $50; please return it to Congress staff before leaving Congress, or you will be charged for it. Meal cards are separate from room cards, but both are the same credit-card size and use the same technology.
  
There is also the Food Court in the Student Center with several options, but not on the meal plans, and cafes in some dorm clusters and the Student Center, but expect close to airport pricing for the cafes and grab-n-go’s. There are many restaurants and coffee shops in Kent, a 20-30 minute walk.

Can I attend the Congress for part of the week?

Yes.  Our registration system does not offer this option, so please contact the Registrar directly.
Meals can be purchased by the day or by the meal during registration.

Registration

How do I change my reservation?

Due to a limitation of our new software, editing registrations after submission is not possible by registrants. Please contact the Registrar directly.

I don't have a credit card. How can I make a payment?

A credit card is preferred, since it’s the only way to automatically record payment to your Congress account, but we do accept PayPal and personal checks. For details about paying by PayPal or personal check, please contact the Registrar. We do not publish these details as we need to manually update your Congress account.

What is the refund / cancellation policy?

Before May 15th, cancellation fee is $15.00.

Between May 15th and June 15th, cancellation fee is $150.00.

After June 15, there is no refund of the minimum $300.00 deposit.
  

Please contact the Registrar or Treasurer if you have paid more than the deposit.

What if I’m not currently an AGA member?

To register to play in the Congress, you must be a current member of the American Go Association. (See Non-participant below.) If you are not a member, sign up by clicking Join the AGA.  If your membership has lapsed, Sign In to your account and renew your membership.

What is the Non-participant registration fee?

Anyone who uses the Congress for rooms, meals, or discounts must be registered at Congress. We recognize that there may be family members that will not be interested in participating in Go events, like tournaments and lectures from Professional Go Teachers. For these we have the much-reduced registration fee for Non-Participants of $120 for the week. Non-Participants also get a t-shirt and other congress gifts. The guardian of under-age youth participants must be registered at the Congress.

What is the youth policy?

Each youth (age 17 and younger) must have a designated adult on-site who is also a registered attendee at the Congress and agrees to watch over the youth and be responsible for their behavior. This adult will either be a Legal Guardian (parent or otherwise), or someone assigned to be the “Attending Guardian” at the Congress. The Legal Guardian must fill out and sign one of the agreement forms on the Youth Participants page, and submit it before or during Congress registration. If an Attending Guardian is used, that adult must also sign the form to acknowledge responsibility.

What should I put for my rank?

In most cases you should put your current AGA rating. If you don’t know your AGA rating, go to the AGA website (www.usgo.org) and search by your name or AGA #. If you don’t have an AGA rating but do have one from a different organization, please consult the Sensei's Library for some guidance. The Tournament Directors have final say on rank.

Miscellaneous

What about alcohol, tobacco, etc?

Alcohol is not allowed on campus, except at catered events.

Smoking is not permitted anywhere on campus, nor are vaping, incense, candles, or other combustibles. The dorm rooms have smoke detectors.

The use of marijuana and other controlled substances are not allowed anywhere on campus.

What about bringing pets?

No pets are allowed, with the exception of service animals.

What about people with disabilities?

• Beall & McDowell dorms have ADA rooms available. All paths between the buildings are paved, but there is a moderate incline to the dorms from the tournament/dining areas.
• The Student Center and Eastway Cafeteria have ramps & elevators.

  
What if I have an emergency?

If there is a health emergency, contact any KSU or Go Congress staff member immediately to get help, or call 911.

For Urgent Care:

 CVS MinuteClinic - Downtown Kent

 UH Kent Health Center Urgent Care

 Cleveland Clinic Express Care - Kent

 Map

Lost & Found

Items can be brought to the Congress Office on the 3rd floor of the Student Center.

What else about Kent State should I know?

• Room check-in time is noon (12:00). If you arrive earlier on Saturday, the congress will have a secure area near the congress registration desk where you can safely leave your bags.
• Room check-out time is noon (12:00).
• Laundry is free in each dorm, but detergent will need to be brought or purchased from a QuickShop. Laundry is open seven days per week, 24 hours per day.
• Gym & Pool Access Inquiry made
• ATMs from PNC Bank are available in key spots on campus.

Covid-19 Policy
    
The Congress Directors believe that circumstances have improved sufficiently to allow the event to be held with low risk. The situation may continue to change, and we will modify this policy as we get new information. However, we will need all attendees to follow whatever safety protocols we decide are necessary. Attendees unwilling to follow the Congress’s Covid-19 policies may be excluded from events or asked to leave.

Masking

Masks are not required, but please come prepared in case this changes.

Testing

Temperature screening and rapid antigen tests will be available free at the Congress.  If you are feeling ill or show a high temperature, let us know right away. 

If you test positive for COVID while at the Congress

If you develop COVID while at the Congress, the first level of response will be to ask you to “isolate in place”. This may be in your original room, or in another room provided (at no extra cost) by the Congress and KSU. You will not be allowed to attend any further Congress events. If your symptoms remain mild, no further action will be needed.

If you require medical treatment or PCR testing, Congress staff will help make arrangements and provide transportation. You will be responsible for your own medical decisions and to pay for whatever medical services are rendered.

Cancellations and Refunds

If an attendee becomes unable to attend the congress due to significant changes in COVID-19 related travel requirements, or documented COVID infection, either at their point of departure or for entry into the US, we will refund in full any payments made. This includes any attendees that have been denied a visa application.

Congress may be canceled if pandemic risk becomes too high to proceed. In that case, full refunds will be issued to all attendees.

For all other cases, the standard cancellation rules will apply.