1) Basic Information -
Minecraft username: MatrixEh
Previous Minecraft usernames: HexoMatrix
Timezone: Eastern Standard Time ( UTC: - 5:00 )
Age (Note: You must be 16 or over to apply): 17
Do you have access to TeamSpeak and a working microphone? Yes, I do have both TeamSpeak and a working microphone.
Do you have the ability to record Minecraft video? Yes, I do have the ability to.
Are you VIP (or above) (Note: You must be VIP or above to apply.): Yes, I am.
Gaming Twitter link (If you have one): https://twitter.com/MatrixEh
Are you multilingual? (Fluent in multiple languages. Not just learning one.): Only English currently.
2) Where are you most active on the Hypixel Network?
What game types do you play? Do you actively use the forums? Do you enjoy being in game more? Etc..?

Personally, I tend to find myself playing a wide variety of game modes on Hypixel. I find them all to have a sense of excitement that I just don't get as much from other servers. I try my best to extend my reach and play every game mode. I find myself often playing many different game modes when with friends.

As for the Forums, I use them at least once a day and have myself familiarized with them. Even though I am not all that active post wise, I use them very frequently to find information and keep up to date with updates. I see them as a very helpful tool for communication, as well as being excellent for community interaction and discussion.

Regarding being in-game over forums or TeamSpeak, I generally do not have a preference. However, I do find it easier myself to be able to assist players in-game over the other platforms, and with that being said if I had to choose, I would say I enjoy in-game more.

3) How much time do you have to contribute to the role?

Please see my availability below:

Monday: 3 hours availability
Tuesday: 3 hours availability
Wednesday: 3 hours availability
Thursday: 3 hours availability
Friday: 3-4 hours availability
Saturday: 4 hours availability
Sunday: 4 hours availability

My time availability varies due to school and sports, but for the most part this timeline applies - and of course, this availability increases as summer break arises, which is starting on June 21st for me.

I understand how a consistent schedule is an important part of weekly endeavors. I always do my best to make sure my time availability is sufficient for the tasks that I need to do, staffing included. I also understand how taking period of absence needs to be reported to a higher staff member.

4) Have you ever been banned or punished on any server? If so, please include details.

Yes, unfortunately, I have been banned on a few servers, but I have reflected on each one and they have helped me learn from my experiences.

Please see the list below on my bans and my explanations:

[Hypixel] (mc.hypixel.net) - I have been banned twice from Hypixel and Muted once. I will list both experiences below:

The First time I was banned on Hypixel was for "Anti-Knockback" and it was for 7 days. I believe the ban was by Watchdog and not by a staff member but I may be wrong. I at the time was experimenting with different mods and knockback modifiers and I ended up using a zero knockback cheat at the time of playing Hypixel. I fully understand how this was an idiotic thing to do, and even though I'm not sure on the exact date on when this ban occurred, I know that it was a very long time ago and I have learned greatly since.

My second ban was for "Extreme Negative Behavior" and if I recall correctly it was for 5 days. I'm not 100% sure but I believe it was for a racist and inappropriate comment. At the time I and a friend were fooling around and saying some things in chat that I shouldn't have. Looking back I should have been more mature and understood that my words are a reflection of myself and I have to be considerate of other peoples feelings as some things affect people differently. I know that previously, this ban has held me back in a few different situations and that I most likely will still have to wait this out, but I learned the importance that words have

My only mute that I can remember was for other 30 minutes or 1 hour. This was for an inappropriate comment in chat that was supposed to be a practical joke, but I assume it was a violation of the rules and guidelines which is why I was muted. I learned to review the guidelines and rules before making a joke and to be considerate of other players as the server is supposed to be family friendly. This relates to the role of Helper because I need to be family friendly and PG at all times to ensure that players feel welcomed. That is something that I learned from this mute.

- I'm currently not banned on Hypixel.

[Badlion] (us.badlion.net) - I was permanently suspended from Badlion. I was banned on 12/10/15 at 3:35 pm Eastern Standard Time. My ban reason was for "[GCheat - Unfair Advantage]". At first, I was very puzzled at the ban. So I did what any other person would do and I appealed the ban...but to my surprise I got denied my ban appeal. I was so frustrated that I demanded my ban be reevaluated and I escalated my appeal and with my poor excuses and sloppy grammar I got denied again.

Looking back on my ban now, I release it was for "Butterfly Clicking" - using both Left Mouse and Right Mouse to click - and that is what got me banned. It clearly stated in Badlion's rules that if you Butterfly Click, you have a chance to be banned...and I was. Looking back on the situation I should have read the rules more carefully and been less quick to assume their moderators were wrong when appealing. I know that this ban in specific really taught me a thing or two. Those being, not to be hasty when making decisions and to always read rules thoroughly. I know that both those lessons can role as Helper, as I will be dealing with many players who are going to be asking complex questions, therefore I need to be prepared to fully understand the question in order to make a proper response that will fully answer their question. As for reading the rules, this is self-explanatory, however, I will explain. As a staff member, I would need to be very familiar with the server rules including the guidelines of being Staff. Regarding the ban, I have ensured from now on to read all server rules before joining/playing the server to ensure that I am well informed on their rules and I don't infringe on any of their terms. That is how this experience from this ban would contribute to my being Helper.

- I'm currently not banned on Badlion.


[Mine HQ] (minehq.com) - I was banned on MineHQ for having a related IP to a banned account. My brother had been banned from the network by the Console and it IP-Banned my account. The only way for me to be unbanned is for me to buy a unban for their network.

What I learned from this experience, was to understand that I can't always control what happens to me but I just need to move on. For instance...I can't control what my brother does, but I can control my actions and retaliation and I need to remember to be mature about the situation. This prepares me for the role of Helper, as I cannot control what other people do, but only what I do in a situation which would be important in controversial problems where someone does something I cannot control.

- I am currently not banned on MineHQ


After each ban, I made sure to contemplate what had happened and try and grow from each one. I hope from now on I never have to be banned again, but if a situation does arise, I'll be sure to handle to accordingly and learn from that experience as well.

I apologize if I have missed a ban or punishment. If I have unknowingly missed one, my only explanation would be that it would have been a lengthy amount of time since the ban/mute and it would have slipped my mind. I am currently not banned on any of these networks, and most happened many years ago, I just wanted to maintain thorough throughout in my ban history. I also want to make it clear that I have definitely learned from my past experiences. Ninety percent of these bans happened well over a year or two ago, and since then I have grown and matured as a person. I have gone through life experiences that have helped me learn that cheating at anything, a block game regardless just isn't worth it and it ruins the experience for others.


5) SCENARIO: Suppose it's your first week of being a Helper and you mute a well-known player. Their guildmates start spamming your twitter calling you a bad Helper and telling you to unmute them. What would you do?

I would try my best to ignore such comments, once I have replied with an adequate response in order to maintain professionalism in the situation and not to aggravate the player further. If the situation became vulgar, or threats were made by the other party, perhaps further disciplinary action could be taken for the individuals. However, since this situation happened over Twitter, I would be able to just simply block the people involved, although if this happened in-game or on TeamSpeak, that's when punishments could be handed out. If I was ever unsure of what to do in this situation, I would contact a higher staff member in order to help assist me in the situation.


6) Tell us about one of your best moments on the Hypixel server

My best moment overall has been my time on Hypixel as a whole, as I enjoy every game mode that I play equally. However, if I had to bring it down to a period of time, it would be last summer. I ended up playing with a group of friends that I got really close to. I can recall when Bedwars came out, I played with them every day for around a month and a half until school started back up. it was really nice to enjoy time with friends on a game that we all enjoyed. That was definitely my favorite moment. During that period, we all bonded over something that we enjoyed, which made it great for everyone.

7) Tell us about a time you made a mistake within the last year? How did you deal with it? What did you learn?

In the past year, I've worked on really focusing on school. Going into my final year of school, I was pretty confident with what I was doing and where I was going, but I didn't put my full effort into my goals. I learned pretty quick that nothing comes easy in life and that you have to work from it. I worked harder and stayed for extra help and as of now, my grades are much improved with me obtaining an 89% average in all my classes which is almost at my requirement that I need to apply for University. I know that perseverance is a great skill to have, and a hard work ethic is equally important. I hope to be able to apply both when staffing when dealing with players and moderating the server.

Some examples of where I could show my perseverance skills, as well as my using my work ethic, include helping players in difficult situations, answering obscure questions, replying to threads, assisting players in-game or in TeamSpeak and marinating my dedication to the server over extended periods of time.

8) If you have any, what hobbies or activities are you involved in outside of Minecraft?

I currently play Tier 1 Baseball and D1 Basketball, I've been playing both for around 7 years now. Over this course, I've learned many leadership skills from each. While currently being captain of my Baseball team, it makes it quite clear to me how big of an asset leadership is. I've developed many new people skills such as patience, and understanding as well as things like perseverance. I know for a fact that these are life-long transferable skills and that I can apply all these to be a Staff member.

Some examples where I can apply these skills that I have acquired include: assisting player via TeamSpeak or in-game, helping players with questions on forums, interactions with other staff members, and helping transfer my skills of staffing or Minecraft to other staff or players.

9) Do you have any previous server moderation or leadership experience?
If so explain what role you played, what skills/experiences you picked up and how this will help you in your role as a helper.

Yes, I have had some previous moderation experience, I will list them below and a general overview of which each entailed.

Skills and traits acquired while staffing: While staffing on FrozenOrb servers and various faction and practice servers, I have gained many skills that can help myself when in the role of Helper. These skills include communication, punctuality, maturity, approachableness, leadership, confidence, management skills, organization, knowledge, creativity, patience, prioritization, flexibility, respect, and finally a great educator.

Experiences:

FrozenOrb Servers

Servers: MineHQ (minehq.com), VeltPvP (veltpvp.com), ArcaneCC (arcane.cc).

On all of the FrozenOrb servers, I started at Trial Mod, minus Velt. MineHQ was the first FrozenOrb server that I was staff on, and I was only staff on it for a relatively short period of time, however, it was a gateway to my other staffing placements. On MineHQ, I obtained Moderator after about month or so. Shortly after I left due to my activity. On Arcane, I applied shortly after it opened, and yet again started at Trial-Mod. I worked my way up after around 3 months to Mod+. On Velt, I was picked up as Moderator from Arcane by management as I wanted to change to a new server. My reason for this move was influenced by the fact that Velt had a 'Screenshare Verified' rank and I was very large into screensharing at the time and didn't like Arcane's policy that let everyone screenshare.

Some of my duties on each of these servers included moderating chat, banning cheaters, screensharing suspected cheaters, doing TeamSpeak support, forum support and in-game assistance which entailed checking player's chat logs and core-inspect.

Factions

Faction Servers: The Archon (pvp.thearchon.net), VampMC (play.vampmc.org), Vanity (play.vanitymc.co).

On all my staff experiences on Factions, my time spent was all a bit different. On The Archon, I started as Helper around a 2 years ago. I soon climbed up the staff ranks to Jr Moderator in less than 3 months. At the time, this was the peak of The Archon, hitting around 3000 players daily. Shortly after my promotion, I was demoted. This was determined to be a false demotion and I was offered my position back, however, I declined. Vamp and Vanity, however, have both been more recent. On both Vanity and Vamp, I was Admin and Head of Screensharing and I had a bit of a different role which was more behind the scenes and running the Staff Team.

Some of my duties on these faction servers included form moderation, general staff duties, TeamSpeak support, staff team promotions, screenshare teaching, quality control, core-inspecting/rolling back bases, player support tickets, dealing with chargeback disputes, Discord management, and DDoS threats.

Other Servers

Servers: MinemenClub (minemen.club), FazonGG (fazon.gg), HCGames (hcgames.com), FaithfulMC (play.faithfulmc.com).

My time staffing on these other servers ranged largely. These 4 servers were a practice server (MinemenClub), and UHC server (Fazon) and two HCF servers (HCGames and Faithful). On MinemineClub, I was staff for a total of 5 and a half months. In that time, I quickly rose from a Trial-Mod in 3 days to a Moderator. From there I was promoted to Senior Mod a week later skipping Mod+ due to my screensharing skills. For there I lingered for a few months until I was promoted to Admin and was part of the Head Staff Team. I later resigned due to personal issues with management. On Fazon, I was recruited to be one of their few NA staff as their server was mostly German. I was in charge of their Practice server's moderation and screensharing suspected cheaters. As for HCGames, I was only there for a short period of time and I was a Trial-Mod. I was more of a chat mod than anything, but I enjoyed it nonetheless and it taught me great TeamSpeak moderation skills. On Faithful, I wasn't necessarily a normal staff member, but a Build Admin. I was entitled to have builds meet their scheduled time, as well as recruit new builder, do their trials and correlate with the Owner about payments. On top of this, I was granted normal in-game Admin perms, but I barely had time to use them to their full extent.

Some of the duties that I had from the servers listed above include TeamSpeak support, budgeting builds, screensharing, chat moderation, forum moderation, in-game duties such as rollbacks and chat logs, builder recruitment, anti-cheat admin and player support tickets.

Most of the things I learned while being staff are universal skills, like how to work with other people, but in this case, that's a big skill to have. In the role of Helper, I would need to know how to knowledgeably and respectfully work with others. So the skills I have gained in the past will be great skills to have in this situation for working with a wide variety of people.

10) SCENARIO: "You come home from school/work and have a ton of homework/work to do, you think to yourself I'll just take a 5-minute break before I start and get on Hypixel. The next thing you know 2 hours have passed and you've been on the server all that time." Does this scenario sound familiar to you?

This definitely sounds familiar to me, I tend to procrastinate when doing tasks and I constantly have to remind myself to stay focused. I've learned skills recently from a Calculus teacher on how to concentrate better by setting myself up to succeed in an environment where I can focus. I know that I can use this not only to balance my school life and free time but, when focusing on a problem, perhaps server-wise.

In this situation, I would have to use my prioritizing skills in order to choose what is most important to complete first. I could use these time management on the server to be as efficient as possible when assisting players.

11) SCENARIO: You're in a busy lobby as a helper, questions are flying at you rapidly, you can just about keep up. You're getting messaged by 2 different players both asking you to get them a moderator for a hacker, someone then pokes you on Teamspeak telling you that there is someone blasting music in their channel. What do you do?

In this scenario, I would make sure to complete each task accordingly and in an orderly fashion. I would start with the two players in-game and begin answering their questions ad I poke the player on TeamSpeak that I will be right with them. After dealing with the two players with questions and the people in the lobbies I would then help the player on TeamSpeak and help deal with my player blasting music in their channel. After everyone is helped I would go back to help out on the server and TeamSpeak with other players.

In this situation, I could demonstrate my multitasking and efficiency skills. These could be not only beneficial to me, but to the server as I would be able to apply these to assisting players in the future. In addition, if I needed help at any point in this, I wouldn't hesitate to contact someone else who's on the staff team in order to help me out, and to make the process smoother for both me and the players.


12) Have you made any previous applications, if so how many and what is the date of your last one?

Yes, I have. The last application that I posted was on May 9th, 2018.

13) Anything else we should know?

Nothing in particular, although I would like to mention that I know my overall stats aren’t great considering I joined Hypixel a while ago, I have used multiple accounts in the past years and that is my explanation to this. Furthermore, I want to take this opportunity to thank you for taking the time to evaluate my application and I hope to hear from you with either good news or some constructive feedback soon! I know that whoever is looking at this application is flooded with them and I appreciate your hard work when evaluating these applications. I hope you have a great rest of your day!