Party/Social/Nothing at all
 

regionals that get shafted are:

Sacramento Regional
New York City Regional
Midwest Regional
Philadelphia Regional (unless you consider the tour to be party like)
Lone Star Regional
Pacific Northwest Regional
Southern California Regional
West Michigan Regional

i am very sorry to hear that those regionals will not have a social/party, but that might change you never know its FIRST if you look at the way they change the rules they might change this too.

On the other note i though FIRST said explicitly NO PARTY they were going to rename it into a social, however i still see a few (half) regionals saying they are going to have a "PARTY"

I wonder if they can be consistent at least on this one tiny issue

Philadelphia
 

Read the Philadelphia agenda a little more closely. There is a Team Social at the Franklin Institute on Thursday night of the regional.

One reason these other regionals may not have socials may be due to funding restraints. Money is tight this year, everywhere. I don't think it's FIRST ruling something that these regionals don't have socials, I think it's these regionals may not have the money to have them.

Re: Party/Social/Nothing at all
 

We've made plans to join Beach Bots on third promenade in Santa Monica for their social.

Re: Re: Party/Social/Nothing at all
 

I've been there and that's a great idea. Too bad more teams aren't closer. How far away is it from downtown LA anyway?

Re: Re: Re: Party/Social/Nothing at all
 

Third Street Promenade

Map

Our team will be going to LA Regional in cars, not buses, and will go to park at Promenade, and probably leave by 8p.

I think I got the addresses right, so 15 miles from Sports Arena
Driving Directions

We used to take a bus, but too few people used the bus, and we couldn't decide to stay later and go to the Promenade.

This year we know our plans ahead of time and the drivers will know ahead of time

Apparantly, the Chesapeake regional doesn't have a team social, either....

Really? Darn.

I wonder why some regionals get socials and not others: perhaps funding or some sort of logistics matter.

I am sooooo glad that the NYC Regional has no team social this year!! It really bit the big one last year! Music sucked.
The backpack full of soda was a good thing though! :D

It is purely a funding issue. When there is enough money from sponsors to pay for the Regional, (equipment like video walls, lighting, venue rental, etc) then additional money is sought for the social. Some get it, some don't. This fundraising is the responsibility of the local Regional Committee.

Our team has decided we don't need the social. While the games and stuff are fun, the music tends to be loud and of a nature our students are not encouraged to listen to.

That is one reason for organizing the trip to the 3rd Street Prominade. It is a fun place at night and you can actually talk to people on other teams. Be sure to wear your uniforms o we know who you are!

We will attend the social in Arizona so we can spend time with all of our friends on the teams there that have made the long trip to California for so many years. (Hi Glenn, George, and Ken!) Besides, the free meal lowers our cost to attend. :D

But we can't justify the extra cost to attend the one in Houston. It would mean a large percentage of our team stays home. We'd rather be bored than divided, and I'm sure we can find alternate activities.

I'm going to miss that Sumo match you guys were arrainging for me though :(

a soccer challenge...
 

since we're going to have no parties, I suggest a soccer challenge in our regional (philadelphia). the brazilians invite all of you!:D

what do you think?

I hear ya...I strongly dislike the loud music: kinda defeats the points of having a social to meet other teams, when you can't hear eachother.

I like the idea of that 3rd street Promenade though, could you explain that to me: is it like a park, or what?

For the San Jose Regional, its either the team social, or the A/V. I say FIRST made the right choice.

*sigh* its frustrating that niether great lakes nor western michigan will have a social. Great Lakes is one of the largest regionals too. I had made some good friends that I've kept, meeting them at the party. Ah well if it was a choice between A/V and a party, I side with the A/V.

Re: a soccer challenge...
 

I would love to will play, wont be very good compared to you guys, but it still should be fun. the only problem is where we can play

when you get to the comp and still wanna play just come on over to the MOE pit and look for the guy with long green hair

-Kyle

I'm not sure why the Lone Star isn't having a social. It may be that the Championship is the next week, but it still doesn't make much sense considering the companies we have funding the regional. Anyone closer to downtown Houston have an idea for something fun to do that night?

Re: a soccer challenge...
 

soccer sounds good
:D

3 years of socials and I never got anything out of it. My team was "close-knit" so we just wandered around together. I never witnessed any inter-team socializing. I don't see a problem with a lack of social. There will still be teams in the same hotels so there still chances to interact if you want. Ahh the memories of chasing ducks into the mentors rooms at disney world, course we'll have to make that steers for houston.

Now that many regionals have no social, it gives teams the oppertinuity to hang out together in smaller groups. I temember last year, on the Thursday practice day of the SoCal regional, i went to dinner with team 60 after the pits closed. I had more fun there than i had at the social because it was not so loud and crowded. So just because there is no social does not mean you can't have fun. If you make friends at the event, do something with them that night outside of FIRST. All the regionals are held in medium or big cities, so i am sure there are lots of things to do, such as dinner, movie theateres, LAN places, after the comp is over for the night.

Bring it on! 694 felt our wrath last year outside the NYC social :) . Although we'll be at the NYC regional again this year so it doesnt look like we'll have the opportunity to put right some wrongs from the world cup ;)!

Re: Re: a soccer challenge...
 

the place to play is not our problem. we can do it anywhere if we want to... :) we just have to have a ball... but it's easier...

ok! so, lets play!

I think it wont be difficult to find a guy with long green hair... :D
but you can visit us at our brazilian pit too.

see ya there!

Great Idea Sean! Now that FIRST is having a hard time funding the team socials, I think teams should take up the responsibility and organize their own team social sort of thing at each of the regionals. That way, it will be the people who really want to do it who will show up at these smaller groups and meet people.

It could be anything from a dinner of 2 teams, to a little party at the local team's headquarter.

Last year GRT had a party after the regional at their robotics room, and quite a good number of teams showed up. There's no reason not to do it on Friday instead of Saturday.

that's a bummer that there isn't one this year (this'll be my first year going to regionals)

My team (418) is gonna be coming down from Austin, and as far as I know, we don't have anything planned yet, but I think it'd be cool to do something with another team

(I for one don't have a problem with loud music, and I don't think many of my other teammates have one either, but I'm up for anything)

whats going on in Manchvegas?? Anyone know?

USC
 

DUDE!! If they dont have one in florida.....