Individual hotel room?
 

Hey guys,

So as it turns out, my team (114) does not have the funding nor the school board approval to go to Nationals this year. We did better this year than we ever had before and I wish it didn't have to end at Sacramento.

Although our robot is done competing for the year, our animation is still in the running. We swept the Pacific Northwest, Silicon Valley and Davis regional animation awards and have a chance at the championship award. I would really like to go to Nationals, being that there is a slight chance we could win the animation award. I also love just roaming around the pits and seeing all the high calibur robot from all over the world.

A team animator and I have decided that we want to fly east to Atlanta and check out nationals. We have an open flight with frequent flier miles and such, but we do not have a hotel reservation once we get there. We are going with no adult chaperon, I am 17 and our animator 16, and the hotels that we have checked so far won't let people under the age of 18 check in. I know the THS system has reserved a bunch of rooms for FIRST teams, but since we aren't "officialy" attending the competition, can we still book a room with them? Will they let us check in by ourselves? Without a team?

Does anyone know if this is a possibility? We really would like to go, but this whole hotel deal is tripping us up.

Any help or info would be much apreciated,

Mike C.

PS. If we do attend Nationals, do we have to notify FIRST to let them know that we will be there to accept any possible award?

Re: Individual hotel room?
 

No guaruntee, but there's a SLIM chance that we have some space in one of our rooms to host you. You'd have to make your own way there and pay your share for the room. I'll check with our travel coordinator.

Re: Individual hotel room?
 

Correct me if im wrong but wouldnt your team have to be attending to even judged o do they do that regardless. Seems like you would have to "officialy" attend.

sry i cant be of much help but good luck and i hope to see you there

Re: Individual hotel room?
 

No you don't have to officially attend. Like the Chairman's Award, winning at the regional advances you to the Championship judging, but because winning the animation award does NOT guarantee your spot at the championships, they cannot assume nor can they require that you will be there to accept it.

Re: Individual hotel room?
 

This has AMBER ALERT written all over it! :D

Re: Individual hotel room?
 

Well, it would definitely get FIRST in the headlines.

"Local teens missing due to latest Amber Alert found safe and sound at a robotics event in Georgia."

lol Oh man.. that's just wrong. Make sure you tell them your plans. Please.
Publicity is nice, but that would be bad publicity I'm thinking.

Re: Individual hotel room?
 

I was just thinking the same thing as I read this thread. The FIRST community is comprised of excellent students teachers and mentors, BUT under absolutely no condition should you ever arrange housing or transportation with people you meet on the internet

even on a place as great as the CD forum. You never know who could be lurking here, or posing as a member of a team.

I recommend you try to link up with a team from your area that is attending the championship and see if they will agree to let you travel with their team as an honorary member

or as a team roadie :^)

Re: Individual hotel room?
 

971 is mountain view, and a school right nextdoor to us.

Re: Individual hotel room?
 

We're actually in the same school district, and many of the students on both teams know eachother, hence why we offered.