[Eugenia Gabrielov]

There are many cases in which teams offer seats and/or hotel rooms to other individuals to attend a competition, particularly nationals.

I think you pose a great question, so I will try to answer it from a few points of view.

1) The student being invited to come

Usually more than happy to attend, these students are A) teamless or B) there team didn't qualify and hope to be inspired or see old friends. They are happy to pay the bus and/or hotel fees and for their own meals and such, so there is a profit to your team. Most generally they stay with you but act independently of the team.

2) The Student Doing the Inviting

I think whoever pays for the arrangements should do the inviting. Example: Our finances are managed through a Purdue University Account that the students do not have access to. Not all of the money comes out of our pockets, therefore it is inappropriate for a student to post an announcement (without prior approval) about bus seat or hotel room availability. If a mentor OKs it, have at it. If every student pays their own way, totally, and there is room on the bus according to whomever is organizing the bus trip, have at it. But it never hurts to get approval from whoever is in charge.

3) Any individual from your team being ousted so a non-teammember can attend

Big no-no. If your boyfriend really wants to come, but it would involve not letting a nice kid on your team come, then it's a no-no. The team is first in travel arrangements, and then guests.

4) Mentor Point of View

Generally, adding guests is a huge hassle for mentors. The guest(s) should be added when preliminary travel arrangements are being made if possible, because this ensures that travel arragnements are concrete and that there's advanced warning. Keep in mind that there is likely to be (because of your school policy) a responsible adult making sure you're not drinking or doing drugs or other school unapproved things. To those of you who travel without someone adult with you: it's fine, if you're cool with it, but I'll tell you this...having an adult there is good to have. Mentors/parents are responsible for your health. So if an injury occurs to the guest or yourself on this trip, liability wise they are responsible for taking care of the guest.

The only way to avoid this liability is to have a contract for all guests that denies that need. I was injured in ATL, and a mentor put down a deposit for a wheelchair at the dome. Talk about a sigh of relief.

Most importantly, have fun. These are just some point of views to consider before you bring people along. Teams 1511 & 66 & others (those ar ejust two I know offhand) brought guests on their bus or with them in general. Correct me if I'm wrong, but spreading the word of FIRST to people who couldn't otherwise attend is fulfilling the program goal.