Championship Location Rumor

[Wayne C.]

May 1-3rd, 2003

Houston Astrodome Complex

nuff said...

of course this IS the rumor mill

WC

[Anthony S.]

I find it quite interesting that most of our speculations are pointing towards Houston, TX being the location of nationals. But if you look on the 2003 Event List, The Houston Regional has the most available spaces left out of ALL the regionals, there are 26 spaces left and the only other closest is 11 and thats in Pittsburg. Everything else is either full or almost full. Those are just from my observations. Does anyone think that has anything to do with the rumor or people just don't want to go to the Houston Regional?

My team has gone to Houston for the past 3 years and decided to go to St. Louis this time, so our decision had nothing to do with the rumor, a matter of fact, I'm the only person on my team to know about the rumor. What about everyone else?

Originally posted by Wayne C.
May 1-3rd, 2003

Houston Astrodome Complex

nuff said...

of course this IS the rumor mill

WC

May 3rd: SAT

Still Stickin with the April 10th-12th

[Wayne C.]

Sorry to say- I doubt if SATs, APs, MCATs, IQs, DQs or any other test will really have any impact on whether or not the Nationals are on a given day. Only a small percentage of the students involved would be effected. And while they may be very important to you I doubt if they have much significance to the decision makers at FIRST. Not everyone will be happy about this.
One of the biggest concerns is that the robots from the last round of regionals can be shipped to the Nationals in time by Fedex. If you recall last years situation, Fedex fits the machines in any free space they have on flights. It took a while to get our robot returned from the Nats because of this. Therefore the two weeks after the April 3 weekend are not workable.
As for the Houston regional- well the rumor theory might account for the lowered enrollment. It could also be that with all the new regionals available, the teams that have attended Houston in the past have siphoned off to other sites. In any case the location of a regional and the nationals are not necessarily interconnected.

I stick with May 3, Houston. (We've heard a few things out here)

WC

[Tyler Olds]

Originally posted by Wayne C.
Sorry to say- I doubt if SATs, APs, MCATs, IQs, DQs or any other test will really have any impact on whether or not the Nationals are on a given day. Only a small percentage of the students involved would be effected. And while they may be very important to you I doubt if they have much significance to the decision makers at FIRST. Not everyone will be happy about this.
One of the biggest concerns is that the robots from the last round of regionals can be shipped to the Nationals in time by Fedex. If you recall last years situation, Fedex fits the machines in any free space they have on flights. It took a while to get our robot returned from the Nats because of this. Therefore the two weeks after the April 3 weekend are not workable.
As for the Houston regional- well the rumor theory might account for the lowered enrollment. It could also be that with all the new regionals available, the teams that have attended Houston in the past have siphoned off to other sites. In any case the location of a regional and the nationals are not necessarily interconnected.

I stick with May 3, Houston. (We've heard a few things out here)

WC

I disagree, considering A LOT or FIRST kids tend to be in advanced classes, hence quite a few taking the test! I think you need to look farther into what you say before you just announce it! This might be rumor mill but hey know what you are saying before you say it.

[Madison]

Originally posted by Team93FIRST


I disagree, considering A LOT or FIRST kids tend to be in advanced classes, hence quite a few taking the test! I think you need to look farther into what you say before you just announce it! This might be rumor mill but hey know what you are saying before you say it.

I'd agree with Wayne on this one. . . especially considering how often the SAT exam is offered. I can't see how FIRST would plan around something like that, especially given that students at all levels participate in this.

While I've never seen anything that confirms your assertion that most FIRSTers take advanced classes, that does match up with my experience - but, only 11th and 12th graders, usually, are taking the SAT.


Maybe FIRST can get Nationals to be an SAT test site?

AP Tests start the week of the 1st-3rd also according to my school's schedule, and also May would be too late because schools start letting out in the next few weeks, and there are final exams, and it would be impossible for students to make up their homework, quizzes, tests, etc.

Yes, maybe the SATs are held several times a year, but AP exams are once a year and final exams are once a semester, and im perfectly sure that FIRST is aware of this.

[Jeff Waegelin]

I don't think APs start until after May 1-3. I believe the first one is the next Monday, May 5. While it would be cutting it close, it is not, strictly speaking, a conflict.

[Ryan Foley]

Originally posted by "Big Mike"


it has been an International Competition for a few years there was a UK team at one point a few years ago, there are alot(sorry to lazy to get #'s)of canadian teams, and a Brazilian team.

that sounds International to me

by international competition i meant that there would be many more non US teams. enough so that FIRST would have to add regionals (maybe nationals) in other parts of the world. Then maybe an international championship event that's position would change every year (country to country like the olympics do)

[Joel J]

I don't take the APs next year, but I do take the IB examinations. IBO, the organization that creates the exams, are very strict when it comes to makeup exams. You are only allowed to make up an exam if there is a death in the family, you become physically injured, or something insane like that. Even then, they only give you a few days to make up the exams. If FIRST decides to hold the nationals during the first week of May, it will conflict with the IB exams given in English HL. If I miss the English exam, I won't be able to get my IB diploma, and in addition to that we won't get a refund. IB exams are really expensive. I'll stop whining because it really doesn't matter now. FIRST has obviously decided upon a location and a date for the Championship Event and we can do nothing but live with it.

[Wayne C.]

Sorry Team 93First-

You may not LIKE what I said but it WAS thought out and makes perfect sense. I TEACH AP classes and I KNOW that the testing dates are close at hand.

The needs of a relatively small percentage of students will have little effect on a million dollar project like the Nationals. Remember, this is the same organization which, on the day before registration last year, cut out 50% of the teams in a single proclamation. I am sure they are confident that even if the test takers don't attend they will still have a big enough crowd to make the Nationals a major event.

From the information we have received here in NJ from some pretty reliable sources the date will be May 3rd and the place will be Houston. If I'm wrong you have my permission to say "I told you so".

Rather than be ticked that you don't like what I've said, be ticked at FIRST for stringing this out so long. They certainly know of a date and place and the last I heard it was to be announced this past Friday. Was it?

BTW- if the date IS May 3rd and there is a way, I am willing to volunteer some of my time to help you guys review for the AP Bio and AP Envi Sci exams. We'll set this up when the time comes.

WC

[Mike Schroeder]

gee what a nice guy, just dont let him teach you about the Big Bang Theory - I still have nightmares

[Anthony S.]

originally posted by Wayne C.

The needs of a relatively small percentage of students will have little effect on a million dollar project like the Nationals

The need of the many, outweigh the needs of the few. --Spock

Just a little Star Trek humor

Originally posted by Jeff Waegelin
I don't think APs start until after May 1-3. I believe the first one is the next Monday, May 5. While it would be cutting it close, it is not, strictly speaking, a conflict.

Yes you are correct. I checked with someone today and they said that the 2nd of may is some AP Training session for students taking the test.

Comming back from Nats and hitting the AP Test on Monday morning would be quite difficult though...

[Wayne C.]

The need of the many, outweigh the needs of the few. --Spock

or the one- Kirk

especially if the one is named Kamen- FIRST