Traditions/Superstitions

[Mr. B 2851]

We have several traditions on 2851.

Our robots are always named after something in greek mythology. Usually a god or goddess that fits the character of the robot or the game being played.

Our practice robot is always named Tartarus for obvious reasons if you know your mythology.

We have the fur from a large pillow that we began using 2010 on Cerberus. We try to incorporate it into our design somewhere. 2011 - Hermes has armpit hair under the tube lifting arm. 2012 - Iris has a mohawk. 2013 - Discobolus has a magnificent handlebar moustache.

We also have a giant pancake/egg/bacon breakfast every Saturday morning of the build season.

Mr. B

[Sam390250]

One tradition 930 has followed the first few years (which admittedly, is a bit creepy) relates to a clown.

We work out of the basement of a church, and one day back in 2011 we found this weird Clown in a cone type puppet. (Like one shown below, but less decorated... wish I could find a picture of ours)



When we were crating the robot up for championships that year, someone put it in the crate and it was a pretty funny surprise when we opened it up a few weeks later (having forgotten that we had put it in there).

Each year since then, we have always packed the clown in the robot bag, and then proceed to have it up somewhere in our pit to keep an eye on things during the competition. It is an incredibly weird tradition, but team members just keep on doing it.

[CalTran]

Wielding rod. Team 2410 always has to have unused wielding rod on the robot somewhere. This year was the first year we didn't have it as a pin somewhere and it went poorly. Obviously there is a direct correlation between the two.

Also, we've named the robot after a horse, and have been shifting over to geeky horse names. Trigger, Shadowfax, Epona, and Pegasus (the robot "flew" up the pyramid.). Also, we're looking for an excuse for an 8WD so we can name the robot Sleipnir...

[coalhot]

This year, the kids on 3929 put a sticker on our robot to honor and playfully jest at one of our founding mentors, Akash Rastogi



It got pulled off when the robot wasn't doing too well at Chestnut Hill, but a second one was put on at Mt Olive.

[Grim Tuesday]

At least one member of the usual pit crew (when we're doing well) has to stay in the pit during our matches because there is a clear correlation between them being in the pit and us winning.

[c_hartman_00]

We have the superstition to not let our drive team members know where we are ranked. It is less superstition, and more not wanting our drive team to worry about anything except for the match we are about to play.

[Andrew Schreiber]

There's a running joke on 79 that my parents (who still live in Michigan) coming to our regionals helps us win... well that and picking a team from Brazil. But hey, it's the only time I get to see my parents from January until May so I'm not complaining that they like traveling to our regionals.

[Maldridge422]

For the past few years, our team has always gone to at least one regional that requires us to stay in a hotel.

A few years ago a senior member of the team took the hotel's complementary bar of soap and bit a chunk out of it. A note was then left for the hotel staff with the mutilated soap placed next to it. The note read "Sorry, but your cookies are not very delicious."

A team member has been required to preform this ritual soap procedure every year since. Although we forgot it this year at the Washington DC regional, getting off the waitlist for St.Louis has ensured that we will be able to carry on this honored tradition.

[Lil' Lavery]

Originally Posted by Mr. B 2851

2013 - Discobolus has a magnificent handlebar moustache.

"Magnificent" is the only appropriate adjective for a handlebar moustache. Kudos.

[Mark Sheridan]

This is a superstition of mine that began when I was a student on 766. Back in 2004, we had a robot where no one could agree on a name so the robot had few names written on it. Students kept asking the announcer to use the name they chose for the robot. I didn't care but everyone kept arguing over it. Sadly, that robot was by far the worst robot I help build.

The 2005 robot, I nominated that the robot should be nameless, and a name never stuck. It won our first blue banner. To this day I have a superstition that if my team's robot has a name, we won't win a blue banner that year. So far it has held up true.


Also, I think having decorative lights curses my team's robots.

Lastly, I never use set screws to transfer torque. Something about evil spirits or whatever.

[Christopher149]

Maybe about 5 years ago (not at all sure about this), one of the team members made a duct-tape flower (green stem and leaves, pink petals) that has been on our robot every year since.

[Andy Baker]

Originally Posted by Mark Sheridan

Lastly, I never use set screws to transfer torque. Something about evil spirits or whatever.

They are truly pure evil.

In 1999, our human player on 45 would drink a bunch of water as we got ready for our match. I asked him "what are you doing?" He said that every time that we had a match and he had to pee, we would win. We made it all the way to the finals on Einstein. I guess he ran out of water during that last match.

Andy B.

[Steven Donow]

I've been waiting for the appropriate venue in which to post this video, but in what is (probably) embarrassment, before a few of our matches at the Bridgewater-Raritan District this year, Nate "The Motivator" Knauss gave our robot/robot cart some motivation. This one was caught on tape:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyW4-XCG4m8

I apologize for my Vertical Video Syndrome, as well as my high pitched laughter.

[Billfred]

When 2815 went to Peachtree 2011, I got out of the shower on Thursday morning and realized "Crap, I left my deodorant in Columbia!"

Since we were at a reputable hotel, I went to the front desk and asked if they had any. They did...but upon checking, all they had was Lady Speed Stick. The kids were busting me pretty hard that trip, so I took it, snuck into the lobby bathroom, and put it on.

After going through hell and high water in quals, we got picked last there. For the first time in 2815's history (and mine across two other teams too), we won!

Palmetto was the next week, so I didn't even really unpack my bag. We got picked last there, and we won!

The same stick went to St. Louis...okay, so I guess it only works at regionals.

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For 2012, I went ought and bought a stick (gel, not solid). We went to Peachtree, and we got picked last AGAIN (three in a row!)...and we were out in quarters. Meh, can't win them all.

We then went to Palmetto...and we didn't get picked at all! But we were the #1 backup, got called in, and we won!

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This year, determined to get the two-banner type and not the one-banner type, I went out and found a solid Lady Speed Stick. For the first time in our five-year history, we left without hardware and without playing in eliminations at either regional.

Time for a new superstition.

[AlexH]

[quote=Andrew Schreiber;1266421]There's a running joke on 79 that my parents (who still live in Michigan) coming to our regionals helps us win... /QUOTE]

i think i had the exact opposite issue. whenever i drove the robot and my dad was in the stands the robots game piece manipulator wouldn't work... but when he wasn't there the robot worked fine.