Music / Noise "Restrictions"

[Tom Bottiglieri]

this rule, though i understand where its coming from and what it is supposed to eliminate, kind of irratates me. If FIRST is trying to take away noise makers and loud noises out of teams in the stands, well, that just wouldnt be a good move. My team went to the UTC hartford regional last year. We didnt cheer, adn me and my friend just ended up walking around the place all day, not paying attention or having any fun. At Nat's everyone changed their minds and decided to cheer. I mean we wouldnt shut up or sit down. Every second when a match wasnt being played we would be up cheering, dancing, etc. I had more fun in Houston than ive had in years. This is all because of the cheering and making urself noticable to other teams. If FISRT were to eliminate this part of the comp, i know alot of teams would be very angry.

[Aidan F. Browne]

Originally Posted by ToMMan b182

If FISRT were to eliminate this part of the comp, i know alot of teams would be very angry.

Tom,

Cheering is awesome. FIRST wants you to cheer. They want you to be excited about your robot, your team, your friends and being involved.

There is however a line that in many people's minds has been crossed recently by teams with the use of noisemakers. There has been a trend where the word "spirit" had been morphed into "making noise". In an attempt to attract attention (including the attention of the judges granting the spirit award) teams have gotten louder than FIRST. That is bad.

In the pits, the need for teams and individuals to hear the announcer is VERY important so that the competition can procede safely and on schedule. In the competition area, the need for the audience to hear the play-by-play and explainations is VERY important -- especially in the year of an audience-friendlier-FIRST. There are many ways for a team to get their spirit noticed without making announcer-swamping noise.

So... bottom line... cheer like crazy -- practice your clapping and yelling and screaming -- make up cheers and cadences with your team... find creative ways to demonstrate your spirit... but please honor FIRST's desire and leave your noisemakers at home this year.

Also... just to make note of it... according to the dictionary...

Spirit, n.,

1. A particular mood or an emotional state characterized by vigor and animation: sang with spirit.
2. Strong loyalty or dedication: team spirit.

Aidan

[Aignam]

MOE sticks and noisemakers and noise and loudness and clappers and bullhorns and bells and whistles and so on and so forth are some of the defining elements of a FIRST competition, for me, anyways. This rule was made with nothing but good intentions, but I think it is just a tad bit ridiculous. I had no problem with hearing the announcer at the Chesapeake Regional, the New Jersey Regional, or Nationals.

There's no doubt in my mind that FIRST teams out there will "leave their noisemakers at home and honor FIRST's desire". I know FIRST teams will be able to show their spirit even through this rule. But I also think that perhaps this rule was overboard.

[Adam Y.]

MOE sticks and noisemakers and noise and loudness and clappers and bullhorns and bells and whistles and so on and so forth are some of the defining elements of a FIRST competition, for me, anyways. This rule was made with nothing but good intentions, but I think it is just a tad bit ridiculous. I had no problem with hearing the announcer at the Chesapeake Regional, the New Jersey Regional, or Nationals.

I have always felt that noisemakers are bordering on being obnoxious and tactless. They are distracting and sometimes I can not even hear people next to me. Even some sports orgainizations provide the same rule against using them. In fact, they provide a penalty for anyone that uses them. Whatever happened to clapping? I'm guessing that no one noticed this same rule last year.

[NateBot16]

Arg, we just finished building our cart with sound system in it. Last year we played our cart when going to the field (its easier to get people to move if they hear us coming) and while building. We mainly use our system during build season bc half of our machine tools are in the boiler room, and music makes it more tolorable. At the offical regionals we didn't play our system loud, but at the unoffical ones we let it go. Overall we respect all the teams in the pits and the announcements.

[Will Hanashiro]

last year at regional competetions, several teams had stereo systems... and they were usally asked to turn them off via. the PA. well these teams that had stereo systems turned them off, but eventually they would be booming their music again.

i'm predicting that PEOPLE WILL HAVE NOISEMAKERS in the stands this year... and even if they are asked to quit using them, they will resume using them after a while. even though this would violate "gracious professionalism," teams will still have noismakers in the stand. i feel that FIRST will really have to work hard in trying to enforce this rule, and after a while they may give up and allow them in the stands, and only in the stands.

personally, i feel that too much noise in the pits can get really annoying, but noisemaking in the stands adds another level of excitement and enjoyment for the viewers and operators. being a driver on my team, i really enjoyed it when people in the stands cheered as they called out our team number, and i'm sure other drivers/operators/human players/coaches also enjoyed being cheered for. as the cheering got louder, the excitement grew as well, and this is why i feel that noisemakers in the stands should be allowed (as long as they're kept with reason).

[DUCKIE]

Originally Posted by Adam Y.

Whatever happened to clapping? I'm guessing that no one noticed this same rule last year.

Clapping still exists... but it gets tireing and dull after a while. As for the rules previously... (if i recall correctly) they were more to prevent damage to seating... some teams had jugs/poles that they would bang on the stands... leaving marks... and annoying the arena owners.

Originally Posted by Aignam

I know FIRST teams will be able to show their spirit even through this rule. But I also think that perhaps this rule was overboard.

I agree.

I know that MOE, and all FIRST teams will remain spirited at competitions... and some people will still bring them anyways... but the sticks have always been a part of our team... and i dont understand how we can be "rewarded" last year for out spirit/image and specifically be targeted in a rule the next year. I hate to use the word "targeted" but it is true... if someone mentions banging sticks... you think of MOE. I mean there was a huge thread about the stick-napping... and they had a quote about banging MOE sticks in the FIRST Booklets they handed out at competitions.

I understand the banning of the speaker-carts.. as some teams played some rather loud music, but I guess I just dont get the banning of noisemakers... they make FIRST what it is.

I would not write off MOE handing out ear-plugs either... because without all the noisemakers to distract you... it will probably make the FIRST speakers seem all the more loud. As for the sticks... I plan to carry my lucky set from 2001 with me. Even if i dont get to clap them because of this new rule.

[lilszek24]

[quote=DUCKY]"No loud music, audio systems, whistles, banging sticks, blow horns, etc. They interfere with announcements. They prevent teams from hearing important announcements, can be annoying, and can cause hearing loss."
-10-AttheEvents.pdf-

at first i thought it wus kinda weird but im completely happy about this..im totally for cheering and all but it can totally be done w/out those loud annoying noise makers and sticks sum teams hit together! ROCK ON F.I.R.S.T! now maybe ill keep my hearing untill im 25....welll thats still a maybe

[Sam J.]

The music in the pits from teams that have sound systems on their "carts" can be a little annoying, but to ban noisemakers that teams use while cheering on ther team is ridiculous. There is no way for teams to cheer for two days, without losing their voice. Even if they try to confiscate all the noisemakers, they are going to end up with a bunch of useless items (for them at least).

On the positive note, the teams with the sound systems on their carts provided entertainment during the 7-minute walk from the pits to the arena down in Houston.

[DarkAlex]

Personally I don't have any trouble with the noise level at all. Though my experience is limited, having only been to Ramp Riot and one other competition whose name I forget, I find that the DJs at these events tend to go out of their way to dig up one hit wonders from the 90s, so anything that will make those songs inaudible is welcome. (I'm just commenting on stick and other manual noisemakers)
Obviously the announcers should be respected and whenever they are heard the clapping of sticks, etc. should cease, which it pretty much does anyway.
I am not commenting on the sound carts because I have no experience with them, though they seem to me to be an insult to the DJs almost equal to the one that I have already used in this post if used unnecessarily during competitions.

[Jedi Padawan]

There are only a few "noisy items" that I personally find annoying which are in the list below.
1. Carts with sound systems (can't hear myself think)
2. Bullhorns and those little pressurized canisters(my ear is still ringing from the last one that went off...)
3. "Shrill" whistles (again the ringing)
4. this may sound surprising but the music after the first day tends to be really really loud and get to where I have to scream at a teammate two feet away in order to get a tool. (this by the way is the music FIRST puts on) maybe it's just me but I usually end up wearing ear protection anyway without the extra "noisemakers" which only add to the problem. (by the way I am a DJ of sorts when I'm off FIRST season)
For me at least if your banging drum sticks in a rythym that doesn't really bug me, I mean if your just trying to show your spirit in a way that won't leave everybody with ears ringing or headaches that doesn't bug me, It's only when the "noisemakers" get louder than all of FIRST's already loud things that it becomes a problem.

[Ben Mitchell]

Personally, I like the idea of being able to sit in the stands without having my ears bleed.

But some things should still be allowed - it is, after all, FIRST.

[Joe Matt]

First of all, I really think the intention of this is to stop CONSTANT lound team annoyances, especially ones in the pits. Now, I really think FIRST needs to re-think their own sound levels first and also re-think speaker placement. Can't we have speakers in each of the corners of the pits and not just four in the front pointing at the pits blasting announcements?

[Jeremiah Johnson]

We here at team 648 out of Sherrard Illinois and Davenport Iowa, are outraged by this recently posted rule. One of the most widely respected awards is the team spirit award. To take away the aspect of noise making, you take away excitement, the best way to release nervousness and our spirit. For anyone who has ever tried to cheer both days of competition leaves with blistered hands and strained vocal chords. Robotics is not a Rock Concert and following the "If it's too loud, you're too old!" concept, we agreed that this rule should be overturned.

[Mike Norton]

Every year this is brought up. If people can keep it at a nice level nobody would complain.

Our first cart/truck we use to pull our robot at the national

http://www.valleytech.k12.ma.us/robo..._Red_Truck.jpg

It had a nice truck air horn on it. This was put on because nobody would move and the walking space was very small. The radio was put to a level that only the pit people could hear.

Then we move up to bigger and better truck

http://www.valleytech.k12.ma.us/robo...s/roboti88.jpg

But we made sure that the noise level would never be high. If everybody could do that I do not think FIRST would have a problem with that. But teams just like being loud.

What is going on this year at the nationals, they said something about a parade? So wouldn't that make you go out and make a nice cart this year.