Regional Food

[MikeDubreuil]

One tip I have for food is: know when it's avaliable.

I remember many times at the Granite State Regional I would walk up to a food vending window only to find that they were either closed or no longer surving lunch items. Find out what their schedule is- because the one you assume will probably be wrong.

The other complaint/tip is: Be prepared to spend a long time waiting in line for food. During lunch the venue may or may not open up additional windows. Plan at least 20 minutes just to get your food.

[Eugenia Gabrielov]

Thank goodness someone brought up this issue. Food is always important.

As a faily strict vegetarian (yes, eggs and milk and cheese products, no fish chicken or beef, etc), I had some major problems with the food choice. We have a few students on our team if I recall correctly that have religious food limitations, which makes most meats and especially pork or beef for some a problem. However, there are a few big things that are fairly easy to do...

1) If you have frequented a regional for a significant amount of time, you probably know where the local stuff is. If you havne't gone there yet, do your research! Many regionals are close to a campus, which means a fairly convenient food supply may be within 10/15 minutes walk. This isn't just mentors, students, if you have a specific food preference, remember that your team is responsible for you and generally can't let you go wandering. I know the rule on 461 is that you must have a mentor with you if you are leaving the competition premises to go eat and whatnot. I recommend Google for your searching.

2) Look for places that have lots of options. Cafeterias are great because they're geared towards large numbers of people anyway. If you know you'll have dinner at a certain time before you go to your hotel, check to make sure that there is food nearby that your entire team can go to.

3) Ian W. is a genius. I have never brought an entire sandwich with me to carry around, but that is a good idea. Know what you're eating, because some food won't give you much energy to run around and jump up and down with. You use a huge amount of energy at competitions, and your body really isn't invincible. Water water water, and food food food are important aspects.

4) Think realistically above all things. Nats took place in a Stadium. The concession is geared towards stadium style dining. What are you expecting at a football/basketball game, etc? Fans have different needs than robotics geeks do, but the concession staff cannot regear their entire menu for us for just a weekend. If they do, they're virtually amazing. More than likely, the regional committe (a good resource) can give you lots of helpful recommendations about food.

Good luck! And happy eating!
- Genia

[Ian W.]

Haha, and I thought just bringing a "brown bag lunch" was the obvious solution. Suppose I actually did learn something in those four years of high school...

As a quick addition to my thought above, if any of your team members do have food restrictions (medical, religious, personal, doesn't matter), I believe they will have to let you bring your own food in, or at least provide you with a place to eat your own food (if you don't feel like being sneaky).

I remember the first time I went to a regional it was SBPLI in 2002. I had no idea what to expect, so I emptied out my backpack, and filled it with various food, a sandwich, snacks, all kinds of good, yummy things that I could eat with one hand and wouldn't make a mess, so that way I could at least do something productive (like cleaning the pit) while eating. Some tips for quick and easy snacks, trail mix, dried fruit, m&m's, and granola bars. Don't bring in anything that will be remotely messy (like a juicy plum, that won't mix well with robots), but anything else should be ok.

I have to admit, I've since gotten lazy, and usually just buy food at the competition (or walk around outside and find food), but I usually try to have at least some sort of snack around, somehow that makes completely rebuilding the robot slightly more bareable.

[RoboMom]

The Chesapeake Regional at the Naval Academy will allow you to bring your own food into Halsey Field House. We ask that you do NOT eat in the arena and stands, but you are allowed to eat in the pit area. There were teams last year that ran efficient lunch assembly lines to feed their entire team. There will be a small snack stand on site, and there are other places to walk to on the grounds and right down at the harbor for those who can leave, 5-10 minutes away.There were some complaints last year that no breakfast was provided on site. The solution is to bring it with you.
Tailgating is difficult though. Although team buses will be allowed to drop off gear and people, there will be no parking at the Academy, only at the Stadium offsite. More details on the Chesapeake threads to come.