The spirit of giving - PA system

[sanddrag]

I don't know what made me think of it but I was just remembering at the LA regional last year, all the teams were so willing to give away parts, provide technical assistance, strategy tips, etc. You would just go up to the FIRST admin. table and ask them to announce over the PA what you need and within 5 mins five teams were at your pit with what you needed. It was like a race almost. The whole concept is brilliant. It also goes back to alliance picking as the more you help out, the better the chance you will be picked.

We also had a little fun with the PA announcements. The guy would say pretty much whatever we told him. One team got the idea of announcing "Team XYZ is asking for donations of any kind. If you have a donation please bring it to the front table." So, trying to be helpful, we scrounged up like $0.23, a paper clip, and a stick of gum and made the announcement "Team 696 is offering a donation of $0.23, a paper clip and a stick of gum." To my surprise, team XYZ graciously accepted the entirety of our donation. A couple teams also had the announcement made "Team ABC is searching for a group of cheerleaders. If you have any cheerleaders you are not currently using, please send them to team ABC's pit."

That was so great. I can't wait for the fun and giving to begin again. How many days are we down to now, 87, until kickoff?

[Gui Cavalcanti]

I remember we had to put out an announcement in 2001 for a 15-pin solder cup, because there were only 30 minutes left in the practice day and we had to have it finished. We put out an announcement, "Team 422 is in need of a 15-pin solder cup, if you have a good 15-pin solder cup that you no longer need please donate it to team 422", and three teams came to us with 3 individual styles of cups. That was awesome.

Another team got the idea and quickly announced "Team XYZ is in need of a working robot, if you have a good working robot that you no longer need please donate it to team XYZ". It was late in the practice day, people were working on robots, but everyone got to have a good laugh to get all the stress worked out of their systems (especially team XYZ).

[Kristina]

Awww, competitions were fun and I also love how teams helped each other out soooo much! The PA system was great and at LA, the announcement I remember the most is some team wanting their monkey back (it was a stuffed monkey, their mascot) and then 5 minutes later another announcement came saying that such and such team wanted to thank you for the safe return of their monkey.

[Mark Hamilton]

We were wrapping up a long practice day at the Chicago regional last year, and after being inspired by the large numbers of PA requests (and with our entire team very tired and hungry) I went up and had him say "Team 108 would like som dinner. If you have any food, please bring it to Team 108"

[Jon K.]

Originally posted by Mark Hamilton
We were wrapping up a long practice day at the Chicago regional last year, and after being inspired by the large numbers of PA requests (and with our entire team very tired and hungry) I went up and had him say "Team 108 would like som dinner. If you have any food, please bring it to Team 108"

Did you actually get any food??

[MacZealot]

probably not.

[Stephanie]

i think at some point during the championship, i heard one team asking for an airconditioner over the PA

[MacZealot]

Team xyz is in need of an arm, if anybody has an extra arm that they do not need, please donate it to team xyz (surgery bills paid would be awesome too!)

[Mark Hamilton]

Originally posted by jk2005


Did you actually get any food??

Sadly no.

[asher]

To those teams who ask for the metric crescent wrench: Team 31 ACTUALLY OWNS a metric crescent wrench (crazy Germans on our team)

The fact that we can hand it to the team that asks and seeing their faces is completely worth hauling around the extra clutter

asher

[rbayer]

Originally posted by asher
To those teams who ask for the metric crescent wrench: Team 31 ACTUALLY OWNS a metric crescent wrench (crazy Germans on our team)

The fact that we can hand it to the team that asks and seeing their faces is completely worth hauling around the extra clutter

asher

We (Team 6) have full sets of metric alen wrenches, wrenches, torx drivers, screw-drivers, and just about anything else you could possibly want. We also have full sets of standard stuff. It all goes back to when each team picked its own unit system without consulting any of the others (ie the arm was metric, the gripper was standard, and the drive train was a mix of the two). Last yeear, we finally settled on standard.

[staloch]

Ya team2169 hear one of the teams ask for a Flux Capacitor over the PA system.

[Mr. Freeman]

How do people even FIND threads from 6 years ago?

Anyway, we had "pit karaoke" a couple years ago during the last few hours on practice day at the Colorado regional. I hope they do it again this year.

[Elgin Clock]

Some of the best ones have been...

Flux Capacitor.. mentioned before, and that never gets old.
Left handed smoke shifter. (or anything left handed) - also a good thing to make freshman go find from teams when they are bored.
Jersey Barrier (This was at the NJ regional, so that made it even more funny)
Pinecone... classic randomness right there.

I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting.

Of course, these are usually done at the end of the day on Saturday when bots are being packed up so no valuable P/A system time is used, and generally all in good fun and well appreciated by both teams and Pit Admins who have both had a long few days.

[dlavery]

Holy thread resurrection, Batman! I am pretty sure that this sets some sort of record for the longest time between consecutive posts.

Other than that, the perennial requests for flux capacitors have become an annual favorite.

-dave


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