District event in the U.P. (michigan) please respond

[wo-bot 141]

alright.. Im starting to get the ball rolling at NMU about an event here. The biggest question i got is the fact that teams from the L.P. have to travel up here. So how many teams would like to come here and compete?

[Karibou]

Originally Posted by wo-bot 141

alright.. Im starting to get the ball rolling at NMU about an event here. The biggest question i got is the fact that teams from the L.P. have to travel up here. So how many teams would like to come here and compete?

I'd definitely love to come, probably influenced by the fact that I love the UP but don't get up there enough. I'm sure I could wrangle my way up there (especially if it ends up sticking in two years, because I'll hopefully be up at MTU), but I don't know about my team, because of cost. However, we did make the trek to Pittsburgh two years ago, so it might not be as out-of-our-league as it may seem.

I suppose it would also matter which week the event is. You definitely wouldn't want it to be the same week as TC.

[kwotremb]

I agree with Eric here. It will depend on if they do split up the nation and do district how easy it would be to get teams to participate in that regional. The UP is closer for a lot of teams from MN and WI then it is for most MI teams. I personally would love to head up there for an event, but travel budget would make it hard (and the drive time).

NMU or MTU would be some of the better places to try to organize an event at. NMU might be closer for a lot of teams, but I know MTU does sponsor a team and even has a FIRST Scholarship so it might be easier to convince them to have an event. But good luck, hopefully you can get something going!

[Wayne TenBrink]

Which part of the competition season has the lowest risk of bad driving weather up there? That is a big concern when hauling carloads of students.
- Would it be feasible to switch off with another event (like TC, etc.) and hold an event up there every other year?

It would sure help if non-MI teams could attend.

I wouldn't rule it out, but can't make any promises either. Houghton would require students to take another full day out of school (not that they would mind). Perhaps once every few years.

[Alex Dinsmoor]

Originally Posted by Wayne TenBrink

Which part of the competition season has the lowest risk of bad driving weather up there? That is a big concern when hauling carloads of students.
- Would it be feasible to switch off with another event (like TC, etc.) and hold an event up there every other year?

It would sure help if non-MI teams could attend.

I don't think it would be a feasible option to switch off with TC, seeing how last year (and this year) a large chunk of the teams that are attending are from the LP, and moving that event up north a few hours would defer many teams from attending. My team for one isn't attending TC this year because of cost. Immagine if the gas costs were increased because of distance.

And to cover your other point, I think it would be awesome if non-MI teams could attend. Many teams from the UP attended WI regionals in the past, and I think that our neighbors from the west would want to attend also.

Thinking about that reminded me of a band from WI that I was talking to at a show I attended, and they said that it was extremely common for them to tour in the UP, even though they were from Wisconsin. In fact they had only been to the LP once (of couse at the show I attended).

[EricLeifermann]

There are 4 teams currently in the UP, 3 in the Houghton area, the western UP, and one in Sault St. Marie which is about as far east in the UP as you can get. The only way a district or regional competition will ever work in the UP is if the Up is split and the western UP doesn't have to be apart of lower Michigan's district. There is no way you are going to get 36-37 other teams from lower Michigan to travel around 10 hours, one way, to go to a comp. It would be much easier to have teams from WI and MN up here seeing as their average drive time would be closer to 6 or 7 hours.

An off season event is much more likely to get teams up here seeing as you can hold it in the summer and students don't have to take time off school.

[Enigma's puzzle]

I know that you would be able to find volunteers for the event, especially at Tech, where it is swarming with former Robotics students, and i bet you could get them to open up the Yooper dome for the competition, but the best way to get teams to travel up there would be if you could get the school to open the dorms like they do for Kettering, I know it would really make it more justifiable for teams to select a competition further away if they didn't have to pay for lodging, and instead paid a little more for the ride up.

Best way to pitch it to the schools, I would have to say the exposure to all of the super nerds that would be staying at their college are looking into programs through the college at the same time.

[Karibou]

Originally Posted by Enigma's puzzle

I know that you would be able to find volunteers for the event, especially at Tech, where it is swarming with former Robotics students, and i bet you could get them to open up the Yooper dome for the competition, but the best way to get teams to travel up there would be if you could get the school to open the dorms like they do for Kettering, I know it would really make it more justifiable for teams to select a competition further away if they didn't have to pay for lodging, and instead paid a little more for the ride up.

Best way to pitch it to the schools, I would have to say the exposure to all of the super nerds that would be staying at their college are looking into programs through the college at the same time.

MTU has the Summer Youth Programs running all summer, so DHH would be out for dorms. Unless they were to open Wadsworth for teams :/ The SYPs also use a lot of areas on campus, so I can't see MTU holding a residence-available-on-campus off-season too soon.

Kettering opens dorms? Huh?