Week Zero, Stop Build Day, and those FIRST RISE Stickers!
Written by Frank Merrick.
Week Zero
The official Week Zero scrimmage event held in Nashua, New Hampshire, USA, was a big success! Even though many teams were still getting the kinks worked out, we saw a few robots capable of long-distance shots and it was super fun to watch. A huge thanks to our gracious hosts, FIRST Robotics Competition Team 811, The Cardinals!
Stop Build Day
In an ordinary season, tomorrow would be Stop Build Day. But this is no ordinary season!
I wish Stop Build Day the happiest of retirements, as I imagine it sitting on the beach in a warm place with a refreshing beverage in hand, reminiscing about the good work it did for us over these many years. While I will miss the shared experience Stop Build Day delivered, I’m excited to see what FRC’s future holds in this new era!
FIRST RISE Stickers
Does this look familiar? Hopefully, it does! Every team received a sticker that looked like this in their kits. If you’ve got some room on your robot, how about putting it on? Then please share images of your robot and sticker in your shop and at competitions on social media (be sure to tag us!). We’d love to see them!
The first official events are only about a week away! I can’t wait!
So, anyone have a clue as to what happened with the merch this year? Did Star Wars: A Force for Change kill it, or did they not sell enough last year to break even? Last year I bought patches and pins in addition to a ball cap (see my current pic for proof); this year the ball cap was the only thing worth getting.
That I can’t answer. I thought there was a decent amount, just not my particular style on much of it. I don’t imagine that FIRST is making a killing on any of these items. That said, there is a t-shirt I would get if I didn’t already have drawers full of t-shirts.
I have volunteered for three events: Arkansas, Bayou, and Houston CMP. I will be inspecting a couple of days in Arkansas, but otherwise queueing teams. As a New Orlenian, I’d like to dress/costume the part when I’m queueing. I’ve placed an order on Amazon for some appropriate rebel merch, but it surprised me that FIRST had so little.
