Dear Dean Kamen,Woodie Flowers and FIRST company. We the Teams going to Washington DC. and Baltimore need a waver.
No shipping dead line!!! No Robots in crates!!! Extended build season!!!
We the TEAMS in the area and TEAMS coming into the area will bring the ROBOTS to the events!!!
Help support this cause!!! Email FRIST, call FRIST talk to the MEDIA,
call your pollictical reps. Grab your snow shovel and come are way!!!
God Bless All
Mentor Mac
Team 686
Thomas McCubbin
Mt.Airy Maryland
I would suggest that you send something directly to them, very few FIRST employees are on ChiefDelphi. And I know that it must be very frustrating to be dealing with weeks of school closings, but if you really would like to get some sort of extension don’t seem so angry. Yes you are angry, but that doesn’t get anywhere!
It is my understanding that there is discussion going on at FIRST HQ about Snowmageddon. Be patient. Can I see them giving us an extension? Yes, as they have done so in the past for similar incidents. Can I see them extending right to competition day? No.
I see no reason for teams going to Washington DC. and Baltimore to need a waiver. I can see a reason for teams ***coming from ***Washington DC. and Baltimore to need one, though.
As much as I think there needs to be an extensiondue to the snow issue in the mid Atlantic. Askng that robots going to those regionals get a pass is not the best way to go about it. As I know teams from other areas who have not had to deal with mother nature will be attending so why is it fair that they get untill the regional to work on there bot? And teams from this area going to other regionals would not get extra time.
I do hope to see an official email or statement from FIRST about this in the next few days.
No I’m not angry. I think it’s kind of funny. You need to live in the area. I want the leader ship, to think out of the box. Yes out of the crate. Teams might not get trucks to pick up their robots. Can you get the picture? No one can move. YES YES YES I’m contacting FIRST! If they don’t bend you could see two events with a hand full of TEAMS instead of 60 TEAMS.Do you see?
Be safe, and have a good day. Thomas McCubbin 301-831-0407
It might help to do an edit and clean up your spelling, perhaps starting with the word, FIRST.
Just about everyone that is reading CD is aware of the terrible storms that have hit the mid-Atlantic states, but we can’t do anything about your request. If you do follow the wise advice offered here to contact FIRST directly - I would suggest that you do so in a calm manner, stating how many days your team has missed thus far, and how many more are being projected. It is always good to present your case in a manner that reflects well on your team. For example, please cut way back on those exclamation points. They won’t serve much of a purpose, used as they are.
It will be very interesting to see how they handle that. Trying to give specific teams or specific areas extra season build time opens a can of worms.
Midwest and northern region teams have to deal with this on a regular basis. Yes, we have better snow removal equipment and are more used to it, but frankly we lose a lot of build time each year because the roads aren’t good enough for students to drive, snowdays are called at least a couple times during the build season, and we can’t get into the schools either.
Yes, we’re better at moving the snow - but only on major throughfares like freeways. It’s a regular occurence for the country crews to announce they aren’t going to clear the side-roads and back roads where us rural folks live until well after the storm is done.
Don’t get me wrong. The eastern teams this year have a raw deal with the weather. I’m just not sure how you do an equitable distribution if you were to give additional time.
The only precedent for this was 2 day extension back in 2003 when a blizzard crippled the Northeast the 2 days before ship so FEDEX wouldn’t pick up the crates. They extended the ship deadline by 48hrs, which was all that could be done because of the proximity of week one regionals. I would expect that is the best they could do if anything. Not sure they will though because the storm isn’t butting up against the ship deadline.
There are a great many teams that have hardships come their way. Snow is just snow. Teams have had to work on shorter deadlines in the past years. Why should this one be different?
In the real world a deadline is just that. Make it or else. Coming from the not so Great White North (this year) I have to ask what’s the problem?
Wouldn’t it be nice if we all lived in a perfect environment with all of the tools, material and help that we need with no deadlines? But then again, it wouldn’t be FIRST!
Some teams shops are in schools. When there is no school or schools close early or schools cancel after school activities that includes Robotics Teams. Which means shops are closed.
Don’t waste your time trying to get an extension with such little build time left. Either FIRST will do it or they won’t, but you’ve got too little time to be campaigning and worrying.
Baltimore and DC are in states of emergency and while not enforceable it is actually illegal to be out driving in some areas at the moment. Regardless of fairness it is highly likely that the shipping trucks won’t be able to get to some of the teams pick up points. FIRST may have its hand forced into allowing teams extra time.
In the meantime, the teams should continue to do what they can do in preparation for the competition(s). It would also benefit the teams to document their progress this season, which would include the challenges that the weather has presented. Pictures say a thousand words and would be a nice addition to the pit ‘decor’ in the form of a scrapbook, framed photo section, bulletin board. They could also be part of the team website, blog, etc. Make use of the challenge and in how the team is meeting it.
Snowmageddon will become a part of the teams’ histories and will be talked about for years to come.