Zev News – March 2009
For the
The drive up was uneventful, and we arrived around 11:30 p.m. The next morning, some kids and the trailer needed to be at the site at 7:30 to set up our first aid station. Our team runs a first aid station for the robots where all the teams can obtain needed parts, advice and other assistance. Because of the station we were allowed to park the trailer in the loading docks. Jackie really appreciated this!
Once all the kids had arrived at the venue, most of the adults took off and went out for breakfast at a crepe place. The hotel had served a continental breakfast (bagels/English muffins/cereal/pastries) but we didn't let that deter us. Thursday was a day of practice matches and making sure everything on the robot was working. After the first match, where our robot didn't move, it seem to be working well. The practice matches ended at five but the pits (the areas where the teams worked on the robots) was open until eight, and we didn't leave until the pits closed.
We went back to the hotel where the kids who were seniors used a computer in the lobby to check the college acceptances that had comes out that day. One student learned that he'd been accepted to Berkeley and the lobby erupted in cheers and congratulations. Dinner was at Chevy's, which was next door to the hotel. Chevy set up a taco bar just for us in our own room, It was nicely done
On Friday first we had opening ceremonies. Miranda, one of the Granada seniors, sang the national anthem and did a great job. Mr. Van was one of the two masters of ceremonies. The two masters of ceremonies did a very funny skit involving the equipment from past games. After opening ceremonies, the matches for ranking started. Granada's robot did very well Friday, and they were on the winning alliance in five out of seven matches. And in one of the matches they lost, they won on points but one of their alliance partners incurred multiple penalties, causing them to lose the match.