Thoughts?
(LCQ = Last Chance Qualifier)
It can’t because of how close it is to Worlds. I know the person in charge of the US Open, they decided that it was too hard to have it before the deadline for Worlds, so they stopped having it as a qualifier
Appealing idea. I doubt it is workable. There is essentially no time between the two events. There are at least two problems with that: The teams that qualify may not be able to come, and REC F can’t respond that quickly without wasting money.
They might not be able to attend because teams are usually backed by schools and populated with students. Schools need time to approve travel, and teams need time to arrange funding if the school doesn’t provide it. Students are already out for one event (US Open) and might, on very short notice, qualify for another. Parents, teachers, classwork, etc. would all have to fall in place immediately to put it in motion. Chances are that many times a team would qualify and maybe even register, but not be able to show up.
The build plan for the competition space at Worlds has to be set long before US Open. REC F could plan for a few extra booths, I suppose, on the chance that the US Open qualifier actually attends. Sounds problematic and wasteful.
[edit @Avery Hoffmann ninja’ed it. Well said.]
Funny considering you only get about a week to confirm your seat at world champs after you qualify.
Having a short time to confirm your seat is not the same as having a short time to work out all the logistics and details of the trip. Since Cornerstone Robotics is an independent organization I have the ability to make quick decisions and plans, a luxury that most schools don’t have.
That’s it. For trips of any size or complexity, our school board has to weigh in on the issue. So, the issue has to be submitted, it has to get on the agenda, they have to get to it at the meeting, and then they have to decide what to do. They are often dealing with bonding and tax issues, along with land purchases and approval of construction contracts. All that is more important to the district than a single trip by one organization.
Just getting on the next meeting’s agenda doesn’t mean they will have time to discuss it. And if they do discuss it, they may well ask for more information or for clarification. For our trip to the US Open, it had to go to legal for review for various reasons, which brought about another round of questions and clarifications. Those are reasonable actions, but they all add time. There are mechanism to get an immediate decision outside the scheduled meetings, but if you force a decision, the easiest answer is “No.”
And, before you think it shouldn’t work that way, consider that when a school district sanctions a school trip, they are taking on custodial responsibilities for the kids involved. They are saying to the parents “your kids will be safe, and we know where they’ll be and what they’ll be doing.” That’s a big responsibility.
Agree. This could be a huge impact to families. Many families plan their annual leave and vacation schedules a year in advance and can’t just take an extra week to go to Worlds on two week’s notice. Not to mention the expense invovled. While it sounds great in theory, pulling something like that off would be difficult - if not impossible - for many families.
From a student’s perspective - how awesome would it be to go to the Open and pull off a last minute qualification to Worlds? But the flip side is the adult’s perspective where funds need to be secured for the trip, time off work must be taken at the last minute, hotel rooms must be found, school must be missed, etc. This falls into the “too hard” category.
It was cool back in the day when it did qualify, but @Avery Hoffmann is correct it won’t be a qualifier in the future.
We actually have to put in paperwork well before we even qualify if we don’t want to overpay on flights.