BOSTON UNIVERSITY AGGANIS ARENA APRIL 12-14, 2018 Team Information Packet

Version 1.1 | April 10, 2018

WELCOME TEAMS!

1. Introduction 1.1. FIRST New England District Championship Planning Committee 2. General Instructions for Teams 3. Visitors 4. Volunteers 5. Venue 5.1. Directions to the Venue 5.2. Parking 5.2.1. Wednesday 5.2.2. Thursday 5.2.3. Friday 5.2.4. Saturday 5.2.5. Parking Alternatives 5.3. Trailer Parking 5.4. Venue Layout 5.5. Pit Area 5.6. Machine Shop 5.7. Practice Field 5.8. Venue Rules 5.9. Venue Wi-Fi 5.10. Team Badges 6. Bus Unloading & Pickup 7. Load-In 8. Load-Out 9. Bag and Tag Rules 10. Event Schedule 11. Consent and Release Forms 12. Emergencies 13. The Competitors 14. Chairman’s Award Presentations 15. Engineering Inspiration and Rookie All-Star Presentations 16. Food 17. Quiet Room 18. Social Media 19. Media 20. Scholarship Row 20.1. Scholarship Providers 21. Team Social 22. Alumni 22.1. Alumni Network Registration 22.2. Alumni Reception 23. Scavenger Hunt 24. Lost and Found 25. Area Resources 25.1. Transportation 25.2. Hospitals 25.3. Health Care 25.4. Hardware Stores 25.5. Coffee 25.6. Malls 25.7. Movie Theaters 25.8. Restaurants 26. Resources 27. FIRST Championship 27.1. FIRST Championship Advancement Meeting 27.2. Robot Transportation

APPENDIX

A. Agganis Parking Policies B. Venue Arena Floor Map C. Team List D. Public Schedule E. Sponsors F. FIRST POWER UP Game Description

WELCOME TEAMS!

1. Introduction

On behalf of the FIRST New England District Championship Event Planning Committee, we welcome you to our event.

We are so excited to have 64 teams from New England join us at the Boston University Agganis Arena in Boston, Massachusetts from April 12–14, 2018 to compete in FIRST POWER UP!

We have been working hard for many months to bring you a high-quality, fun-filled weekend of intense robot competition and an overall great time. We hope you will meet new friends, succeed in your goals and enjoy our event!

You will find lots of information specific to the New England District Championship in this packet. Please read through and share this with your team.

See you soon in Boston!

1.1. FIRST New England District Championship Planning Committee

NEFIRST Executive Director Bruce Linton Steve Cremer, Angela Han, NEFIRST Regional Directors Scott Heaton, Carol Scully

Event Co-Chairs Kristine Atiyeh, Kyle Henry

Volunteer Coordinators Kevin Borer, Colleen Shaver

Production Manager Greg Poulos

Public Relations & Media Coordinator Jennifer Mulcare-Sullivan

Sponsor Recruitment/VIP Coordinator Dylan Fitzpatrick

Alumni Engagement & Social David Givens, Sam Lipscomb

Judge Advisors Candi Desjardins, Jon Mittelman

2. General Instructions for Teams

This information packet contains information of importance to teams attending our event. Please make sure that ALL visiting mentors and team members see, hear and/or read these instructions.

The Appendix features Load-In and Parking maps, the schedule, pit maps, team list, etc. This document will be updated with information as it becomes available.

All final event decisions are made by NEFIRST, with Regional Director Steve Cremer as point of contact. Have any last-minute questions? Are you running late? Call (or send an email) and let us know your status!

Steve Cremer Event Coordinator [email protected] 339-364-4066

3. Visitors

We love visitors at our events...and we want them to be safe! Please remind your families, school administrators, local government officials and everyone else attending the event that they must wear closed-toe and closed-back shoes AND safety glasses when visiting the pits. Safety glasses are limited in supply; if you have extra glasses, please bring them for and give them to your visitors.

Children under the age of twelve (12) must be accompanied by an adult at all times! Inform them that “robots have the right of way” in our pits and to constantly be aware of their surroundings.

If your team has Invited Guests attending the event on Friday or Saturday and you’d like them to receive a guided tour, please have them RSVP at http://bit.ly/nedcmp2018guests so that we can plan for their visit. Team Invited Guests may check-in at the Welcome Table in the Agganis Arena lobby to enjoy a tour and be connected with your team!

If you know of people interested in starting a team in any of our four FIRST programs, please send their name and contact information to Regional Director Steve Cremer at [email protected], so that we may connect with them, arrange for tours at the event and schedule mandatory training sessions this spring. Let us know if you are interested in mentoring a team!!

4. Volunteers

This event would not be possible without help from our volunteers! If you’ve never volunteered before we encourage you to give it a try! Volunteering is a great opportunity to see behind the scenes and give back to FIRST.

We are currently seeking team members to help staff the safety glasses tables for one-hour shifts. Teams may sign up for as many shifts as they wish, and 1-2 people from the team will need to staff the station during that shift. To sign up, visit https://bit.ly/2uL8kwg.

Contact our volunteer coordinators, Colleen Shaver ([email protected]) and Kevin Borer ([email protected]), if you have any questions regarding volunteering.

5. Venue

The 2018 FIRST New England District Championship will be held at:

Agganis Arena, Boston University 925 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215

5.1. Directions to the Venue

Boston, Massachusetts, is accessible by Interstates 90, 93 and 95. The Agganis Arena is located on the Boston University campus. Please plan ahead and allow time for traffic, parking, walking to and getting inside the venue, etc. Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/ZUSHkxCNtgz

5.2. Parking

UPDATED PARKING INFORMATION DUE TO CONSTRUCTION ON COMMONWEALTH AVE

Due to construction in the area all week, Agganis $5 Cash Rate Lots: Arena is attempting to cut down on traffic ● Langsam Garage & Lot: 278 Babcock Street conditions as much as possible. Entrance on Gardner Street ● Essex Street Garage & Lot : 148 Essex Street, To do this they've secured a $5 cash rate for teams at nearby lots - please see the Brookline alternative parking lots and be sure to identify Entrance at . Exit on Dummer Street – yourself as a FIRST Team. Utilize Memorial Drive in Cambridge or

Beacon Street in Brookline We ask anyone able and willing to head straight to these discounted lots Anyone with disabled placards can use the main garage

5.2.1. Wednesday:

Agganis Arena Lot A/C-2 will be open (space permitting) ● Cost is $15 per vehicle ● No overnight parking in these lots. For overnight parking options reach out to [email protected] ● If lot is full, BU Staff and Police will direct you to the overflow lots that are highlighted on the Parking Map ● 6’ 6” clearance See Section 7 for specific Load In information! ● From 4:30-5:30 p.m. there will be NO ENTRANCE into these lots. This is to give BU staff an opportunity to exit. Please plan to arrive before 4:30 p.m. or after 5:30 p.m.

5.2.2. Thursday:

Space in Agganis Lots will be extremely limited. A special $5 cash-only rate will be available on Friday and Saturday at the Langsam and Essex parking lots for those who self-identify as attending FIRST Robotics.

To avoid additional traffic (EXPECT GRIDLOCK, HEAVIEST 8-10 a.m.) along Commonwealth Avenue due to construction, please use the directions to these discounted lots below:

● Langsam Garage & Lot 278 Babcock Street (entrance on Gardner Street) Utilize Mass Turnpike Memorial or Storrow Drives to Cambridge Street

○ From the Massachusetts Turnpike: Take Exit 18 (Allston/Brighton) Bear left onto Cambridge Street Take a left at the set of lights onto Harvard Street At the next set of lights turn left onto Brighton Avenue Travel .3 miles and take a left onto Malvern Street st Take 1 right onto Gaffney Street Langsam Garage will be on your left

○ From Memorial Drive: Turn Left onto Western Avenue Turn lrn Steft onto Soldiers Field Road Drive .2 mile and turn right onto Cambridge Street Take a left at the set of lights onto Harvard Street At the next set of lights turn left onto Brighton Avenue Travel .3 miles and take a left onto Malvereet st Take 1 right onto Gaffney Street Langsam garage will be on your left

○ From Storrow Drive outbound: Take Soldiers Field Rd to Cambridge St. Take the exit toward Central Square/Massachusetts Turnpike/Interstate 90 from Soldiers Field Rd Turn left onto Cambridge Street Take a left at the set of lights onto Harvard Street At the next set of lights turn left onto Brighton Avenue Travel .3 miles and take a left onto Malvern Street st Take 1 right onto Gaffney Street Langsam garage will be on your left

● Essex Street Garage & Lot Entrance at 148 Essex Street, Brookline, Exit on Dummer Street Utilize Memorial Drive in Cambridge or Beacon Street in Brookline

○ From Memorial Drive: Take exit towards Cambridgeport / Brookline Take exit onto Boston University Bridge Bear slight right onto Essex Street

○ From Beacon Street in Brookline: Turn onto St. Paul Street In .5 miles turn right onto Dummer Street Drive .2 miles then turn left onto Essex Street

Agganis Arena Garage: (Lots A & C2) will be open (space permitting) ● Cost is $15 per vehicle ● No overnight parking in these lots. For overnight parking options reach out to [email protected] ● If lot is full, BU Staff and Police will direct you to the overflow lots that are highlighted on the Parking Map ● 6’ 6” clearance

5.2.3. Friday: Space in Agganis Lots will be extremely limited. A special $5 cash-only rate will be available on Friday and Saturday at the Langsam and Essex parking lots for those who self-identify as attending FIRST Robotics.

Avoid additional traffic (EXPECT GRIDLOCK, HEAVIEST 8-10 a.m.) along Commonwealth Avenue due to construction by parking in Langsam and Essex lots.

A special $5 cash-only rate will be available on Friday and Saturday at the Langsam and Essex parking lots for those who self-identify as attending FIRST Robotics. ● See Section 5.2.2 for directions to these lots.

5.2.4. Saturday:

Avoid additional traffic (EXPECT GRIDLOCK, HEAVIEST 8-10 a.m.) along Commonwealth Avenue due to construction by parking in Langsam and Essex lots.

Agganis Arena Lot A/C-2 will be open (space permitting). Cost is $15 per vehicle.

5.2.5. Parking Alternatives

● Alternative parking garages may be found here. ● Park at Riverside T Station then take a D train Inbound to Kenmore Station. Transfer to an Outbound B train and get off at the St. Paul or Pleasant Street stops.

5.3. Trailer Parking

Limited space is available! Teams with these needs must reach out directly to BU Parking & Transportation Dept for direction: [email protected] or 617-353-2160

DO NOT STOP buses or any vehicles on Comm. Ave! Use one of the side streets highlighted on the Parking Map to unload and load team vehicles.

5.4. Venue Layout

The “Layout” schematic in the Appendix shows the location of all rooms to be used during the competition. Team seating with a view of the field will be available in sections 104-112. We ask that team members refrain from saving seats and leaving materials in the other sections.

With 64 teams in attendance it will be very tight; there will be no saving of seats! Please be respectful to others and refrain from filling seats with bags and other items. Please follow the Rules & Expectations for FIRST Robotics Competition Events: https://www.firstinspires.org/resource-library/frc/event-experience

5.5. Pit Area

The Pit Area and Playing Field will be located on the arena floor. We have included a Pit Map in the Appendix. Please note that this is subject to change. Pits will be assigned in numerical order for ease of judging. We will make every attempt in our power to accommodate teams with medical restrictions while maintaining some order.

Pits will be a 9 foot by 9 foot; please plan accordingly! Remaining within your assigned space will be strictly enforced.

● Teams will receive a pit map when they register at Pit Admin ● Each team’s pit will have an 8-foot table and one (1) power outlet ● Due to safety and regulations, teams cannot build any structure that supports people or items for storage above the work area in their pit space ● No structures should be higher than 10 feet above the floor and must safely support any signs or displays mounted to the structure ● As a special reminder, don’t forget: ○ A 25-foot heavy duty extension cord and a power strip ○ A small cart to transport your heavy robot from the Pit Area to the Playing Field ○ Safety glasses for everyone on your team and your guests that will be visiting the pits. Team members will not be allowed into the pits without their own safety glasses, even to retrieve safety glasses from the pit

5.6. Machine Shop

The venue will have the NASA machine shop available Wednesday through Saturday. The machine shop is fully staffed by specific volunteers that will best accommodate teams’ machining needs.

5.7. Practice Field

We will have a practice area with the same game elements as all District Events available for teams on the Arena floor level, in the Zamboni area of the arena. With the Arcade behind you, the practice field will be through the exit in the right corner.

5.8. Venue Rules

All guests arriving through the main entrance will be subject to search, at the Agganis Arena’s discretion, of their person and/or possessions. Helium balloons, decals and stickers are prohibited.

Teams are asked to stay within the designated open areas in the concourse and arena seating area and not venture into curtained- or roped-off areas.

Absolutely no outside food and drink are allowed in the venue. All bags will be searched upon arrival. Factory-sealed and empty water bottles are permitted and can be refilled inside the venue throughout the event.

Teams are permitted to hang banners but only off of the concrete walls and they shall not cover any section numbering at any time. Banners hanging from other surfaces such as wood, drywall, or any other non-concrete surface will be removed.

5.9. Venue Wi-Fi

Standard BU Guest Wi-Fi is available throughout the venue and other parts of BU’s campus. Information on the guest Wi-Fi can be found here: http://questromworld.bu.edu/tech/essentials/bu-wifi

5.10. Team Badges

All teams will receive the following pins upon registering:

Drive Team: 5 Badges - Coach (1), Technician (1), Driver/Operator/Human Player (3)

Safety Captain: 1 Badge

Team Media: 1 Badge ● Team Media Badge will provide 1 team member access to the field when your team is in a match. There will be designated areas for the Team Media Member to stay during a match.

Playoff Match Pit Crew: 3 Badges ● Teams that participate in the Playoff Matches will be given 3 Pit Crew badges to allow members to be in the Queueing Area only ● Pit Crew Members may not enter the field area, and will be notified of designated areas to view matches when their team is competing.

6. Bus Unloading & Pickup

NO VEHICLE MAY STOP IN FRONT OF AGGANIS ARENA ON COMM AVE. Please refer to the Load In & Parking Map to locate a designated side street to safely load and unload your team’s vehicles each day.

7. Load-In

LOAD IN: Wednesday April 11, 2018 Arrive BEFORE 4:30 p.m. or AFTER 5:30 p.m. 3:30 - 4:30pm Teams get in queue for 5:30pm load in

5:00pm Pits, Registration and Inspection open

4:30pm - 5:30pm NO ACCESS TO GARAGE & LOAD IN ZONE FOR TEAMS

5:30pm - 10pm Teams load in and park

Load In Map DO NOT STOP on Comm Ave to unload any ● Bring carts for quick easy load in vehicles, please use nearby side streets to unload ● Have team members at the and load passengers. loading dock ready to quickly move all items into the venue Robots, tool chests, and any other large heavy items may only be brought in via the loading dock - tote bins and hand held items may be safety brought in by team members at the front doors

Please be conscious of event staff and other teams during all of Wednesday Load-in!

On Wednesday, April 11, teams are expected to bring their robot for Day 0 Load In to check in and begin inspection. You may register with Pit Admin, set up your pits and have your robots inspected. There will be filler-line practice matches and the practice field will be open. The 5-person rule will not be enforced.

The building will be accessible to team vehicles from the loading bay behind the Agganis Arena , we advise that teams arrive well before 4:30 p.m. At 4:30 p.m the garage will empty out all BU Staff until 5:30 p.m. If your team is in the garage or load in area before 4:30 p.m, you will be able to begin your full robot load in at 5 p.m. Any teams arriving after 4:30 p.m. must wait until the load-in zone is open again at 5:30 p.m.

Teams may enter through the front of Agganis Arena at 5 p.m and may safely carry in tote bins, and other small, lightweight items.

Robots, tool chests, and any other large items will only be allowed to load in through the loading dock area in the rear of Agganis Arena.

8. Load-Out

After the start of elimination matches on Saturday, team vehicles will again be again allowed through the loading bay to load robots and equipment before departing the event.

9. Bag and Tag Rules

You must bring your own bagged, tagged, and sealed robot into the venue through the designated robot entrance. Bags may not be opened until they have been checked, approved by an on-site Robot Inspector, and the pits have officially been opened for robot work. Teams may load into the building at 4 p.m. on Wednesday Day 0. However, the pits do not open until 5 p.m. on Wednesday Day 0.

Please be sure to bring an additional tag for resealing your robot after the event so that it can be properly transferred to another competition if necessary.

10. Event Schedule

The schedule is in the Appendix and is subject to change without notice. All times are estimated based on the flow of qualification and playoff matches.

Please see Pit Administration for updated times. Match schedules will be released as soon as possible on Thursday, Day 1.

11. Consent and Release Forms

Teams have provided Consent and Release Forms at their prior district events, so they do not need to provide them specifically for the District Championship. A printed roster is required to check in with Pit Admin and receive your welcome packet.

12. Emergencies

In case of an emergency, please locate the nearest event volunteer or venue security person for assistance. Medically-trained personnel will be available throughout the competition.

In case of inclement weather, notification about the event will be made on local television stations as well as the NEFIRST website homepage: http://nefirst.org.

13. The Competitors

We expect 64 teams from throughout New England to compete at the New England District Championship! A team list will be posted to the NEFIRST website as soon as it is confirmed and included in the Appendix of the last iteration of this Welcome Packet. Qualified teams may be viewed at http://frc-districtrankings.firstinspires.org/2018/NE.

14. Chairman’s Award Presentations

We will be sending four (4) Chairman’s Award winners to the FIRST Championship in Detroit from the New England District Championship event. To be eligible, New England District Event Chairman’s Award winners must interview for the award at the District Championship.

Teams must interview at District Championship even if the team chooses not to compete with their robot at the event. Interview time slots may be chosen at Pit Admin on Thursday at 12:15 p.m. Interviews will take place on Friday, April 13, throughout the day.

Each Chairman’s Award interview is allotted a 12-minute slot. The team has up to 7 minutes for their presentation, including all time for setup. Remaining time will be left for a question and answer session with the judges. Not more than three (3) student team members, plus one (1) adult mentor, are allowed to attend the interview. Only student (non-mentor) team members are allowed to present information and answer questions from the Judges.

The one (1) adult mentor from the team may observe and later provide feedback to the team, but the mentor is not allowed to provide any assistance during the interview itself. If the mentor provides any assistance during the interview, the team will be downgraded. Exception: If necessary, the adult mentor may provide translation services for students needing foreign language or sign language translation so the students and Judges may communicate. This adult mentor may provide no assistance to the team other than translation service.

Teams also need to create a video that summarizes the activities that the team has accomplished to deserve the Chairman’s Award. This video is shown should the team win the Chairman’s Award at the New England District Championship. Teams must bring a copy of the video to the event and present it to the Chairman’s judges during the interview process. Teams will also need to fill out the Chairman’s Award Video Consent & Release Form, linked at https://www.firstinspires.org/resource-library/frc/submitted-awards.

Interviews for the Chairman’s Award will take place in the morning on Friday, April 13. If your team has any questions about the interview process, please contact the Senior Judge Advisor at [email protected].

15. Engineering Inspiration and Rookie All-Star Presentations

We will be sending two (2) Engineering Inspiration Award winners and two (2) Rookie All-Star Award winners to the FIRST Championship in Detroit from the New England District Championship event. To be eligible, New England District Event Engineering Inspiration and Rookie All-Star Award winners must interview for the award at the District Championship. Only District teams that have won the Engineering Inspiration or Rookie All-Star awards at a NEFIRST District event during the current season are eligible to win these awards at the District Championship.

It is possible that teams are eligible to interview for these awards at the New England District Championship, but they did not qualify to compete with their robot at the New England District Championship. In this event, District winners are still required to interview at the District Championship in order to be eligible to win. A table for a display area will be available to all teams that qualify to interview for these awards but not compete with their robot.

Teams must interview at District Championship even if they are not competing with their robot at the event. For these teams, displays will be available from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and interviews will take place Saturday morning.

Interview time slots may be chosen at Pit Admin on Thursday at 12:15 p.m. If your team has any questions about the interview process, please contact the our Judge Advisor, Candida Desjardins: [email protected].

Each Engineering Inspiration Award and Rookie All-Star Award interview are allotted a 10-minute interview slot for Q&A with judges; no presentation required or desired. Not more than ten (10) student team members, plus one (1) adult mentor, are allowed to attend the interview.

Only student (non-mentor) team members are allowed to answer questions from the Judges. The one (1) adult mentor from the team may observe and later provide feedback to the team. Exception: If necessary, the adult mentor may provide translation services for students needing foreign language or sign language translation so the students and Judges may communicate. This adult mentor may provide no assistance to the team other than translation service.

16. Food

The Agganis Arena concessions will be open for business Wednesday through Saturday. Purchased food is allowed to be consumed within the concourse and the stands of the arena but food will not be allowed in the Pit area.

17. Quiet Room

A Quiet Room will be available for participants to make use of. The Quiet Room is a place for students, mentors, volunteers, and spectators to go if they need a break from the competition. Teams may provide items such as coloring sheets, puzzles, de-stressing materials, magazines and books for people to use. We ask that any person in the Quiet Room respects others in the space, and the items in it. Please do not take phone calls in this space, there are other low noise level areas in the arena to have private conversations. The Quiet Room will be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. For more information on hours and location, please see Pit Admin.

18. Social Media

Have awesome pictures and stories? Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, then share and post with these hashtags:

@NE_DCMP @NEFIRST @FIRSTweets facebook.com/events/349377298845611 #NEDCMP #morethanrobots #FIRSTPowerUp #WeAreNE #NEHunt

19. Media

If you are expecting any media to attend the event to follow your team, please have them come to the Welcome Table in the Agganis Arena lobby. Be sure to let them know your team number and we will escort them to your pit.

One (1) Media Pass per team is available for team photographers, allowing them entrance to the field to take photos of your team during your match. The passes can be picked up at Pit Admin just prior to your match and must be returned immediately afterward so that the teams for the next match may use them.

20. Scholarship Row

The FIRST Scholarship Program connects FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST Robotics Competition participants with colleges, universities, corporations and associations, making available hundreds of scholarship opportunities exclusively for FIRST participants. More than $50 million in scholarships are being offered in 2018!!! For more information, visit www.firstinspires.org/scholarships.

The following scholarship providers will be represented at the New England District Championship; be sure to visit our Scholarship providers in the concourse level to learn more!

20.1. Scholarship Providers

Boston University, https://www.bu.edu/admissions/apply/tuition-aid-scholarships/scholarships/merit/

Case Western Reserve University, https://case.edu/admission/tuition-aid/scholarships

College of the Atlantic, http://www.coa.edu/admissions/financial-aid/scholarships/

Johnson & Wales University, https://www.jwu.edu/admissions/paying-for-college/scholarships-and-grants.html

Lawrence Technological University, https://www.ltu.edu/financial_aid/scholarships.asp

Merrimack College, https://www.merrimack.edu/aid/types/outside-scholarships.php

University of Massachusetts Lowell, https://www.uml.edu/thesolutioncenter/financial-aid/Scholarships/Freshmen.aspx

Society of Women Engineers, https://scholarships.swe.org/applications/login.asp

Southern New Hampshire University, https://www.snhu.edu/tuition-and-financial-aid/grants-and-scholarships

Syracuse University, http://financialaid.syr.edu/scholarships/su/

21. Team Social

Play for real with a POWER UP-inspired team social! Video games, board games and lawn games will be available to teams in the Agganis Arena venue and next door at the Boston University Fitness & Recreation Center. The main event will be a Mario Kart tournament played on the big screen by the POWER UP Arcade game field, FRC tournament style!

Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Location: ● Mario Kart tournament on the field! ● Board games in the Agganis Arena Club Room ● Video games and more in the BU FitRec Center auxiliary gym, next door to the Arena

Two mentors per attending team are required to be present. Register in advance at http://bit.ly/nedcmp2018social. Teams may register in person at the event as well! Waivers will be required; help us get everyone ready for the fun quickly by having team members’ parents fill these out in advance: http://bit.ly/nedcmp2018social-waiver. Copies will be available at Pit Admin.

The event is free to attend and we will have ice cream available to our teams! Sign up for the Mario Kart tournament with a teammate or friend at Pit Admin before 4 p.m. on Friday.

More information is on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1245131995619751. If you have any questions please contact Sam Lipscomb: [email protected].

22. Alumni

22.1. Alumni Network Registration

The New England FIRST Alumni Network (NEFAN) offers an opportunity for FIRST alumni to meet other alums, connect with exclusive career and volunteer opportunities, and explore events around New England! NEFAN provides a way for members to stay connected with the greater FIRST community in New England through both collegiate chapters and localized organizations.

All FIRST Alumni, including graduating high school seniors, may sign up for NEFAN during District Championship at the Scholarship Information table. Additionally, sign-ups anytime online at http://bit.ly/NEFIRSTalumni. All alumni or future alumni that sign up at the event will receive a FIRST Alumni patch. Join us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/NEFAN.

22.2. Alumni Reception

Come meet other FIRST alumni and learn more about how to get involved with the NEFIRST Alumni Network! All FIRST Alumni and Class of 2018 graduating seniors are invited to attend the NEFAN Alumni Reception.

Watch Alliance Selection, meet with teams or other volunteers during the lunch hour, and stay for Power Up Playoff matches to see who will be the FIRST New England Champions!

RSVP: http://bit.ly/nedcmp2018alumni Saturday, April 14, at 10:30 a.m. Boston University Agganis Arena 925 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 Francis D. Burke Club Room

Class of 2018 students that registered at a District Event in March will receive their NEFAN shirts at the reception!

23. Scavenger Hunt

Planning to attend the New England District Championship and looking for something fun to do besides watching awesome robots? Hop on Twitter and follow @NEScavengerHunt to tackle some fun tasks and take home some sweet prizes sponsored by WUMD ! Don’t forget to use the hashtags #NEHunt and #NEDCMP while it’s running on Thursday and Friday.

24. Lost and Found

We will be bringing all items found at previous 2018 NEFIRST District Events to the District Championships. If you have lost something, or lose something at this event, check with Pit Admin.

At the end of the event all unclaimed items are sent to FIRST Headquarters. Information about claiming lost items will be sent by FIRST after the FIRST Championship events.

25. Area Resources

See https://www.boston.gov/visiting-boston#resources for City of Boston visitor resources. Here are some additional suggestions for area resources you might find useful; many will open in Google Maps for easy navigation:

25.1. Transportation

https://mbta.com/schedules/subway Public bus and subway transportation is available via the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Boston’s T. Agganis Arena is accessible via the St. Paul Street and Pleasant Street stops on the “B” Green line or the 57 bus route. Navigate here: https://goo.gl/maps/7ddVpEvm1o42

25.2. Hospitals

https://www.google.com/maps/search/hospitals+near+boston+university/

25.3. Health Care

https://www.google.com/maps/search/pharmacies+near+boston+university

25.4. Hardware Stores

https://www.google.com/maps/search/hardware+stores+near+boston+university

25.5. Coffee

https://www.google.com/maps/search/starbucks+near+boston+university https://www.google.com/maps/search/dunkin+near+boston+university

25.6. Malls

https://www.google.com/maps/search/malls+near+boston+university

25.7. Movie Theaters

https://www.google.com/maps/search/movie+theaters+near+boston+university

25.8. Restaurants*

https://www.google.com/maps/search/fast+food+near+boston+university https://www.google.com/maps/search/food+near+boston+university/@42.3498503,-71.1217423, 14z/data=!4m3!2m2!5m1!1e0 Price range = $ https://www.google.com/maps/search/food+near+boston+university/@42.3498449,-71.121914,1 4z/data=!4m3!2m2!5m1!1e1 Price range = $$

26. Event Resources

FIRST POWER UP Game and Season Manuals https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/game-and-season

Boston University Agganis Arena http://www.agganisarena.com/

27. FIRST Championship

Please see 10.12.3.7 FIRST® Championship Eligibility for District Teams in the Manual for information on how many teams will earn the right to move on to the FIRST Championship from the New England District: https://firstfrc.blob.core.windows.net/frc2018/Manual/Sections/10-Tournaments.pdf

27.1. FIRST Championship Advancement Meeting

Feeling good about your performance in FIRST POWER UP? Have questions about competing at the next level? Join FIRST Senior Mentors and Regional Directors on Saturday at 9 a.m. following opening ceremonies in the Agganis Arena Francis D. Burke Club Room for a Q&A about moving on from the New England District Championship to the FIRST Championship event in Detroit, MI.

27.2. Robot Transportation

All teams competing at the FIRST Championship event must have a crate to ship their robot in and must ship their robot to the FIRST Championship via FedEx. Teams will either receive their shipping documents at Pit Administration during District Championship or FIRST will email teams their shipping documents after they qualify for Championship. Teams will then need to promptly reply back with the completed shipping document. Failure to provide the document in a timely fashion could result in your robot not making it to the FIRST Championship in time.

Teams should make arrangements to ship their robot immediately after receiving their shipping documents. Please do not leave your robot at District Championship if you qualify for FIRST Championship; you must bring your robot home with you and ship it from your location after receiving instructions from FIRST.

Information for shipping crate construction can be found at https://www.firstinspires.org/resource-library/frc/robot-transportation. Please do not crate and ship your robot without prior confirmation from FIRST. Filled crates must be kept to less than 400 lbs. to avoid being charged overage fees.

APPENDIX

A. Agganis Parking Policies

http://www.agganisarena.com/plan-your-visit/parking/

B. Venue Arena Floor Map (in process)

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1Rr4gw2tbZxcnUzT3lwUWRXSnk2T2thckRWVEI1UnhHZlln

C. Team List

The full team list for the 2018 FIRST New England District Championship is available at https://frc-events.firstinspires.org/2018/NECMP. D. 2018 FIRST New England District Championship Event Public Schedule

WEDNESDAY 4/11: Load In THURSDAY 4/12: Practice & Start of Any Time- Teams get in queue for 5:00pm load in Qualifications 4:30pm 8am Pits, Machine Shop, Inspection Open

4:30 - NO TEAM ACCESS TO GARAGE & LOAD 8:30 - Driver’s Meeting, Field Calibration & 5:30pm IN ZONE - BU staff empty out of garage 9:30 am Measurements

5pm Load in for pre queued teams begins, Pits, 9:30am Practice Matches Start Registration and Inspection open 12pm Lunch 5:30pm Load in area re-opens 12:15pm Chairman’s Interview Sign Ups 10:00pm Pits & Venue Close Robots, tool chests, and any other large heavy items 1pm Qualification Matches Start may only be brought in via the loading dock - tote 7:00 PM Qualification Matches End bins and hand held items may be safety brought in by team members at the front doors 8pm Pits & Venue Close

Practice Field 7pm Practice Matches ~8pm Field Pending- Filler Line Only

Friday 4/13: Qualification Matches & Judging Saturday 4/14: Qualification Match 8am Pits, Machine Shop, Inspection Open 8am Pits, Machine Shop, Inspection Open

8:30am Opening Ceremonies 8:30am Opening Ceremonies

9:00am Qualification Matches Start 9:00am Qualification Matches Resume

9:00am - Engineering Inspiration & Rookie All Star 9:00am Advancement Meeting - FIRST 4:00pm Displays and Interviewing Championship Detroit with RD Carol Scully

12pm Lunch 9:00am - Engineering Inspiration & Rookie All Star 1:00pm Displays and Interviewing 1pm Qualification Matches Resume 10:30am NE FIRST Alumni Social ~5:45pm Qualification Matches End - Closing Ceremonies 12:15pm VOTY & WFA Awards

6:30pm Team Social at Agganis & BU FitRec 12:30pm Alliance Selection

7pm Pits & Venue Close for Competition 12:45pm Lunch

1:45pm Playoff Matches Start Please be respectful of pit & venue closing times, we are unable to allow teams to stay 4:30pm Awards Ceremony late in their pit or the concourse area. 6:30pm Pits & Venue Close

**Schedule subject to change. All times are estimated based on flow of matches. Please see the Pit Administration table for updated times.

E. Sponsors: thank you!

Presenting Sponsor

Regional Sponsors

Event Sponsors

F. FIRST POWER UP Game Description

https://www.firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/uploads/resource_library/frc/game-and-season-info/comp etition-manual/2018/first-spectatorflyer18-frc-ltr-dec-form.pdf