Mid November Update

Today was explosive. At a staff meeting the principle, Mr. Grove, announced that our sponsorship pursuits with SAIC had gone through, and they had donated, not one, not two, not even six thousand dollars, but thirty-four thousand, eight hundred dollars to Team Paradox. Andrea cried. That's our entire budget. With the rest of the money we had made from other sponsors, we now have the ability to roll out our budget ten thousand dollars for two years in advanced, as well as starting a small scholarship program to help students meet the traveling fees for our 2010 Las Vegas regional. The entire faculty was getting excited about this, even my English teacher.

In other news, we have planned out the rest of the preseason and are going to be constructing a practice chassis with an experimental drive train inspired by the Omni model Segway Robotic Mobility platforms. The purpose of the experiment is to give new members a taste of what build season will be like, with more hardcore hands on experience with designing and building something new, to get the innovative juices flowing.

On the marketing side, sweatshirt and t-shirt designs have been completed, and sweatshirt production is slated to be completed before winter break. Graced with Suki's beautiful robotic wings, these are going to be fantastic. T shirt production is still in the planning phases. The design is complete, but sweatshirts are the current priority. We can however, tell you that T shirts will be five dollars each when released.

Also, Annie's team of marketing minions has been voraciously at work making artistic gift-card holders to sell at the Encinitas Street Fair, where robotics will be advertising itself to raise awareness, and spread the holiday goodness of Robotics coffee (delicious) as well as the aforementioned gift-card holders (beautiful). Additionally, robotics will be investing in 250 custom printed reusable grocery bags. These we intend to sell to make some spare change, but primarily to raise awareness in the community (picture 200 mom's assaulting Trader Joe's with there Paradox robotics grocery bags). My personal opinion is that these are the coolest thing that has ever happened to errand running. I have a feeling that I am going to cause a spike in local business just for an excuse to use these.

Finally, an FLL tournament is in the works to be held for our local teams at SDA.

Things are starting to really pick up fast. It's not even december yet, but I'm already gearing up for January... this year is going to be awesome.

-SDA Robotics Team Paradox