[2019 ARML] - Additional travel info to/from ARML

Dear ARML students and parents,

For those of you who are new this year, I'm one of the assistant coaches.  You haven't seen me at practices, because I actually live in St. Louis; I first got involved with the team when I was a Stanford student about 10 years ago.  Now that I've moved away, I handle mostly logistics, communication, and planning for the team.  I will be in Las Vegas, though, helping the actual trip run smoothly.

As a result, you'll be hearing from me only occasionally until mid-May, but at that point I'll have lots of information to send you about things like detailed schedules, travel logistics, packing lists, and that sort of thing.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to what's looking like a really exciting ARML season!

For now, I have two brief updates about travel planning, as some of you are starting to book air tickets.

Parent chaperones

If you are a parent interested in serving as a chaperone for the trip, please sign up immediately.  Follow the instructions on the website; there's no commitment yet, I just need to know who's thinking about it.  We'll be finalizing our chaperone roster in the next week or two, so time is of the essence.

If you have already signed up, I'll be in touch with you soon (probably today) with more information.

Dropping students off (and picking up) at ARML

This part is for anyone thinking about travel option #2 in Tim's itinerary, in which your parents drop you off and pick you up in Las Vegas.  As Tim mentioned, we won't know the exact dropoff and pickup location until the week before ARML, although it'll be somewhere on UNLV's campus (it depends on what dorm we're staying in).

However, we do have the dropoff and pickup times worked out.  If you are not traveling to ARML on either the bus or an "official" flight, you must be dropped off and picked up by a parent or legal guardian in one of these time windows.  Do not book air travel that is inconsistent with these times.

Dropoff:

Thursday night: 10:30-11:00 PM

Friday morning: 7:30-8:00 AM (this window is preferred)

Pickup:

Saturday afternoon: At the team meeting, roughly 3:30-4:30 PM (this is preferred, see below)

Sunday morning: 7:30-8:00 AM

We will hold a team meeting on Saturday after the contest is over to celebrate the conclusion of the season and recognize our students and coaches.  This meeting is scheduled for 3:30 and should be done by 4:30.  If you are picking a student up, you should plan to attend this meeting and check your student out afterwards.  If you are not picking a student up but are in Las Vegas, we encourage you to attend the meeting anyway!

That's all for now.  Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any more questions, particularly about travel logistics.  We'd rather have you ask first than wind up paying change fees for your flights.

--Silas