QotW [05-11-03]: Forging Friendships
 

While FIRST's main mission is to create an environment that promotes lifelong learning, many times friendships and relationships between students, mentors, and families are formed. Some of these friendships have lasted throughout FIRST's history; meanwhile, some have just begun. Although last week M.'s question dealt with the discrimination some have experienced, FIRST's environment is generally aimed to be warm, friendly place to be.

Question of the Week 05-11-03: What kind of friendships and relationships have you forged through FIRST with other teams, mentors, and students? What kind of impact do these have on your life, whether you are actively involved with FIRST or not? Do you believe FIRST's general atmosphere is geared toward cultivating these relationships?

Viewing ChiefDelphi, the Indiana FIRST Forum, and others, I can see that many people are familiar with each other in the program and have come to rely on these people in their everyday lives. The gap bridging the path between 'in-FIRST friends' and 'out of-FIRST friends' seems to have burned long ago.

Please keep this as a tasteful thread and remember that I'm asking about your friends and FIRST, and not simply opening up a thread to give 'shout-outs'.

P.S. - M. asked me to take over this week while she attends PARC. She will be returning next week.

Personally, I have made a great many friendships through FIRST, both on geographically close teams, and teams far away. Through the ChiefDelphi forums, and the Tigerbolt chatroom, I have made a great many friendships with students on teams from Washington state, to Wisconsin, to New York State, to Virginia, and all the way down to Florida.

These team-run networks of participants are key in creating and maintaining strong inter-team friendships, and I, personally, am very thankful for them.

Locally, through working with the Western Regional Robotics Forum, I have made a great many friends, as well. Setting up things like off-season competitions, and seminars and workshops are other great arenas for us to interact with our counterparts on other teams. I've made some great friendships with both students and mentors / coaches on many local teams.

I believe that, because of the fact that the FIRST game is usually not fantastically competitive makes it a lot easier to become friends with members of other teams. Sure, if the game is 2v2, you might be against them, but friends understand the game, and honestly, there's the same chance that you'll be teamed up with them.

I would definitely have to say that FIRST is a great vehicle for creating friendships between students all over the country, not even taking into account the kind of effects it has on them through learning. Oh yeah, we learn from eachother, too. :)

FIRST made me friends with an Avalanche fan. (DJ) That is a whole accomplishment on it's own. FIRST has many - many powers that are not yet understood.

I have made countless friends through FIRST... :D

Great Question!

I think the structure of FIRST, or at least on my old team, was geared so that students ran most of what was going on and was thought of as equals with our wonderful mentors and advisors. With respect going both ways, students were able to have a greater connection with these adults because it was more of a friendship rather than student-pupil relationship.

I think the format also helps facilitates great inner and intra team bonds. There are so many elements to the program, that people with all types of different strengths were essential and accepted. Even as a manager type person on my team, I was in the trenches day and night all year long and the bond the people I've shared that with is indescribable. Even though, I can't put it in words, everyone here knows what I'm talking about and that's the bond I share with them. The understanding of how much dedication most people in FIRST have is one of the best foundations for meaningful friendships.

Also the environment of competitions where spirit and helping others is up there, if not higher than the actual competition also helps build friendships.

I'm sure that part of Dean's vision was to have these relationships and connections span nationwide (and now its even going worldwide). I love learning about the little nuances of different areas and have encoutered a plethora of great and diverse personalities. It's also nice to know that if I get a chance to go to DC next year (or anywhere else later on) that I'll have some familiar people through FIRST to be there.

I have made so many friends in FIRST. Many of them are better friends than the ones I see at school every day. Like Jim, I met many people through the Tigerbolt chatroom. I also met a lot of people at competitions. It is really great to meet people that you would normally never meet anywhere else. I think that meeting all these cool people is possibly the greatest quality of FIRST.

Cory

FIRST has introduced me to so many people, both on my team, and on other teams. I've gotten to know tons of people from other teams through these forums, but I think the people I've met in "real life" on my team have been an even bigger part of it. Of all the friends I regularly talk to, probably 90% of them are team members. I talk to them between classes, during classes, at lunch, on the phone, or online. I spend most of my day with people I've met on my team. I used to be friends with band people, and people I knew in middle school, but now, my closest friends are all robotics people. We spend so much time together during the season, that our build team and drive team have become a very close group.

I don't know where I'd be if it weren't for some of the people I've met in FIRST. I'm not sure what else to say.

I don't think they're great because they're in FIRST. I don't think being in FIRST did anything to make them great. They're good people. They're hard to find. Anywhere.

Finding them in FIRST has been one of the luckiest things that's ever happened to me.

Great question Amanda.

My first 2 years in first, i was always nervous talking to people from other teams. We had a little get together with the technokats my first 2 years and i can remeber how it was sorta awkward becasue my team wasn't very social with other teams but we still had a pretty good time. Then this year i have been able to meet alot of great people and forge friendships that i hope last beyond my involvement in FIRST (which i hope is nowhere near over yet!) I attribute much of this to my presence here on chiefdelphi as well as the fact that i am much more confident now. Up until this year my team still felt like rookies, i think alot of that was caused by the fact that the teams our team was always around and doing things with were teams like 45, 71 and 68, and we always felt like we were nowhere near as established and successful as they were. But after winning alot of spirit awards, sportsmanship awards, an imagry award, a chairmans award and doing well in competition this year and in offseason competions in the last 2 years we finaly realized this year that we aren't rookies anymore. I know that Cart from my team took missy from 135 to the prom and John (the base driver for 461) took a member of 234. I have been able to talk to people alot easier now and i have no problem walking upto someone and talking to them at a first competition now.

FIRST friendships are great. Amanda and i talk on the phone almost every night, and we dont just talk about FIRST but our discussions cover all sorts of topics. And now i have friends on alot of the indiana teams and the indiana teams have become a very strong community that is willing to help each other out and we all get along great.


I have befriended all sortsa people through first. From Engineers like Bob Evoy, Darrell Noble, and Andy Baker. To teachers like the teachers on my team Mr. Florence and Mr. VonWerder. And numerous students i cant even begin to count. And alot of college kids like Amanda on 1020, Kevin on 1064 and all the purdue kids on my team. All of these people are amazing, and continualy impress me and drive me to be a better person. Plus they are just fun to talk to. Picking the brain of anyone involved in FIRST can often lead to stimulating conversation.

I've said it before and i'll say it again FIRST changed my life and probably to a large amount saved me from going down a path that wasn't healthy and could have lead to me not being here anymore. Without the people and friends i have met through first i dont think that i would be the person i am now.
Thats just about all i have to say about that...

FIRST Friends 4eva!

I am so proud :D. First question from Amanda, and its so good! (where is your question John ;). but don't bother replying to my question in this thread ;) ;) )

Oh boy, how do I begin? The friends and mentor I met in FIRST are the reasons why I am the person I am today. Without them, I would be some where struggling to figure out what I want to do with my life, and how to do it.

My FIRST friends are my inspiration and motivation to do more with my life, and the best support when I needed someone.

Just a few examples... Without the support of one of the friends, I probably would've done something really stupid that would've ended my life.

Without the imspiration and support from a mentor, I would have done so much in WRRF and teach workshops and run off season competitions.

Then the bunch of good friends I met in FIRST are the best friends I have. You know who you are.


Think think FIRST's atmosphere had a lot to do with these friendships... Especially back at year 2001 when all 4 teams worked together... Without that year, there wouldn't have such a strong friendship and bonding between teams in FIRST and especially in WRRF over here. But I also believes it depends on the people... If they want it bad enough, they are willing to put aside their status on teams and reach out to others, which is what happened.

I think I've made more assasination plots against me rather than actual friends over CD. :rolleyes:

I think that everyone makes friends on the different trips of FIRST. I have made friends with people from my team, people from local teams, and friends with people from far away teams. I think that this is one great aspect of first. What I find interesting is that when you get to the events, you don't say kill or be killed. When I get there, i take a look at the bots, chill, do some programming, and meet some new interesting people. I think that FIRST has the most culturally diverse group of people. I think that this is the reason that we have so much fun. We get together for the love of bots, what i say, its a loser convention. Don't 4get losers get along with everyone. LOL. I hope that all of you guys have as much fun as I do in every event.

Good Luck to everyone at the invitationals

Friends in FIRST keep me going. If the relationships were not there, I would probably not keep doing this.

I really enjoy going to FIRST events and seeing old and new friends. FIRST is like a "family", where we have 1 main thing in common: that we went through the 6 week build process. The fact that we all went through this process together bonds us, kinda like a family. This bond gives us mutual respect and an unspoken association.

A family is a place where you can "pick up" a fellow FIRSTer or you can "correct" them if they are misguided. It's also a place where you can give credit and congrats to a fellow FIRSTer and feel good about it. Also, someone may come along and offer you advice or congratulations when you least expect it. It is very special.

I'll stick around to see friends for a long time. I hope you will too.

Andy B.

I have made so many friends in FIRST, both on my team and from other teams across the country. I've become friends with students, college mentors and adults -- what other program could do something like that? Like Andy said before, FIRST is a family. Families go through good times and bad, but they are always there for each other. Seeing and meeting people at the competitions means so much to me - it is so insanely cool. And the friendships I have with people on my team (or who have been on my team) is just awesom. Without the people I have met through FIRST I might not be here at all! Thank you, everyone. :)

- Katie

"Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind. Or forgotten."

The majority of my friends are on FIRST teams. My team is like a second family to me. Through FIRST, I was brought into contact with some very wonderful people who grestly impacted my life. Next year, I'll begin studying mech. engineering. I was inspred to choose my major after working with the mentors on my team. I've also been involved with the RCU. Through that, I met Kristen Kelso. She's been a great influence with her "wicked" work ethic. she's also supported me and my ideas greatly. With herhelp and support, I've been able to work not only with my team but also get out there into the reast of the FIRST community. As for the atmosphere of FIRST and it's impact on these relationships, FIRST is about inspiration. With out these realationships we would be called FRST.

So who is the crazy uncle, no one talks about?

I agree 100%. Even during the roughest times in this competition, there was always someone I could turn to, that kept me going. I've got "a few" years left in me because of the people I've met, and the fun we've had together.

Re: QotW [05-11-03]: Forging Friendships
 

All I'm going to say is: from New York to California, from Brazil to Britain. I'd say just about everyone in FIRST can at least be considered an acquaintance. I have met many people from around the world (I guess I can actually say world now), and some of them are now good friends of mine. I've talked in Tigerbolt since the beginning (disregarding that hiatus thing), and am back to my regular chatting. Hey, if you can't make friends in FIRST, then something's not right.

I nominate Ken L.

Matt

I was thinking more along the lines of Dave Lavery. :)

HEY!

Gzznork!

:yikes:


Well, OK, maybe yes.

Throughout the 2+ years of being involved with Team 522 as both an important member and now as an alumni member I have met many students from different schools and states. A few of which I still keep in touch with today reguardless of my membership to FIRST and Team 522. To name a few people I met through FIRST:

Stacia - Team 341
Sherry - Team 692
Andy - Team 484
Entire Team 694
Entire Team 371
Entire Team 375
and much much more....... As one person already said here

[quote]Originally posted by Andy Baker
FIRST is like a "family", where we have 1 main thing in common: that we went through the 6 week build process. The fact that we all went through this process together bonds us, kinda like a family.[quote] - with all this said right here its safe to say we are all friends and a big part of FIRST's family as soon as we step foot onto a robotics team. Lets continue to expand FIRST's family both Alumni and Team Members alike

Ohh man I've met so many wonderful people because of FIRST I can't even begin to explain!! First and foremost I want to recognize the impact that our original coordinator, Shannon Schnepp, has had on my growth and development in FIRST and in school. She is amazing. I have also become friends with a ton of kids from West Lafayette high school, my school's archenemies;) They are all wonderful. I am the only person from my school on the team, so I get picked on a lot, but oh well!! I've also met a plethora of fantastic college students who have certainly influenced my decision to stick with FIRST in the coming years when I myself will be a college student. Moreover I have met many outstanding high school students on other teams...Allen and Dan and all the other fun Wildstang kids, DJ (if you've never talked to him you should b/c he rocks!), Austin, Andy Baker (he, too, is awesome) and all the other ppl on Technokats, and the ppl from T3 and Huskies, and Deondra!!!! and her mom Kim, who works at Delphi in MI now, I think. And Kevin and other awesome ppl (if I didn't mention you I"m sorry--it doesn't mean I don't care, I promise!)
FIRST has really allowed me to expand my circle of friends to the entire country and it really pleases me to have a connection with all of them: FIRST!! It is an amazing program and I hope that everyone appreciates it as much as I have:D

FIRST has not only gave me the chance to make friends with other teams but with the other schools within my own team. My team is sponsored by a college and has 3 high schools involved. I have met some great people. I made friends with high schoolers from a town that was only 7 miles away and with some college students. I also have met the best mentors I could ever have. They are not just friends in the team, but also outside the team.

Yeah, but everyone talks about him so he really doesn't fit the profile. Maybe he's just the weird uncle everyone's embarassed of?

Matt

Naaaah. I am not quite that old. If I am the uncle, you would be the great grandfather :P.

I am just the quiet brother who is always away from home doing something.

I wonder who is the favorite cousin everyone talks about?


But seriously, I think FIRST is the best place to make friends because you are not stuck with others like in high school. You are at the competition by choice, doing what you like. It is easier for people with similar interest to become friends then stranger you pass by on the street. The time you spend at the competition, and the internet give people a lot of chances to spend time with each other, and in the process forge a strong friendship.

It works especially well when everyone are just out there trying to make more friends. Not like going to a test, where you sit down, take the test, and go home right after.

Now all we need are former dance party or swing dancing parties at the competitions :P :P :P.

Wow. Friends via FIRST. I have so so many. Joe, Matt, Jeff, EJ, Mel, and so many others. I don't know where I'd be without you all and I hope you realize that. If not for FIRST (and, well, the Tigerbolt chat and these forums) I could have never made such awesome friendships. I'm really glad my friend Bryce convinced me to stay with FIRST in high school.

This was my first year in robotics....i'm so glad that i joined the team because it was the greatest experience! i learned so much and had fun too....i became really good friends with people on my team...the seniors were so nice and helpful...teaching me about pneumatics and everything....going to the regionals was definitaly the highlight of the season...seeing the ideas that the other teams came up with was really interesting....and meeting people from all over michigan and ohio was great...i can't wait for next year!

in my team 1st year, we made little friends ( probably cuz we were to busy with the bot ), but in our second year, our team became friends with team 122, who were very friendly and took our team for pizza after the first day, which was cool. Plus, we had a guy who switch from 401 to our team and he still had his connections, and the girls on our team were playing cards with i think team 611.

oh yea, I've caught a barrel or so of them robotics dorks :p Naw, I've many so many absolutely amazing people through FIRST. It doesn't matter if they live across the country. When you've got similiar topics on your mind, great brains, and good company- not even geography can create boundries.

my friendships from FIRST
 

I have made so many friends through FIRST. The robotics lead mentor is someone that i turn to for everything. He is one of the smartest men i know. I ask him help in every department (home life, school, work, social life, robotics) he always helps me. Besides him I have made other friendships with people in college which has helped me choose where I want to go to college. And has made me feel comfortable with people in my school and myself. FIRST friendships are way farther then just the people on my team.

Oh no! not the mushy stuff!

What on earth was the point of that?

Anyway, FIRST has introduced me to a lot of new people and I've made several friends along the way. The season was great but even when it's over I've got friends I can hang out with and just have fun. Of course we are doing so by working on a Segway clone, but hey shows our dedication, we do normal stuff too. It's definately had a big impact on my life.

I've actually met a lot of people thru robotics, but I've met a bunch thru this site too!!! I think that whoever said that thing about us all going thru that whole long 6 week build process thing was right. I know that on my team, for some reason, one of our biggest and first real bonding times was when the space shuttle catastrophy happened. I know that the way that I will personally remember it for my entire life is sitting in the lunch room at the GM Proving Grounds with my entire team staring at the television, trying to process what had just happened. That was the first real way that I got friends thru first was thru my own team. After that, I realized that there were a lot of other kids out there who were all a lot like us (went thru the whole build and competition thing and all) and i started talking to a bunch of them. I was so talkative that the mentors sent me out for the sole purpose of talking to people, and collecting buttons. So I met quite a few people that way. Overall, I've met a lot of people thru first, and all I can say is that I'm really glad that I decided to join.:D

Between FIRST and FIRST Camps ive met more people that ive made lasting friendships with than i have in the past 17 years that ive been alive. Without FIRST i would never have met my boyfriend or know most of the people i know. some of the people that i am friends with now i wouldnt be friends with without FIRST because we just would have hung with different crowds but now i couldnt imagine not having them there to hang with or something cause their just awesome people. some of the most exciting people i know i only know because they are/were our engineers for our team. i remember Fresman year we had one of the funniest guys as our Animation engineer and whenever we would hold meetings he would just make them so much more interesting. He helped me feel like i fit in on this team so much more than i would have just because of his attitude. I am so glad i joined FIRST not only for the amout of fun it is but for the amount of great people i have meet through the program. I am always telling my friends about this kid or that kid that ive meet through FIRST. The friendships that ive made through FIRST i hope will be ones that dont break ever.

Many friends on FIRST.

Not just from my team, but from others.

My team: Matt, Amminder, Meyur, and that's about it I think.....:D

Others:
Kelsy - team 384
Jim - team 384
team 384's one mentor (dunno who, but he knows, I talked to him about everytime I went to their pits :D) - team 384
Shruti - team 25
Arwen (aim name) - unsure
A girl from team 25 (never got her name) - team 25

a few others I can't think of right now.

FIRST Rocks!!!!!!! w00t

[Edit: As of right now, I have 59 FIRST Members on my AIM Buddy List, and 1 on my ICQ List]

I LOVE FIRST. I've met sooo many people, some in really random ways.

And FIRST people don't find me really random when I'll randomly start talking to them.. for seemingly no reason.

And I definitly like to talk :D

I meet people like MATT KRASS who IS MY FRIEND. ;) LOL

Everybody finds you really random ;)

Now would you get rid of those banners? It's creepy...
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...
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TEACUPS! (inside joke)


^^^ The above would be one of my crazier friends I've met in FIRST.

Matt Matt Matt. I am by far your craziest friend met thru first and you were lucky enough to not be on the team the same time i was on the team god knows what i would of done to you in the random sence

Being on a first team for me, tends to at least break down some of the traditional barriers of what year of high school you are in. Face it for me, the majority of time spent hanging in around breaks at school or off it is with friends in my grade, obviously because you spend the most time with them. But joining robotics gives you a chance to spend a huge amount of time with people from all over the school and grades that you wouldnt normally meet. I suppose you could say that this situation is the same for all teams or clubs, but robotics gives the added kick of such a large amount of time concentrated into one period. You see them at their creative best, hardest working, laziest period and all middle ground in between.

Rookie-ing it up this first year, i stuck mostly by my team, but next year im definitely looking forward to meeting new people from new teams. = )

I've met a lot of people through FIRST and this website. How can I tell this, you ask?? Well there's a FIRST Robotics Members section on my buddy list, that's how :D
But anyways, I've met a lot of people on a lot of teams all over. If it wasn't for FIRST (and chiefdelphi.com) I wouldn't have some of the good friends I have now :) Thanks FIRST!!

Oh yeah! I want more friends! So IM me peoples :)

Realy, I have 144 buddies from 39 teams on my buddylist

without robtoicsi woudl have had zero social life
 

not only i am freinds with people on my awesome team but also people from our teams mentees: team 1072 and 1043.

not only i got to leanr from people my age but also from the hardworking advisors and teachers.

oh yeah, feel free to IM me. haha

I kind of realized that I never even replied to my own question, and that kind of upset me. There are many people to whom my team and myself owe great thanks and whom were a great pillar of strength this season alone. FIRST has always been less than just a school activity for me and more of a way of everyday life.

FIRST is unlike every other organization or every other robot competition because it begs to you collaborate; it encourages you to be a better person through the help of others.

As Amanda said, "FIRST is unlike any other organization". Through FIRST, i have met so many people i can not name them all or even start to name them... On my buddy list i have 56 FIRST related people, whom i can give their name off when told their screen name. Though FIRST has also let me meet people i never thought i would have, or go places where i am or have gone... FIRST in my eyes has opened me to a whole new road, in these past 3 years. See you all in 5 days at IRI!
~Mike