Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event and why?

We've had a lot of cool people - the most recent being Google's Larry Page - and after digging through the forums, I'm surprised that this has not been discussed yet.

Would you choose someone more non-technical mainstream (like Will Smith's video message from somewhere around the 2001 season: "Build more robots so I can play with my kids!"), or someone in the technical mainstream (either on the corporate side like Larry Page, or on the entertainment side such as Mythbusters' Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman)? Or, would you rather have it be someone that's not mainstream at all (something along the lines of having an engineer who worked on an exciting project speak)?


My brainstorm for this thread came last night while watching Good Eats, when I decided that Alton Brown would be a fabulous speaker. Not only is he an Atlanta native (and would probably be pretty entertaining), but he's using a love for science to create a different type of cooking show. But, that's just me.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

good question.

Im trying to think of an engineer or technology company leader who has made a big impact in the last few years, and I cant come up with any names.

Isnt that interesting?

I can think of obvious technology leaders from the past, like the Woz, Ken Olsen, and people like Bob Pease

but Im drawing a blank for someone contemporary!

EDIT: ok, I got one: Burt Rutan !

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Some people off the top of my head:
Burt Rutan - SpaceshipOne, Air Force, etc.
Aubrey de Grey - Very interesting guy. He he does a lot of research on the human life span and genetics.

Basically, anyone off this list. They're all leaders in their field and would probably have some interesting things to say

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Good question Jess.

This person would need to be both inspiring and famous, as former speakers have been. We have had Dan Goldin (2001?), Jeff Bezos (2002), Chuck Yeager (2003), and Larry Page (2005) recently. Each were inspiring in their own right. While I preferred Yeager's speech, Page and Bezos may relate better to the students. It is also good to have a speaker who is not a hugely controversial figure. However, people at that level all have detractors to some extent.

In no particular order, here are some candidates:

1. Burt Rutan would be excellent for 2 reasons: 1. His recent accomplishments with Space Ship One are inspiring because of his innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. 2. He attended the 1992 US FIRST competition and served as a judge. (Jeff & Ken beat me to this one, but he is my first choice)

2. Roger Penske is an inspiring figure, although controversial in the racing community. His business and corporate ties are immense, he has a competitive spirit, and his cars lead the way in innovation. He is unique in the fact that he is powerful in both the corporate and competitive sports worlds.

3. Meg Whitman, ebay CEO, leads an innovative company that has changed the way people buy and sell things along with how small companies operate. She would definitely be inspiring and she is in the same field as Bezos and Page.

4. Rick Wagoner, GM CEO, could talk about technology development at GM, highlighting the Hydrogen fuel cell platform and hybrid technologies. He is a no-nonsense-type speaker, but he is also a controversial leader since GM has many "issues" to deal with these days.

5. Former Presidents Clinton and Bush (41) have done much globe-trotting during the past few years to help raise money for relief efforts. Either one would be welcome to talk about "what the world needs" with regard to innovative solutions to energy issues, world hunger, disease cure & control, and other major issues. They could help inspire students to fix these problems. Either would be inspiring to the audience, as long as they keep away from partisan politics. Plus, these two have both given attention to FIRST in the past by inviting winning and Chairman's Award teams to the White House.

There are many more, and I am eager to hear other ideas.

Andy B.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

1) Neil Armstrong - I would love to hear him speak. If we are ever going to send people to Mars we will need a lot of creative thinking people on the team. Mr. Armstrong probably has some experience with that sort of project I would think.

2) Burt Rutan - I think he defines thinking outside the box. Hmm, 3rd vote for Burt. I wonder if we get enough vote if FIRST can make it happen.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

How about Richard Branson? He is a very successful person that has done things in a slightly different way than the mainstream. He's also big into new technology and has been helping to fund Burt Rutans latest projects.

Who would I like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Jack Welch

Wetzel

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Anyone dynamic who can get a strong message across in UNDER 10 minutes :D . Seriously, I love the people that we've had at the podium in the past, but FIRST is a very upbeat/fast-paced event and a solid, but brief inspiring message to me is the best kind.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Well, uh, Steve Jobs!

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I second that thought!
I love watching Alton Brown and think he'd be sure to give an upbeat quirky speech!
And not for any political reasons, but because I think his story is an interesting one (and he's an alum from my high school), Virginia Governor Mark Warner. He was a co-founder of Nextel and is a supporter of technology education.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Linus Torvalds, leader of the Linux revolution.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Adam Savage would be really neat.

Alton Brown is an incredible host/speaker he'd be pretty cool too.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Scott Jones (bio) gets my vote. You can check out his entry in the upcoming DARPA Grand Challenge here. Scott has many similarities to Dean Kamen in that he is interested in utilizing technology and innovation to better people's lives.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I'd like one of the Mythbusters to speak. Steve Jobs and Richard Branson also top my list.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Burt Rutan would be interesting, but I'm thinking about the entire FIRST community, and getting more people drawn into the FIRST Sphere of Influence.

When I was a kid, it would have been Don Herbert (a.k.a. Mr. Wizard)
In the 90's it would have been Bill Nye the Science Guy
And today, I gotta think it's The Mythbusters. Clever show, interesting, fun, and I don't know how many times I hear people talking about them in a positive light.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Considering Hyneman's previous involvement in Battlebots, I think it would speak volumes if he were to command the podium (especially, perhaps, to speak of the differences and the educational value of our program?). The probability of it happening, I don't know. Even if he were to talk about M5, I think most of the students would find it more riveting than some past speakers.

Entertainment stars come and go. Very few high school students could tell you who Jean Harlow is, or what color hair Marlene Dietrich had. Most kids nowadays don't know Twiggy from Ashlee Simpson. However, they can readily recognize images of Einstein. That tells me a lot.

No offense to Will Smith, but as a senior in high school (and not even interested in anything technical), I found his 'speech' a laughingstock. Essentially, it said to me, 'Although I've found a career where I don't necessarily need to have a degree in quantum physics, you smart kids should keep going along this path so that I can live up the life.' Insulting? A little.

I'm more interested in the invention of voicemail, the dot com revolution, and the creation of a new computer generation than another pretty face. Bring on the Bezos, Page, Jobs, Rutan, and Jones generation of inspirational speakers.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

FIRST people who've "made it." I'd like to see someone who participated in FIRST in high school and about how they have become an awesome engineer or scientist.

This could be a speed speech lasting just under two minutes. It lets the kids in high school know that if they stick with this program good stuff will happen to them.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

CMU's Red Whittaker. If you don't know who he is, you should find out. If you haven't heard him speak, you should find a way. If you don't know what he has to say, you should read this. After you do, you will understand why he would be a perfect FIRST speaker.

-dave

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Mythbusters, hands down.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Well considering the fact that Grant Imahara actually mentored a team, it's probably not that far fetched of a plan.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

The Mythbuster guys would be awesome to have speak. Heck, we could help them bust the myths of nerds not having girlfriends :D.

In all seriousness, the guys of Mythbusters really know how to make science and physics exciting. Seeing them speak would be very cool, and saying celebrities (well, celebrities to a limited cable audience, anyway) would definately make FIRST appealing to a wider audience, and get more people involved.

I, personally, would like to see President Bush speak. I know that it might be incredibly hard to arrange, but I know that he has a deep involvement in the education of America, and FIRST really shows our generations potential.

But I'll bet that has been suggested before, so one more person I would like to see speak would be Bill Nye: The Science Guy. I remember watching the show, and he made science fun and entertaining to me. And, he did create the hydraulic pressure resonance suppressor, and we use alot of hydraulics, so it would only be appropriate.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I have to agree that my favorite idea so far is the mythbusters (Jamie or Adam) are my favorite listed so far... but there are lots of good ideas. In addition I would like to see someone from the business world... someone like Donald Trump to talk about how FIRST is NOT just engineering. All of our teams run like mini businesses... so I think its important to start showing the kids the business sides.

Also, maybe a female engineer, scientist or astronaut... I havent seen a lot of female speakers in my time in FIRST (not to say there havent been any, but comparatively few at the events that I have been at).

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Several Choices:
G W Bush
Condeleeza Rice
Jon Johansen
Toby Keith
Donald J. Smith

And a few for which it is to late to speak:
Nikola Tesla
Albert Einstein
Richard Feynman
Enrico Fermi
Niels Bohr
Werner Heisenberg

(you didn't say living... :) )

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Oh man - that would be so cool. I've read several of his books - he had a very interesting life. I also had the chance to work with a guy in California who was one of Dr. Feynman's physics students - and he said the stories are true - Dr. Feynman was a wildman!

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I watch Mythbusters all the time and wonder how great it would be to be able to afford the things they do, so having the crew speak would be awesome. Maybe we can think of a myth that we can help them crack! :D

Alton would also be a choice speaker.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Agreed. I remember seing something about him and RedZone Robotics on TV once. Cool guy.
I also agree with Sir Richard Branson.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I met Red. He had a lot of great things to say about robotics and several really inspiring stories about groups of students forming companies to sell robots they built for projects that ended up saving lives. Really incredible stuff.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Jim Lovell of the Apollo 13 mission.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

That would be awesome.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

How about Helen Greiner or Colin Angle ? Do they like Krispy Kremes too?

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I second the vote for Mythbusters
and Neil Armstrong

a little bit afield, but I'd like to hear Danica Patrick, the Indy driver.

How about a "Predator pilot"? The ultimate robot driver.

Bill Gates or Craig Barret (Intel). They see the "big picture" about technical education and the impact it is having on our standard of living.

Jimmy Carter? engineer/president/statesman

thanks,
Allan

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I would love the chance to meet Neil Armstrong, but just hearing him speak would be something to remember for a lifetime. I heard Buzz Aldrin speak once at the Kennedy Space Center. That was awesome.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I couldn't agree with you more. I would like to see a true FIRSTer stand infront of us and speak his heart out. Only one who went through it and made FIRST his/her life knows what FIRST truly is. I read a testimony of a FIRSTer who is an engineer now few months ago (I think it was posted here on the forum). By reading his story, one can realize how much FIRST changes (in a very good way) one's life.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I don't know who in particular would make a great speaker for a FIRST event, but they need to be dynamic and egaging.

Judging by the fact that I fell asleep during Larry Page/Dean's speeches, I'm going to go ahead and say neither of them are.

As an example, see Dave. I don't think anyone could fall asleep during a speech delivered by Dave. He spoke at SVR in 2004 (Pretty sure he gave the "Mars Rover" speech elsewhere), and it perfectly fit my two criteria.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Definately Burt Rutan, or Steve Jobbs - who can maybe provide everyone invovled in FIRST with free video ipods :D

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Linus would be awesome, but Adam Savage and Alton Brown are even better. My personal pick would be Ray Kurzwell. He is definitely tech savvy, and a great writer.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I also vote Mythbusters =]

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Seems the general consensus is that we need someone more engaging and energetic. I mean, Dean can write great speeches, but he keeps the same depressed tone the whole time. The mythbusters would definately be the coolest.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

hmm Bill nye the science guy of course !!!
JK

um, I know this might sound weird but R kelly is actually a great public speaker and motivator, that's my vote. I remember watching this mpeg a few months ago, it was quite moving -- if I find it I'll post!

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

R Kelly + teenage girls = a very very bad idea.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Yes, because having a pedophile speak at a FIRST event would be just great for our image.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Technically he's not because he's never been found guilty in a court of law.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

He's been found guilty in the court of public opinion.

And let's face it, that's the court that really matters.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

So has Micheal Jackson but people still buy their albums (actually they both had a spike in sales after their court battles. If that doesn't tell you about how out of whack our priorities are nothing will).

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

how professional of you 2 to pass judgement on somebody who has never been convicted of a crime you know nothing about-
I think he's a great public speaker, just trying to contribute to the thread. :confused: :(
Kanye West is also a good choice. I got a chance to see him speak to reporters in miami this summer. He's a very classy guy - Most of you might think his recent media attention with the katrina disaster was atrocious-- I think it took alot of 'gonads' to say that at such a time, and at such a place.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

See the results of the last time we had a rapper "speak" (He was on a video) at a FIRST event.

I'd much rather have someone who is actually related to what we do.

I don't think this would ever happen, but I just thought of someone I'd like to hear speak--Lance Armstrong. Everytime I've heard him speak in public, he's been incredibly articulate and thoughtful. Not to mention the fact that he has to be one of the most inspiring people alive.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

R Kellys problems are well docmented and he would be very inappropriate for a FIRST event whether or not he was convicted. It would be very frowned upon.

Personally I'd rather here from one of our Woddie Flowers award winners about how FIRST has changed their lives and the people around them.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

What happened the last time a rapper spoke?
And I still dunno... that seems to be stereotyping if you think one rappers speech would reflect the abilities of all others.
I'm bringing them up, because part of a first event is to excite and interest the audience, and the audience at these events are in the targeted age groups of these 2 performers.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Check out Amanda's earlier post in this thread about Will Smith. just about any entertainer would be met with scorn. Could you imagine Brittiney Spears addressing the crowd at the championship?

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

britney is speaking at the cahmpionship next year?

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Nobody is interested in what someone has to say if it doesn't have any relevancy.

I don't think Kanye brings anything to the table other than the fact he raps. At least with other non technical speakers that have been mentioned, they all have something particularly interesting about them that they could share with us.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Thankfully no.
It was bad enough when Mandy Moore showed up for the 2002 championship. I couldn't evecuate the area fast enough.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I didn't even think of this but.. kanye is black- and I know this is a somewhat unsupported claim- the % of black engineers does not reflect the % of black people in the country -- kanye could in a way help this
maybe not just kanye, but having black engineers- could speak and help dispell any negative stereotypes about race and engineering

P.S. What is wrong with mandy moore?

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

This thread is not for discussing pedophilia, a musical performer's speech abilities, or someone's gonads. Please discuss this somewhere else, if you feel the need.

In the meantime, please remember that the children we are trying to positively influence do read these forums. Please evaluate your comments next time before you post.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I agree lance armstrong would be a great speaker at a first event. Also the creators of BattleBotsIQ are great speakers, and allowing them to speak would show that we are all interested in aiding the development of young minds towards engineering- and would show how selfless FIRST is. :)

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

The creators of BBIQ are also FIRST alumnus.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Alumnus is the singular form. Alumni is the plural.

If it ends in "us", drop it and add an "i".

alumnus - alumni
cactus - cacti
radius - radii
octopus - octopi

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to find more language to correct.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

And let us not forget the feminine form, alumna and alumnae (I work at a women's college!)...

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Hahaha, alright, looks like we've sidetracked into "Off-Topic Land", an area I know I have to visit every so often but I am always happy to leave.

So, I'm going to post a new, but related question.

Now, we've heard a lot of different viewpoints from a lot of different people. But, do any of us on this forum actually know what's best for the target we're trying to hit with a speaker? Not necessarily. Not only are most of us in this thread out of the 14-18 bracket, but we're already FIRST-converted. Added with the fact that we're interested enough in FIRST that we take the time to be an active part of FIRST's Online Community, we are naturally more attuned to the science/tech sector than an average HS student would be. So, someone we may suggest because we like them may actually flop among who we're trying to reach.

But....does it matter? If we choose someone that would not normally be picked by someone in the target, will they react as well to the speaker?
What is the metric that we decide the successfulness of a speaker? Do more well-known speakers score better, or does a lesser-known speaker perform just as well?

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I'm going to respond by raising the spectre of the "What Kind of Engineer Are You?" thread. In there, I recall someone (I want to say phrontist) arguing that one isn't an engineer until they both have that oh-so-special piece of paper (some call them "diplomas") and have done something useful with it.

I kinda judge public speaking the same way. One's background (launching people into space, designing some freaking awesome device, etc) is their credentials that get them in the door, sort of like an engineering degree does in the world of work. What gets you truly recognized, however, is what exactly you do with it--in the case of speaking, how well you're able to convey your message to the group into something that they can use, whether for entertainment or inspiration or anything else. Both are required to really be a good speaker.

Take the example of Dean Kamen. His background (DEKA, Segway, and some other thing I forget) gets him in the door. Sometimes, his speeches are a little flat, especially if your mind is not on the right wavelength when listening to him. Thus, Dean tends to wind up about upper-mid-pack on the great ranking scale of speakers, getting edged out by the Dave Laverys (Laveries?) of the group, but still coming in ahead of others (see also: Will Smith).

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

One thing I do wonder is why do we always have to have just an engineer or an inventor? FIRST says it's about more than just the robots but it always goes back to that. Why not for once try someone who has no technical expertise but excels at making a difference in society at large by going the extra mile to help others? Those are the kind of people who epitomize the Chairman's Award right?
I mean we tend to look down our noses at entertainers and athletes here but there are some who would make worthy choices to inspire kids like Atlanta Falcons running back Warrick Dunn who to put it simply is an amazing human being.
I think it's good to sometimes show the kids that you don't have to make the cure for cancer to make the world a better place. Just make a difference.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Ed. That is a great suggestion. Warrick Dunn is a great man. He has a fantastic story and he does great things for his community, both in Florida and Georgia. I would love to see him speak at the Championships.

... also... I have him on my Fantasy Football team. :)

My top 2 choices from these suggestions are Burt Rutan and Warrick Dunn. Can we have both?

AB

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I didn't like him when he broke off a 59 yard run on my Bills ( :p ) but otherwise he's a great guy and he's local (though I'm not sure if he lives in Atlanta). I wonder who is in charge of linig up speakers for the championship event?

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I second that motion.

Warrick is an all around great guy. I'd love to hear him speak.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

"I, personally, would like to see President Bush speak. I know that it might be incredibly hard to arrange, but I know that he has a deep involvement in the education of America, and FIRST really shows our generations potential.

But I'll bet that has been suggested before, so one more person I would like to see speak would be Bill Nye: The Science Guy."

I think President Bush would be a speaker that is way too controversial. I know I personally am not too fond of him and I would probably even find it a bit insulting to have him speak at robotics championship. Although I do agree with wanting to hear Bill Nye: The Science Guy speak. I also remember watching him as a kid and that's what really got me into science. I think he would be an awesome speaker. Or the guys from Mythbusters would be cool. I think a great speaker would need to be from the mainstream or else us students won't be incredibly excited about it. :)

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I think that you idea of having the Mythbusters would be amazing. I am a huge fan of the show and I am sure many others are and they would definately be very cool people to have on

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Mythbusters are awsome. So is Bill Nye. And Burt Rutan (which may not be that hard to organize, I think Scaled Composites sponsors a team). How about Sebastian Thrun or "Red" Whittaker? Or maybe Larry Page and/or Sergey Brin?

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I know its late....but I really wish Kirby Puckett could've spoken...He overcame so much adversity to get to where he was...too bad he passed away so young :(

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I'd love to See Rutan Speak. If there is an on the edge, leading developer in Engineering who is also an entrepreneur, its Rutan.

Also: Franklin Olin Professors.

EDIT: ok, I got one: Burt Rutan ![/quote]

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Chuck Yeager (just for the he!! of it)

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

They already had him speak, and after wanting to strap bombs to the robot, i doubt they would invite him back to speak :p

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Gotta go with Jesse James from Monster Garage. Can't think of a cooler hands-on engineer on the planet, and he could sign all my West Coast Choppers stuff.

I have seen Bill Nye speak, and he is pretty incredible, too.

vic

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

My vote is with Bill Nye, personally.

Also, Red Whittaker and a few others early in this thread were great suggestions.

2006, lets hope for some stellar speakers!

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Bill Nye would make a nice speaker I think.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I wonder who the speakers are going to be... oh, the anticipation!

Andy B.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Why do I have the feeling you know who it is already. ;)

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Bill Nye is touring now, but it seems has has other intentions...

http://popsci.typepad.com/popsci/200...ye_vs_int.html

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I would like to see former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) speak at a FIRST event.

(No partisan discussion or replies please, I would simply like him to see a FIRST event and speak because he was such an advocate of NASA and our nation's space program.) ;)

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I'm not sure if anybody said this, but Grant Ihamara from Mythbusters did give a short speech in between QF matches at the Davis/Sacramento regional this year. It's on the regoinal webcasts if you would like to take a look at it.

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Admiral Janeway or Captain Picard would be great...

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Call me ole fashioned but what about having a "local" hero speak. Maybe one who has dedicated her life to the future of America such as a fireman or a soldier ... or maybe the Chairman's Winner! What better people to speak "with" us than those who we respect and yearn to know more about. Here's how I envision it. Between the final rounds, the FIRST Chairman would announce a Chairman's Award finalist (some background on what the team has done and then announce the team); let's say five would be announced for discussion sake. The Chairman's Award representatives (those who presented to the judges) of these five teams would then proceed to the floor and be on standby to give their presentation to the entire audience. Yes, they, along with their team, would be very, very nervous but would also be VERY well prepared to give their 5 minute presentation. At the end of the awards ceremony, the Chairman would announce the Chairman's Award winner from the five finalists then the team would do their presentation to the entire audience from the center of Einstein (this would be a nice ending - the last team "standing" on Einstein is the ultimate winner) followed by the National Anthem. Another FIRST year would come to a close and the last thing that would be on our minds is how the best team in FIRST does it ... very relevant and inspiring.

If this crazy idea doesn't work for you then I'd still stick with a "local" hero such as Dave, Andy Baker, or any other WFA winner.

If I had to go outside of the FIRST family, I think Charlie Bolden would be an excellent choice. Hero and passion are synonymous with Charlie.

Two weeks left in the crazy house,
Lucien

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

He gave a presentation last year in Atlanta on the work that he's done with the Star Wars movies and different commercials (like the energizer bunny). It was really good.

I asked him the other day if he was coming again this year, but he said no. :(

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

I think that Bill Ford Jr would be very interesting to hear

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

you got it he is the man he's like Woody with an hummer that drives it self

Re: Who would you like to see speak at a FIRST event?
 

Me too! :)