FIRST and TSA
 

A long, long time ago (4 years), in a land far, far away (right here, actually)...

The Technology and Engineering Club was created at Lower Merion HS as a chapter of Technology Student Association (TSA), which is a national organization that holds regional, state, and national level competitions in many areas of technology and engineering. Over time the club also began to compete in other small competitions such as a beam engineering competition at Drexel University. Last year, thanks to Mr. Kressly, we started Dawgma 1712.

Are there any other teams out there that have a TSA chapter in the same group of students, work with a TSA chapter (or other similar type of group) in some way, or just have a TSA chapter in the same school? I'm curious about how other teams organize that.

Re: FIRST and TSA
 

Back when i was in high school my team (212) have both TSA and FIRST, same thing with team 168, but both teams TSA took a backseat to FIRST.

Re: FIRST and TSA
 

Students at my school can become a part of TSA and compete in that through a vocational program. But our FIRST Robotics team is unrelated to it. I do know TSA has its own little robot competition thing, if i remember right the dimensions were pretty small, maybe a bit bigger than a sumo bot.

Re: FIRST and TSA
 

Daniel:

Do you have a link for this organization?

Just curious.

Thanks!

Al Ostrow

Re: FIRST and TSA
 

Well if you are refeering to the TSA website itself its address is http://www.tsaweb.org/

Re: FIRST and TSA
 

Yep, that's the one. TSA is also organized into state delegations, and the Pennsylvania TSA website is http://www.patsa.org/.

The chapter's website is http://www.lmtechclub.com/.

Re: FIRST and TSA
 

Having just checked TSA's web site and looking at the bylaws, I think most public schools would or should have a problem getting involved with them. And what's with the dress code?

Re: FIRST and TSA
 

I myself do not know much about the bylaws, because i was not fully involved in it at the vocational building i went to. I do know however that the dress code is not applied everywhere, only suring certain competitions or certain parts of the competitions. I had friends that actually went to a competition wearing normal clothes except for when judging was going on.

TSA is something to prepare you for the business world and learn at the same time, at least thats my view of it. However i find that i have learned more from other things than i would being a part of TSA, however they do have some good projects that would get your head gears turning for a while.

Re: FIRST and TSA
 

What part of the bylaws are you referring to?

It's true that TSA is more business oriented. Events at conferences are much more decentralized than FIRST competitions, but there are business meetings where everyone has to wear business attire. Events involving interviews and presentations also require business attire, but people can wear casual clothing in events involving construction and while not in an event.

I think TSA is less technically involved than FIRST, but it's more general and one student can easily focus on multiple areas.

Re: FIRST and TSA
 

I'm referring to the part where they seem to place more emphasis on pushing religion than technology. This places limits on who can play. And as for the dress code, they seem to want to push buying the "uniform" at the company store. I'm not, per se, against having a dress code, but having to buy the official uniform also places limits on who can or would want to play.

Re: FIRST and TSA
 

You mean these sections?

Re: FIRST and TSA
 

Yes, those sections.

Re: FIRST and TSA
 

Well i think what really matters, regardless of wether its TSA, FIRST, both, or some other organization, is that students have the chance to learn about what they want and have fun doing it.

Re: FIRST and TSA
 

Then if the goal of the organization is to encourage the youth of the United States to learn about and pursue technology, why not make it open to all? Why use it as a lure for what appears to be some ulterior motive? Or only open to those who happen to agree with our political and religious agenda?

Re: FIRST and TSA
 

I do agree with that. I remember when doing anything with TSA it would always have to be official TSA things, for example, what has already been brought up there dress attire, they definitly prefeer that you buy your clothes from there store. Your right in the point that it should be like FIRST open to everyone without having to agree with certain things.

However, the vocational school i went to that had TSA also had quite an abundance of students involved with it, while the bylaws seem to push religion and politics i found that people who don't even believe in god, or steer away from politics were still involved. They learned just as much and had just as much fun as any of the other students.

TSA's bylaws may state one thing but from what i seen where i was at quite a few of those bylaws don't apply anymore. Myself i do not know about TSA on a national level but i can tell you what i have seen locally which i feel i have covered pretty well, maybe not with the best wording but hey i want to be an engineer not an english professor.