Re: Prepping for 2008: Awards, Bandsaws, and Perspective
 

The value of an object is directly proportional to how much work it takes to obtain that object (be it money, trophies, or anything else in life).

If obtaining a trophy in FIRST was easy, then it would have little to no value, as anyone could obtain one. The fact that this is tough and requires hard work and effort gives it value.

A good book on the value of objects (in this case money) is "Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith.

Re: Prepping for 2008: Awards, Bandsaws, and Perspective
 

True, if you subscribe to a capitalistic or similar ideology. I would maintain, and I'm sure my view is different from others, that "working" at FIRST to "obtain" trophies, is exactly what we should NOT be doing. We should be working at FIRST to better the culture. If trophies come our way and they help us "speak" to those in popular culture about what we're REALLY in this "game" for, then we're closer to achieving the mission.

When one reads the award descriptions in the FRC, FTC, or FLL manual it should be easy to realize that working hard at the goals/ideals presented leads us to better students, better mentors, better communities, an improved culture. If we get "locked in" to the "winning" of those awards, what happens when we don't "get the trophy"? Hurt? Finger pointing? Cries of unfairness?

We need to be careful. We don't need to become what we already see too much of on our little league fields, in our high school sports programs, and out of politicians running for office.

I feel good for excited students and mentors when they win an award at a FIRST event. Validation for hard work is great. But when those same students and mentors on those same teams start pointing fingers and express extreme sadness when they don't win the trophy, something is wrong.

Namaste.