I don't have any suggestions for HOW to make it better because a lot of ideas have been covered already. I can only imagine how difficult these decisions must be for FIRST. However, I just want to echo this sentiment.
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Originally Posted by artdutra04
Not qualifying the third alliance partner for championships? Absolutely horrible idea. It's the alliance that wins a Regional, not an individual team.
Not counting RCA, EI, or RAS for qualifying? Again, absolutely horrible idea. These are the awards that recognize teams who are achieving the actual goals of FIRST.
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Especially the awards. The Chairman's Award is the reason we're here. If you take away the award about changing the culture, you lose what makes FIRST unique. FIRST wasn't started because we needed to whack a bunch of robots around. FIRST was created because America (at the time, we were USFIRST) was falling behind in STEM education and it needed a way to celebrate engineers as the rockstars of our generation.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by FIRST Website
Vision
"To transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders."
Dean Kamen, Founder
Mission
Our mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
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This stuff seems to be beaten into us at every turn by FIRST and its media, but from this thread, it looks like nobody's listening.
If you remove qualification for the teams that are doing what we're really here for? You've lost the point. Those teams that are getting it right need to be celebrated on a Championship stage just as much as the ones who produce a winning robot.
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Libby Kamen
Team 1923: The MidKnight Inventors
2006-2009: Founder, Captain, Operator, Regional Champion.
2010-Always: Proud Alumni, Mentor & Drive Coach. 2015 Woodie Flowers Finalist Award.
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229: Division By Zero / 4124: Integration by Parts
2010-2013: Clarkson University Mentor for FLL, FTC & FRC
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FIRST Partner Associate, United Therapeutics
#TeamUnither | facebook, twitter & instagram | @unitherFIRST
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questions? comments? concerns? | twitter: @libbyk | about.me/libbykamen