Quote:
Originally Posted by wilsonmw04
Regarding "going to champs just to go even if we didn't qualify": That would be a wonderful option. However, I wonder what my school administrator would say if I asked for a field trip to go across the country to attend a competition we weren't competing in. That would be a rather interesting conversation to say the least.
|
There are plenty of times this happens already outside of FIRST. How many Spanish classes fly to Spain for a summer trip? How many orchestras attend trips to Carnegie Hall (I'll give you a hint, I was just up in RURAL Maine, and they had posters signed by students for their annual trip)? How many science classes take a trip to the Boston Science Museum?
But how many non-winning high school soccer teams do you see competing at the state championships? How many softball teams get to compete internationally that couldn't win at their regional level?
You can either look at FIRST as a competition - like a sport - where you believe the best of the best compete for the Championships, or you can look at it as an opportunity taken by all other classes/clubs/activities... and go for the experience. The podunk school orchestra doesnt have to play there to appreciate visiting Carnegie Hall. The science classes don't have to have a science fair to show off their work to appreciate going to the Science Museum.
FIRST can simultaneously cover both worlds. It can offer an amazing competition for the robots where the best of the best compete... while allowing the rest to come, enjoy the show, take advantage of the multitude of different offerings (conferences, scholarship row, Hall of Fame, etc!). But it also allows us to sit at home and pout if we want to...