[Red2486]

It makes me so sad when teams post and say things that just bring other teams down. Our team has just recently become competitive with the robot and thanks to some really amazing mentors who have taught us everything they know, a full machine shop at our school, and some really dedicated students, we have been recognized at competitions for our work. We've gone from being in the lower half at competitions, to being in the top 15, and we are so proud of that fact.

At one event we went to I had an adult come up to me, look at our robot, then ask me where we send our parts to have them made. He was blown away when I said that we, the students, do it at our school. I take a lot of pride in the fact that students are making jaws drop and that students are able to do work that looks like it was made professionally. And I think all students do. Students built our robot, but we couldn't have done it without the knowledge of our mentors who have taught us almost everything we know about machining, SolidWorks, and CAMWorks.

At another event we attended a student from another team came up to me while the majority of our team was working on the robot (with a mentor helping theses students). This student from the other team asked me "why I was just standing there while my mentor built our robot". This really hurt me, and the other students who heard the comment. It brought our whole attitude down for a little bit. I just hope the people who say things like this realize that they are devauling the work that students have put in. My team takes pride in everything we do. One of our big slogans is that if your are going to do it, you need to do it right and to the best of your ability. You have to take pride in your work.

I completely agree with Libby Kamen on the topic. If what your team is doing is inspiring students, I don't care how you do it. If your team is completely student built, built by mentors, sent somewhere to be machined, designed by mentors, designed at school, whatever. If your students can take pride in what they have in their pit and can say that they want to pursue STEM because of it, that is up to you. I just hope that teams who say these hurtful things know their words can hurt the students on teams, as to the teams that face these comments, like so many others have been saying, you be the Graious Professionals and rise above it and let it go.