[CBP at BAE]

Yes, FIRST is all about engineering, but that's only one part of it. Not every student is interested in engineering, but every student has an opportunity to one day be employed by an engineering-oriented business.

There is much more to building a product (or robot) than the engineering that goes into it, and that's where the remainder of the team shows its value. The animators are producing an advertisement, similar to the company's advertising/marketing department.

Remember that no-one will buy your product if no-one knows it exists, that's what, in essence (and IMHO) the animators do.

On BAE's two teams, there are a slew of talented students on the animation teams who've put a lot of effort into their work, only to have it treated, as someone stated, like the ugly, red-headed, stepchild. No-one should be made to feel slighted, regardless of the "it's all about engineering" mentality. It is for this reason that more students are not interested in the animation as should be. Where are the artistically inclined students? Are they on *your* team as they should be?

Often we hear that "sports for the mind" are given the short coverage in the media, and the "sports for the body" are magnified. What happened to the notion that "smart" people don't have to be recognized for their achievements, that it is only important to have an entire segment on the nightly news that delivers physical sport scores?

Oh, and by the way, the comment that the comedian Michael McDonald (at the Granite State Regional) made about FIRST being "NASCAR for smart people" is somewhat offensive. When he delivered that one-liner, it was pretty funny, but after you stop and think about it, it isn't that funny at all.

Yes, he's right, NASCAR drivers may only turn left all the time, but the engineering that goes into that car is nothing to sneeze about, and I am certain that there are many students in the Detroit area who are looking for employment after graduation at places like GM, Ford and Chrysler. These same people may well be on a factory-sponsored NASCAR team in the future, so what's that say about "NASCAR for smart people"?

I believe that the contributors to this thread are only asking for better treatment and recognition, not special considerations. If enough people from teams across the country complain about the poor treatment of their teammate animators, then maybe FIRST/Autodesk/Discreet will hear the message.

CBP@BAE - Mentor, Merrimack HS "Chop Shop"