[Specialagentjim]

M. Krass:

I'm also a member of patrick's team. We at dillard have a large girl population, as he said, but statistically speaking, they are more apt for graphic design/art/spirt than at building the robot. When we say that someone dosen't contribute to the team, its not in the sense of "They didn't do this the way WE wanted it", its they didnt put any effort at all into just DOING it. Most girls on our team, simply don't feel like putting the effort they see people like myself and others putting in. That's not to say there aren't those that do! We had one team member, who's name was "happy". She was there till 1am with me every night I was there working. She was a great asset to the team, because she put in EFFORT. From a statiscal standpoint, and statiscal only, males on our team tend to put more effort into the team.

...and believe me, we encourage female participation any way we can. Any female interested in the team is greeted with much respect and given every chance. Many times, they're given more oppurtunity than the guys on the team. However, even with all this oppurtunity, only a handful take advantage of it. Its a mindset they often times dont wish to adopt. I'm NOT saying girls are not a good asset, they're just as good as guys. There is no difference in the ability to build a robot. It's just the mindset they acquire, and the Fort Lauderdale Dillard High School mindset of the average female, is not about building a robot....but I've got plans to change all that as the new 108 team leader.