[pras870]

Personally, I disagree with either 100% student or engineer/mentor designed/built robots. FIRST is all about cooperation and working with the students, the engineers, and the entire community for that part. Engineers are there to guide the students and help with problems that they're expertise, education and experience. Students are there to learn from whoever can help them in achieving their goals (whether it's design, machining, programming, or even fund raising). If the students do all the work, then they're not getting the experience from the engineers (they may have a basic idea, and the engineers can expand upon and better that idea). If the engineers do all the work, then the students simply sit around and watch what is happening and don't get a lot of interaction or experience. The key to first has always been cooperation between these two medians to build the best machine possible, and for both sides to benefit.

Most engineers sit around all day designing and thinking. Students don't get to meet engineers everyday, and if they do, many don't get to know what it takes to be an engineer and the work that is involved. FIRST lets the engineers react with the people that will be replacing them in the not so distant feature, not only that, but they get to see the joy on the students faces when they see what they accomplished. Students get to meet the people they may one day become, and have a chance to see if that is really what they want to do with the rest of their lives, after 1 on 1 interaction day in and day out.

Lastly, I'd like the thank our engineer/machinist Ron for all his dedication to our team the past 3 years. Without him, many of our idea's would not come to life. He is a true inspiration to me. After seeing everything he's machined for us because we don't have the equipment is truely amazing (a lot of it he does personally himself). No idea is ever shot down, and if it is not good enough ro wrong, he calmy explains why. He is truely what FIRST is about, and I thank him.