[Arefin Bari]

Personally I think, FIRST is all year around. I like to work with designs and prototypes through out the whole year. The veteran teams always gets the chance to work on something since they all know what the previous games has been. they make prototypes, student comes up with crazy cool stuff, for example, Tkwetzel chopper (very nice work). Every month when i go through the picture galleries on Chiefdelphi, i find bunch of inventor/cad work that are done by mentors, students which is awesome.

I dont think there is anything wrong working with designs and making prototypes, As long as you make new parts and a whole new robot during those 6 weeks of build season.

I look at it this way, A singer always sings to get his/her voice better, a football team always practices to get better, so what is wrong with a FIRST team practicing making new designs and building them. Aren't the students in FIRST getting inspired and aren't they all learning something. The past 3 years that i have been in FIRST, i have learned a lot (it does include all the 3 season's 18 weeks but other than those 6 weeks in each season, i have done other projects to keep myself busy throughout the year.) i just think its wrong, if teams are allowed to use parts at the competition, which they built before the season. How should it be enforeced? well, i am not sure how we can tell, what team has built what before the season, that is where Honesty comes in play.

Edit- (thanks to jaine for pointing this out). If you want to penalize a team for making parts and using them on the robot (which was build before season), Wouldn't you have to find out what they have built and what they are using? how would you do that? isnt that where the honestly will come in play? and if there was a way to find out what a team has done, and if they have broken the rules, i think they should be penalize for the particular season (not compete).

-Arefin.