[Liz Smith]

I think that one of the great things about FIRST is that there are so many aspects of the competition that one can be a part of. As a leader, and now a mentor of a teams, I actively encouraged the acceptance of each and every person especially if they displayed an interest in participating. Some people won't fit in as well, and may be made fun of or disliked, but I feel that it is very important to have as many different types of on a team as possible. There are so many different areas in which one can be a part of the team, that a potential member who may not know anything about how electonics work, or who doesn't know about the differences between steel and aluminum should be able to become an active participant. You may even find that this person has some hidden talent that may be beneficial, such as good organizational skills, or great artistic ablilities. Additionally, I believe that the team should embrace newcomers and be able to teach them some of the basics. It's a shame to see people who have interest not staying with the team because people were mean. I think its the team who needs to realize that they need to be mature and professional about the situation. They wouldn't make fun of team members if a FIRST judge was standing over them with a pen and a clipboard, why should they be able to do it while working in the shop or classroom?