While waiting for the FexEx truck to come, a few of us 116ers were browsing CD and came across this picture. While the immediate response was first investigating the design, a later reaction began to emerge. All three of these teams were first round selections at VCU last year (384 declined and became an AC), 384 was a finalist, 540 was a SF (and eliminated 1086 in the QF), and 1086 and 384 won technical awards. While we are supporters of collaborations (and I have voiced my support of the NiagaraFIRST Triplets last year), we didn't really feel this was in the spirit of the "Triplet Challenge" like you claim it was.
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Originally Posted by Rourke
The Triplet Challenge:
Let’s forever end the debate on collaboration – and commit to use it for the purpose of growing and sustaining FIRST. We should all be able to rally around that. Go out and find a high school whose students are yearning for the opportunity, but whose faculty or administration is intimidated by starting a team. Or, find a school that is willing and able but doesn’t have the engineering or mentor support to provide the guidance. Or, resurrect a school that used to have a FIRST team, but dropped out because of lack of support. Offer to have the new team copy everything you are doing next year. Everything. Get that team off the ground and performing at a high level. Have them copy your design. Help them make some of the parts. Stretch your budget to help them with registration, travel, spare parts, batteries, and tools. Help them with their organizational structure. Assist them with marketing and financial planning, coach them on scouting and game play, and share mentor expertise.
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540 and 1086 had already had great success, and didn't appear to be on the verge of collapse. While we have no problem with a collaboration (and definitely look forward to facing off against these bots in a little under two weeks), this is more like the West Coast collaborations of 22, 60, 254, and 968, or 4 and 980. It is not a "Triplet Challenge" type collaboration, and shouldn't be suggested as one.
That being said, the Black Pearl definitely has the best color scheme.
