[archiver]

Posted by Warren Boudreaux.

Engineer on team #180, S.P.A.M., from South Fork & Martin County High School and UTC/Pratt&Whitney/NASA.

Posted on 5/2/2000 7:54 PM MST


In Reply to: a little bit of the S.P.A.M. story! posted by James Jones on 4/12/2000 10:40 AM MST:



First, I want to thank Team 212 for the pick at the KSC regionals. It was a blast!
Second, I want to thank James Jones for the follow-up. I would, however, like to add a few comments of my own on this subject.
This year Team SPAM ran over many 'speed bumps' on the way to the Nationals. Funding and manpower were just two of them. But we managed to hang together as a team and come up with a good defensive robot. What I continually pointed out to the students was the fact that, despite the difficulties, we were able to field and compete a robot, and that is the important thing. Not winnning, not having money and lots of engineering and manufacturing support (though, those would be nice).
The important thing is that the TEAM, not just the engineers, designed, built, shipped, and competed a robot and that the students learned, I hope, a little bit more than just applications in math and science in the process. They learned that not every idea works the first time. They also learned that you don't give up. You do the best with the resources you have at hand. AND YOU CAN HAVE FUN DOING IT.
I am proud to be associated with this team and the FIRST organization. Yes, the future is uncertain. Few people really know what they will be doing next January. I plan on working with a group of students on next years diabolical competition. I'm not sure where I will be working with those students, but I'm sure that I will be working with them.