[jessjank.]

(I've been keeping away from CD for the past year due to the pressures of graduate school applications/interviews/start of grad school as well as trying to keep the Pittsburgh teams and regional running last year, but I figured I can maybe add something to this discussion)

I can't vouch for this year specifically, but I know that in the past, many of the parts that have been distributed in the KOP came from donations from various companies or were purchased by FIRST at a cost that was discounted by the particular vendor. In these cases, FIRST has often been limited to the quantity of each part they have access to to provide to teams via constraints from those companies. Considering that the value of the KOP has often times vastly outweighs the actual registration costs (you get access to one competition along with the KOP through registration, too) FIRST teams usually end up with a pretty decent deal. Pricey, yes, but a good deal. One should perhaps consider that in this economic climate, many vendors and companies are likely decreasing their ability to contribute parts or discounts to FIRST to place in the KOP and FIRST itself doesn't necessarily have the funds to acquire these parts for the teams. So, in order to cut back costs, doesn't it seem slightly reasonable to ask teams that already have these parts to utilize the old parts instead of supplying them with new ones? Not all teams need to get new or replacement parts - reusing and recycling are fantastic things too! For those who need particular parts (but likely not all) you will be able to selectively purchase what you truly need without dishing out extra funds that can be used for other necessities. While I can understand everyone's gripes and frustration towards the situation, I think we also need to look at the other side of this too...