[Nathan Streeter]

I'd like to break this post down into a couple major points, so it's clear that I have several distinct ideas.

1. Prejudicial Bashing is Unacceptable
I find all prejudicial bashing absolutely unacceptable. To have someone who has probably never even really seen into 217's build season accuse them as an outsider is ridiculous. If there is any validity to the "knew we were going to win" comment, which I really doubt there is any of, then that would be upsetting. The most that should be done with some sort of accusation would be a respectful PM to Paul Copioli or one of the lead mentors of 217. Babycakes definitely took the wrong stance here.

2. Students Wrestling Through the Design Process is Great
I haven't seen a design project or competition anything like FIRST. For high school students to actually have the opportunity to take on the "FIRST Challenge" every year is great. Students gain more as their involvement increases, from the game-breakdown to the picklist, from the drawing board to the pit crew, from the CAD window to the crate. I think the most unique opportunity in FIRST is the CAD window, though... There is no design project for high schoolers as big as this, that I have seen. I am truly proud, impressed (and maybe a little jealous...) of the 217 students who design such a complex robot year after year. The fact that these students consistently design so well is an inspiration to me and my team. That said, I'm impressed with all of the student designers in FIRST, regardless of how well their robot performs.

3. 217 is Epic
Just to make sure everyone out there knows how much I admire 217... If there's any team I'm most impressed by, it's theirs. Ever since I began to see teams beyond our local regional, 217's has most impressed me! Sorry to the runners-up... ;-)

4. The Shop is Fun
The time that students spend in the shop throughout the season is often what draws students onto our team. The young teenagers love to be able to use the drill, the pop-riveter, everyone has their favorite tool... The feeling doesn't wear off, though. I joined our team (1519) in 8th grade and on my first day I was able to use the drill press and the riveter. I loved it from the beginning. Those first two years I spent all my time in the shop - I got pretty good at constantly "Macgyvering" a parts. For those that don't know, our team has limited resources... Our well-loved, low-quality Drill Press is as high-tech as we have, and the table doesn't have a X, Y, or Z adjustments! Although I'm in my 5th year and I do more CADing than anything else... I still love working in the shop. Everyone loves to build - everyone I've met, at least!

5. The Shop is Educational
To be honest, I've been disappointed with the comments that seem to demean the shopwork that students do. There is alot to learn in the shop. If I had to pick which is better for students' future, fabrication or design, I'd agree that design is more important; however, to say that sending the designs out to a sponsor for production is essentially no loss is, in my mind, false. Students learn in the shop, although maybe even more in our shop than in one with a CNC mill and metal break or a manual mill and lathe. As I said, we often have to "Macgyver" a way to do everything, which would be entirely unnecessary if we were in a more high-quality shop. Measuring and marking become a precise art and an opportunity to gain an attention to detail. Easing the miter saw or drill press through material teaches you a "mechanics' feel" for how machinery behaves. Tapping and tightening bolts to an appropriate torque are valuable also. I view the shop as the classroom for students that will always be good at repairs in the future. Perhaps I mis-read some of the comments that seemed to diminish the role of the shop...

6. Anonymous Posting...
Well, I don't think anonymous posting is cowardly... I think the fact that your name and team # go along with the post is a valuable "conscience" for what you should be posting. If you have to say "hmm, this would ruin my team's name..." then it's probably just an inappropriate thing to say! So, I would essentially say that anonymous posting isn't inherently cowardly and that there should never (or almost never?) be a reason to need to post anonymously.

Those are my 2 cents... I'd like to hear your response to these thoughts.