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Unread 09-05-2010, 20:08
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Vermeulen Vermeulen is offline
I have too much free time now
AKA: Tom Vermeulen
FRC #1306 (BadgerB.O.T.S.)
Team Role: Alumni
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Rookie Year: 2009
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 221
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Re: How much does your school's general population care about your team?

[rant]
The student body in our schools don't recognize us at all. I've been involved with the team for 2 years, and the only time we've had an announcement about the team has been when we were quarterfinalists in Curie this year, completely ignoring when we won a regional Chairman's Award.

Our school district gives us a display case in a minor hallway, some space for summer camp when they aren't using it, free copies, and it covers legal fees in case we get sued, but it treats us more as a minor club than an organized team. Officially, our shop in the school cafeteria, so we have to find other, donated, build sites, which are usually hard to come by. Looking at what Drama, Debate and Forensics gets, we should at least get the same recognition as them, with recruiting announcements, and being able to post flyers on bulletin boards. The support in reaching students through teachers is minimal, with only one teacher, our lead mentor, doing any recruiting. Some of the things that our school district gives us are useful, like how they cover our

I can't stand the "Battlebots factor". People always think that it's something with fighting robots when I tell them about it, and give me advice on how I should put a shotgun, or a flamethrower on the robot. This has even happened with some potential sponsors! When we eventually tell the students what FIRST is all about, they almost always just assume that all this "Gracious Professionalism" and "Coopertition" business is only for nerds. It's sad, because I think that a lot of these students would really enjoy FIRST after seeing their first regional.
[/rant]

tl;dr Summary: Our team barely gets recognized by the school, most teachers and students don't care at all, and older school clubs get the spotlight.
__________________
Congratulations Ben Senson on winning the 2012 Wisconsin Regional Woodie Flowers Finalist Award!

2012 Wisconsin Regional Semifinalist
2012 Wisconsin Regional Engineering Inspiration Award
2011 Wisconsin Regional Innovation in Control Award
2010 Wisconsin Regional Chairman's Award
2010 Wisconsin Regional Quarterfinalist
2010 Curie Division Quarterfinalist
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