Always Look on The Bright Side of Life (dudu-dudu-du-du-de-du-te-du)

[Joe Matt]

After bots have failed, people claiming sabotage, and students saying Gracious Professionalism is fading away, I want to look on the bright side of things. We are lucky. We have FIRST. Some kids have gangs, other drugs, some even sweat shops or war. We are the lucky ones to change the future of the world. Our goal isn't to stack the highest or collect the most pins, but to set a stride to change the world.

In 10 years, no one will remember the hot topic on Chiefdelphi, the most talked about bot, or who won Regional X, but who moved on to change the world. Who can say they went from FIRST to conquer the worlds problems and come out victorious. Those who fell trying, those who picked them up, and then carried them to success.

The corporate world is in ruins. Scandal and demise is a plague sweeping through it. We cannot sit back and comment about it and worry about if a robot can do this. We must take it by the horns and make it better.

That's what FIRST is about. Making the world better. Making it so you can watch TV without horrible news. Allowing for your dad to be a superstar without having to play football, basketball, or baseball. Kids no longer trade rookie cards for Barry Bonds but for Aristotle and Madamé Curie.

So this is what FIRST is about. So guys, step back from the fighting, the ranting, and the black-listing of the competition and realize what is beyond this. Something bigger than a fancy pit layout or a new drive system. Have faith in Dean, if he could make one axel balance, free diabetics from injections, and create a dialysis machine that would allow for a dad to come home to his daughter, then we can trust FIRST in the mission of life.

[Ian W.]

Thank you, this is exactly what needs to be said, again, and again, and again, and again, and again...

Back when FIRST started, I'm sure this was the idea. It needs to be drilled in again, because we're forgetting it. It's like being a boy scout. You're supposed to live by the 12 points of the scout law. FIRST has it's own "law" which everyone should live their lives by.

What is that law? As Joseph said, making the world a better place, and having a good time doing it. Everyone, stop what you're doing, take a step back, take a deep breathe, and look at the big picture. I know I may be contradicting myself here, but the small stuff isn't important. It's good to fix it, but overall, not important.

Please, remember, FIRST isn't about building robots. It's about making the world a better place for ourselves, and our children.

I have no comments other than:

Life of Brian Refrence...very cool

[Gadget470]

FIRST is changing the 'world' for a lot of people. I would argue that it is changing the world itself. The actual value of FIRST I don't think has fully been realized.

The problem is, people have to want their world to be changed for it to be changed. Galileo made a wonderful scientific discovery. Instead of his ideas being embraced, people didn't want to change. They couldn't handle thinking that they, Earthlings, were not the center of the universe an all matter. They stuck to their ways and exhiled him and his beliefs for many many years.

Nobody ever backed him up for a long time. If people stand down against change, things can't get better. If the change is a failure, it will pick up somewhere or be learned from. FIRST has a growth rate of 40% according to Dean Kamen. That is not a net figure though. Probably 50% more teams join FIRST each year while 10% drop the program.

Many teams do not come back for a second year after failing miserably at competition. Working as hard as they can with little support only to see precision machines that can't be compared to garage-bots. (No offense to the garage bots teams out there, I've seen many incredible ones). These people that quit FIRST are missing out on a truly amazing experience, and for what reason? They aren't having the fun that they should be having.

FIRST is about inspiring high schoolers to become scientists, technicians, engineers, teachers. But you can't toss someone a Machinists Handbook, and expect precision products and numbers on a quick deadline. But you can teach them the basic concepts that are in that book, make it fun, and make it so they want to read through it and discover new things.

My dad is a machinist. Argueably one of the best in his field. He has made aerospace parts, airplane parts, you name it.. if it's precision, he's probably done something with it. He's had his machinists reference books laying around the house now and then and I never considered picking one up until my freshman year when I joined Berkley's FIRST team. FIRST was this whole new world of people, places, things, work, experiences.. and I could be a part of it all. I didn't have to know how a planetary gear system works or what TIG welding was.. it was just a neat life.

I've read through many sections of my dad's book. I play with autocad in my spare time. I think every minute.

I am involved in FIRST because I enjoy it. I enjoy my time with it, because I don't have much besides FIRST and my girlfriend. If I didn't enjoy FIRST I wouldn't be on a team that is 45 minutes away from me. Berkley's team found a large fan to hit, and I was luckily able to get out before it began it's downward spiral. If I didn't enjoy FIRST, I don't know where I would be. I know many of my friends are missing out on a great opportunity right now, even if they don't want to be involved with robotics or engineering in the future.

I argue my points because I want to keep FIRST fun. Next year I'll be off at college. I don't know if I will be able to work with a FIRST team next year or be able to make the time commitment to start one. But for what it's worth, the teams that are around now shouldn't lose members because the members lose interest. FIRST is amazing and it's a shame that teams are willing to weasel around to get the most materialistic values involved (i.e. Points) and are missing the greater good (i.e. Better lives).


There's my $4.70

[Redhead Jokes]

Originally posted by Gadget470
FIRST is amazing and it's a shame that teams are willing to weasel around to get the most materialistic values involved (i.e. Points) and are missing the greater good (i.e. Better lives).

I disagree that it's a shame.

I think it's an opportunity for teams to discover consequences and for teams to be exposed to gracious professionalism, despite their being perceived as "bad".

I think by this process they are discovering the greater good, and teams who do have an idea of GP are learning to express what that is even better.

I think it's an opportunity for teams to learn what they do and don't want to do, to consider ethics, to consider consequences, to learn to agree to disagree, to learn to make personal decisions and not be swayed by outside forces exclaiming winning is most important, or outside forces exclaiming to be the only right answer.

[Joe Matt]

I agree, fun needs to happen for growth. But I'd rather have a program that some teams drop out of and more join that is high in quality than one where it retains all it's competitors and is watered down. FIRST isn't a cure all for the world, some people might like something else, that's fine.

As for the cure-all-world-solution, FIRST isn't, but getting kids excited about the future (science & technology) and not the present (sports, entertainment) is what will raise the bar another notch in the world quality level.