Team 1717 retires

[waialua359]

Originally Posted by Doug G

Ross is correct, FIRST doesn't scale well within a traditional school that has curricular objectives in which every student needs to meet.

But I don't understand why they can't keep their team as an extra-curricular activity? That seems quite odd and at some point someone had to decide not to pursue this alternative... why?

Good questions.
I can only assume due to constraints (budget, focus, direction of the learning center). I would guess the fact that only seniors were doing it is a big reason to let it go.
I'm not sure I would do FRC either if I only had 1 year for each participating student.

[Tom Ore]

Maybe they're trying to preserve the legacy of 1717 as it was. Maybe a new team will form eventually with a new team #.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by waialua359

Good questions.
I can only assume due to constraints (budget, focus, direction of the learning center). I would guess the fact that only seniors were doing it is a big reason to let it go.
I'm not sure I would do FRC either if I only had 1 year for each participating student.

With the move to the mechatronics capstone, there's no reason that constraint had to stay.

It's unfortunate 1717 won't exist anymore, but maybe in the future they will form an extracurricular team.

[MrForbes]

Originally Posted by waialua359

For every great program, there is that "one" person or group that creates that vision to excel for others to emulate. That person is Amir Abo-Shaeer. We've crossed paths many times in the past and he is such a positive role model to his students and others around him.

I missed him at Champs this year, one of the 1717 mentors said he was involved with another project at the Academy. I guess that was it....

The two pictures I have of the team from their first regional...AZ 2006. We were also new, and next to them in the pits. Their robot was slightly over weight.

[Kevin Ainsworth]

Originally Posted by evanperryg

Heck, I thought they already had it. It's really sad to see 1717 go. They're an amazing team who I've always felt was extremely underrated, and a team I point new members to as an example of a model FRC program. They will be missed.

I know we downloaded 3d models of their robots, studied their swerve videos, searched CD for their posts and sought out their robot release videos. They were one of the top teams we emulated. They will be sadly missed.

[asid61]

Originally Posted by Kevin Ainsworth

I know we downloaded 3d models of their robots, studied their swerve videos, searched CD for their posts and sought out their robot release videos. They were one of the top teams we emulated. They will be sadly missed.

Where did you find models of their robots? I would love to see their swerve drive CAD.

[Peyton Yeung]

First dozer and now this. What is the world coming to?

[LeelandS]

As tragic as this is for the FIRST Community, the Mechatronics project does sound very interesting, as well as being an enriching experience for the students. Yes, competition and large-scale teamwork are two selling points of FIRST that DPEA students will be missing out on, but that aside, it's an interesting opportunity for them.

Cheers to 1717, for building some robots in their FRC run that inspired many of us to "do better", and for giving their students some amazing opportunities to learn.

[Munchskull]

I am truly saddened to here of such a great team being closed down. While mechatronics is great and i am sure student will have an amazing experience with it, there is just something that (IMHO) FRC provides that no assembly project can mimic.

The thing that really bums me out about this news is they were a team that I looked up to. After reading "The New Cool" I got really excited and they became a sort of beacon of how FRC and FIRST could be incorporated into public education. Hopefully their new program goes well.

I also hope that they can find a way to come back in some facet, like an after school team.

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by Kevin Leonard

Also might be awkward having people read "The New Cool", and then telling them the team in the book no longer exists.

I'll tell them the school built its FIRST team into a role model for technical and competitive excellence. Twenty design awards and ten blue banners in ten seasons (sorry if I missed some) don't tell their whole story, which is really about building an engineering academy, from the foundation up.

Originally Posted by LeelandS

As tragic as this is for the FIRST Community,...

I don't see a tragedy. Maybe some tears are justified, like those shed at commencement, not at a funeral. I've known quite a few individual FIRST alumni who now do really cool things in science and technology through other means. DPEA is now a distinguished corporate alumnus of FIRST.

[Rachel Lim]

Although I understand why they chose to find another capstone, I am still sad to hear of this. I've seen 1717 only once in person, at champs this year, and they were both amazing to watch on the field and really friendly when we stopped by their pit, answering many questions about their swerve drive.

When I've explained drivetrains to rookies, I always used videos of 1717, and I will continue to do so. They were amazed by "the robot that can move sideways," and I always was too, even after watching them dozens of times. We'll miss you 1717, and we won't forget you.

[GeeTwo]

While d'Penguineers may not exist as a practicing team, their influence lives on. Both our founder (Gixxy) and our head coach (Hobson) were strongly influenced by The New Cool. I did not read TNC untill late 2014, well after I was drinking the FRC kool-aid. I intentionally did not do pre-research. Well into the book, I yelled out something like "Oh, my sweet Lord, it's Lunacy!" To think that the seminal work on the FRC experience is about the least favorite game of all time, being played by a team that no longer exists, is either the height of insanity or a master stroke of inspiration. I'm praying for #2.

[Sunbun]

FYI... from Noozhawk:
Students Protest End of D’Penguineers Robotics Team at Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy

[Anupam Goli]

Originally Posted by Sunbun

FYI... from Noozhawk:
Students Protest End of D’Penguineers Robotics Team at Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy

Interesting article. Seems like no students were involved in the decision to cut 1717. I wonder if parents were consulted, or if this was entirely the DPEA directors and trustees?

[waialua359]

Originally Posted by Anupam Goli

Interesting article. Seems like no students were involved in the decision to cut 1717. I wonder if parents were consulted, or if this was entirely the DPEA directors and trustees?

IMO,
the decision to continue or end a program should not be directly decided by students/parents.
Instead, there is a process in which they could provide input via School Community Council (SCM as it is called in Hawaii). Not sure what the approach is for California, but I am sure there is something somewhat similar setup?

Communication however is VERY important.

As stated in the article, many students and their parents have steered their educational choices and goals around the FIRST program in SB. Not surprised at all since it is a world class program.

Hopefully they find a happy medium and solution.
Very curious about why the decision was made. Lack of resources? Volunteer time?