pic: The real Raul & Andy

[Madison]

Originally Posted by Big Mike

Think about it, 2 highschool kids dressing up as 2 engineers, instead of some basketball player or football player... it sounds too much like FIRST to me

Actually, it sounds a bit too much like sports to me. It freaks me out.

It's easy and logical enough to want to emulate someone who's great at playing basketball or baseball or something like that. The rules don't change and, should you ever find yourself in a similar position as those whom you emulate, you'll likely do well.

Engineering is different. Nobody needs to reinvent the wheel. Nobody cares if another engineer comes along wearing work boots, jeans and an ugly denim shirt and creates a portable insulin pump. It's been done. The rules of the game have changed and you're trying to be just like someone who, while still relevant and useful, is also outdated and entrenched in old ideas.

I don't mean for Raul or Andy to take offense at this, as I am not trying to say that they're insignificant or irrelevant people. Rather, I see wasted potential in a whole bunch of students trying to be just like their mentors rather than striking out on their own, making their own discoveries and forming their own identities.