pic: The real Raul & Andy

[Joe Ross]

Originally Posted by M. Krass

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.

...

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.

It may freak you out personally, but it is exactly what Dean wants.

Originally Posted by Dean's 1998 kickoff speech

Again, the point of FIRST is to create, and do, for intellectual and technical things, what the Shaquille O’Neals and Michael Jordans do for unimportant things. And it give kids an opportunity to see real role models, real heroes, not celebrities, but real heroes. So they can finish up the six weeks and say "I can do that. I want to learn these things. I’ll put effort into that. I want to be like . . . you people."

And it is literally the only organization that I know of thats trying to do that.

You can read the rest courtesy of the Huskie Brigade: http://huskiebrigade.com/deanspeech.htm

Originally Posted by M. Krass

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rules of the game have changed and you're trying to be just like someone who, while still relevant and useful, is also outdated and entrenched in old ideas.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 didn't see any indication that one day of "dress up" causes these students to want to emulate Andy and Raul down to their exact thought process and oudated ideas. Your conclusion does not follow from the couple of pictures and posts made (Non Sequitur argument).