What does your school think of robotics?

[PVCMike]

Originally Posted by DeepBluSomethin

We're pretty unknown to most of the student body, but we're respected by the people that know about us.

My team is pretty much the same way. Every year at one or two of the pep-rallys we drive around but my school is our band so no one else gets much coverage. everynow and then we get made fun of, but its only the night school kids so we just laugh and keep building...

[WLitchfield]

Being from a school of a mere 500 students lends the the robotics team to much notice. Few think its only nerds or geeks who are in the club but almost 90% is made up of athletes who often have a conflicting spring sport. The club also attracts the car fanatics in our school, one of those myself, who love working with their hands and customizing everything possible, so our robot comes out w/ a sick paint job thanks to our talented air brusher (Chris Yankun). So when we got the bot up and running in the school it tends to attract a crowd, personally I enjoy chasing them. Unfortunately myself (driver)and most of the build team ( all 5 or so of us ) are graduating so good luck to the team after we leave.

[Freddy Schurr]

Our school likes robotics. If it was not for our board and parent organizations we would not be in FIRST. They have help with being a FIRST team for 6 years. I would like to say thank you to them. But we would like to attend the championships, so maybe next year, EASTERN. Good luck to all the teams

[Liz C]

Our administration likes the team, comes to certain events for a bit and remembers to wish us luck/congratulate us, but we have to go to them to inform about our happenings (which isn't necessarily bad or good). Most of the teachers like the team (except the ones who can't stand it when their students get our of school for *gasp* two days). The students react differently: some think its cool, some don't really care, and some make fun of it. People's negative responses don't seem to bother me anymore; they're uneducated about FIRST, so they don't have a good basis for their remarks. Overall, I think we're a bit neutral - we function kind of independently. Like some of you said though, I would love to get rid of the "club" title.

[dmurdz]

Our school knows about us a ton more now that we won the Chesapeake (thanks again to Rage and team 53).

In fact, with all the publicity that we have been getting since 2 weekends ago, we are riding an up wave right now.

See everyone in Atlanta!!!

[Termite233]

Oddly enough, my school seems to barely know the Pink Team exists...weird huh? we have like 1 trophy in our school office (we have two schools on our team...the other school has the rest of the awards...) and its an imagery award whereas Rockledge has everything else. And its kinda funny cuz last time I looked at the award it had no base. it was just the three things coming up from the base. I asked where the base was and the Dean comces out of her office and says "I really don't know". Is that supposed to make you feel appreciated? Our school doesn't seem to care how we do at competition. They don't even seem to care if we do competition...makes me mad...

[Tiki]

If anyone were to make fun of robotics in my school, I'd personally kick their (for ettiquites sake) butt. But Anyway, for the kids that do know that we have a robotics team, they wish they were in it cause we get to go on those overnight "trips", because thats the only time they ever hear about it, .

Seriously, I almost punched a kid in the face for calling me a geek, and trust me, I look like no geek.

[Cyberguy34000]

Well I have to admit, most of the people on our team are geeks. I think that it's a title of honor considering it might as well be "boss" or "head supervisor" or something along those lines.

As far as school support goes, we're a district-wide activity with students from 4 local high schools. THe school that our main mentor teaches at with engineering courses and such brings in most of the team membership, but at the other schools we're fairly unknown. We're vagabonds, we've never had a perminent build site. The district supports us a lot by paying our entry fee, but we're still not getting a whole lot of recognition. Working on that. They'll give the lacrosse team a party for going to state, but it's still hard to get something for our team after winning 2 regional championships, and getting semi-finals this year. Guess it's just not a real "team compitetion" Oh well, we'll be working on that

[Jeremiah Johnson]

Originally Posted by Jill1022

Does anyone else have the problem of being considered the "Geeky" or "Nerdy" team at school? A lot of the teams I've seen at competitions seem to have a lot of support from their school.

Actually, since our team is the MOST successful at West High, we shouldn't be regarded as geeks/nerds. But I don't go there so I wouldn't know.

[QC648Elite]

As Budda said, at one of three of the schools our team represents, our Robotics team is the best thing it has going. The football team, horrible. Baseball, nobody cares. Basketball, a joke. Robotics, more winning matches in one competition than our football team has had in the last 8 seasons, literally. Which is really sad.

But it gets worse...this school doesn't do jack for our team. The new prinicipal, is "supportive" of our team, but we get no money, and are not allowed to do any fundraising, because its competition to the others teams at the school. Every year, the congratulate our team on the announcments..and thats that. Its too bad really, but hey, its their loss. As a student attending this school, it does kind of dissapoint me..but like i said, their loss.

[dubious elise]

Originally Posted by QC648Elite

But it gets worse...this school doesn't do jack for our team. The new prinicipal, is "supportive" of our team, but we get no money, and are not allowed to do any fundraising, because its competition to the others teams at the school. Every year, the congratulate our team on the announcments..and thats that.

I hear ya on that one. All we get from our school administrators or our school board is a handshake and a weak "Thanks". In previous years, we have gotten some monetary support, but we will be going your way soon, QC648, since our district just found out that they have a nearly $3 million deficit from consistent over-spending. You would think that the most successful team in the entire district would get a little more recognition

Other than that, most of the kids in my school know that we exist, and a lot of them joke that we are a "cult" because we spend so much time together. Who wants to go out with friends on a weeknight anyway when you can spend the night at school and play with robots the entire time?

[Tully]

The kids that know about us are either friends with a team member or a tech student. I guess those kids think it's kinda neat, but I'm pretty sure the rest of the school (we have about 3000 students grades 9-12) isn't really aware of the team. My French teacher likes to call our school the Shenendehowa Country Club because of how centered the school is around sports. All our school money is poured into sports, especially football. It's pretty ridiculous that football (not swimming or crew, etc) gets a lot of funding while our robotics team just gets payment for substitutes when the teachers need to go to competitions.
And it's not like the administration shouldn't know anything about us - we've been involved since year 1 and we've always done pretty well, but I think most of the administration has only heard about us in passing. No one has ever bothered to come see us compete (except the tech department chair).

...yep.

[wk1989]

It's our first year, I only remember one response from a girl in my science class:
"Meh, Nerds club."
"OMG Jack! You're such a geek!"

[Vin211]

You know at one point in high school. Our school did in fact believe that we were the geeks, nerds, and outcasts. But I think they finally realize that FIRST is an excellent program which is capable of molding many students in excellent leaders in the technology, science, and mathematics field. Knowledge and experience like that would someday most likely make us the future business leaders of top companies. I believe they would realize that someday they will be working for us.

As Bill Gates once said, be nice to the nerds in high school for someday they will be your boss.

Now leaping to college, Central Connecticut State University does not have a team affiliation as of yet. But we are strongly in support of FIRST Lego League. CCSU is actually the State Competition holder each and every December for the FLL competition.

So I believe that each school has its own feelings on FIRST Robotics Teams.

[AJL930]

At our school we are definitely look on as nerds mostly due to the fact that football controls the school. A girl i work with and goes to my school laughed at me because i was on the robotics team, but then i told her "Im proud to be a geek". Only a select few support our team, and thats only when we actually win.So our school doesnt exactly support us, even the administration doesnt support us.