What would you do if FIRST was canceled?

[AJ R]

I really don't know what I would do. Last year I was a rookie and before that I was on a Lego team for 4 years. I cant really remember what I did before FIRST. I would just sit in my room all day and play with my vex kit.

[KathieK]

Originally Posted by big Mike

finally get a real vacation (haven't had one in 8 years or so)

Our family "vacations" have all been FIRST events for the last 6 years...

I guess I would plan a real vacation like we used to take. And I would find another organization to volunteer for. There were many before I joined FIRST and there will be many after I leave FIRST. I would remove the posters and pictures and Thunderchickens and Devil Duckies and CD threads that grace my cubicle at work. I'd toss away all the buttons and t-shirts that take up space in the bedroom. And I would tuck lots of memories, good and bad, into the memory album for my old age.

[Dorienne]

1) Pick up another sport (Tae Kwon Do again maybe) to get myself busy.
2) Eat lots of chocolate.
3) Cry in my sleep while dreaming about how my heart was smashed into many little pieces with a hammer that says "FIRST ROBOTICS" on it.
=[

[KarenH]

Clean the house.

Errr... Get the robotics nuts in my house to fix the Roomba robotic vacuum so that IT can clean the house again.

[Ken Leung]

Originally Posted by Tim Arnold

What would you do if FIRST abruptly stopped? This includes FRC, FVC and FLL programs, just completely halting suddenly. Regardless of the reason, how would you be impacted? I'm just curious for some of the insightful comments that some of you might contribute.

At the risk of sounding serious in a casual discussion (thought that's what I thought Tim wanted), here is what I think will happen if FIRST abruptly stopped.

The need for more inspiration for science and engineering will not go away anytime soon. We are living in a more and more technologically driven world, where most revolutions happen in the field of science and engineering, and the quality of life driven by the produces of those revolutions. We are going to need more and more scientists and engineers if we want to solve some of the serious problems we are still facing. Global warming (whether it is or isn't caused completely by the amount of CO2 produced by human beings), natural disasters, diseases, starvation... These all needs to be solved and we need scientists and engineers to do them.

So, given the need will always be around, this become a simple matter of whether or not it is practical for FIRST to come back. We will have to consider the following questions:

1. What stopped FIRST, and can it be prevented if FIRST were to return again?
2. If it cannot be prevented, how would you build another organization that won't repeat the same mistake?
3. What are some of the things that could potentially stop FIRST we should prepare for?
4. Why should we choose to do all these work to bring back FIRST when there are alternatives out there teams and schools can join?

Those questions are based on the assumption that FIRST is in fact a worthwhile organization to bring back, that it is so successful there is no better way to inspire students about science and engineering. Most would agree with that assumption, having been involved in FIRST on a first-hand basis. Though I would still raise the following questions:

4. Some would say FIRST is a very expensive program to have in a school. Some would also say the cost is the reason why there aren't more teams in the US. So, if FIRST were to stop, even if we think it is worthwhile to bring back, should it be brought back in a form such that the cost on teams are considerably lower, a little lower, or kept at the same level?

5. Some would also argue that FIRST is not an effective program because adult mentors do most of the work and students can only watch on the side. If FIRST were to come back, would it be worthwhile to build a competition such that the students are doing more work?


To me, these questions should be continue to be examined regardless of whether FIRST get canceled or not. We are living in the real world, and cost, growth, quality, and balance are issues we will continue to face as we move forward with this program. Most of you assume FIRST is the best solution there is, and I would agree with you, except it's only because we've been involved with a team or a competition. It would be naive to believe that the rest of the world will agree with our point of view, especially when FIRST have to face so many challenges, some of which I already mentioned above. It would also be naive to believe FIRST is the only solution out there, the best solution, or the perfect solution. It is a very powerful solution, but it is also one of many.


Can we imagine a world without FIRST? Can we imagine doing things a different way? Can we inspire students about science and engineering without a FIRST team? I think the answers to these questions have to be Yes!!! Afterall, the point of FIRST is to inspire us to become more interested in science and engineering in the real world, and more importantly, even if we are not inspired about those field of studies, FIRST's goal is still to inspire us to grow up and make real impacts in the real world, whether as a scientist, an engineer, a teacher, a lawyer, a politician, or a taxi driver.

We have to learn to see a bigger world, because that's what FIRST want us to do. We have to become part of the real world, because that's what FIRST want us to be. We have to be creative, innovative, and adventerous, because those are the lessons FIRST taught us. And we have to learn to see beyond FIRST, because that's the whole point of FIRST.

[Richard Wallace]

Well essayed, Ken. No need to apologize for being serious -- this is serious stuff.

I think Dean's own comments, used in the recently posted 2006 FIRST Annual Report, are appropriate to quote here:

Originally Posted by 2006 FIRST Annual Report

Recently, we’ve noticed a shift in the national conversation about our society’s lack of support for science and technology. Part of the shift is in the amount of discussion— there is certainly an increase in media coverage. There has also been a shift in the intensity of the conversation— there is clearly a heightened sense of urgency in the calls for solutions. Both these are positive developments. More awareness and urgency around the “science problem” are central to the FIRST vision, after all. However, we believe there is another shift happening and it has enormous potential for FIRST.

If you listen closely, you can hear a shift in the nature of the conversation. People are not just talking about a science problem and how it affects someone else; they are talking about a science problem that affects them. People are beginning to realize the high price of over-valuing athletics and entertainment and under-valuing science and technology. They’re beginning to see the very real connection to their own lives, to their standard of living, and to the quality of life they will leave their children. They’re beginning to see that the “science problem” is not one that just impacts intellectual elites at prestigious, albeit obscure laboratories, but one that touches us all, in very direct and meaningful ways.

People are beginning to take the science problem personally.

This shift is a strong signal for renewed commitment to the FIRST vision. In the 17 years since FIRST was founded, nothing has been more essential to our success than personal connection. The clearest example is the personal commitment of you, our teams, mentors, teachers, parents, sponsors, and volunteers. For you, this has been personal all along. As more people make a personal connection, we will gain more energy, create more impact, and deliver more success in changing the way our culture views science and technology.

Like the man said, we need FIRST more than ever. Ken's questions about cost and effectiveness are valid and will no doubt inform our ongoing struggle to grow a great program.

[Mari]

I would die . I work with my team every thrusday, I would be so lost, I can't even remember what I did on thrusdays before robotics.

[Eric W. Jones]

well, I would probably get more homework done than I do now

[KarenH]

Originally Posted by Richard

Well essayed, Ken. No need to apologize for being serious -- this is serious stuff.

I think Dean's own comments, used in the 2006 FIRST Annual Report, are appropriate to quote...

Actually the statement, as printed in the report, was coauthored and signed jointly by Dean Kamen and John Abele. They did the same in the 2005 Annual Report. I think that if they choose to express the unity of their thoughts, we should honor their wishes by attributing their joint statements to both of them.

If we desire that an organization continue to be successful, we must work towards unity. Otherwise, that organization--whether FIRST, or an individual team--will be torn apart by the personal ambitions and general selfishness of its members.

As spokesman for the cause, Dean walks increasingly in the limelight. John walks in his shadow. Few people understand what John's contributions are, and whether FIRST would even exist without him.

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by KarenH

Actually the statement, as printed in the report, was coauthored and signed jointly by Dean Kamen and John Abele. They did the same in the 2005 Annual Report. I think that if they choose to express the unity of their thoughts, we should honor their wishes by attributing their joint statements to both of them. ...

Thanks for pointing this out, Karen. I should have noticed that both the FIRST Founder and the FIRST Chairman contributed to the quoted statement -- especially considering that both gentlemen are pictured at the top of the page, and both names appear below the statement.

John Abele certainly deserves much more recognition than he gets.

[Ken Leung]

Originally Posted by KarenH

If we desire that an organization continue to be successful, we must work towards unity. Otherwise, that organization--whether FIRST, or an individual team--will be torn apart by the personal ambitions and general selfishness of its members.

It takes a huge amount of work to make FIRST the way it is today. There are many to contribute to this program who we will never even know the name of. I learned that lesson from Cal Games, it took an extraordinary amount of volunteer to pull it off, and it was just an one day event. Imagine how much work it takes to create 30+ regionals, a national headquarter, the championship event, and thousands of teams in various regions all over the country.

It's hard to imagine the reasons that would stop FIRST in its track, it could be a lawsuit that literally bankrupt the organization overnight, or some sort of cultural/economical change that makes it impossible to find funding at any level for a FIRST team/competition. But all that problems will be overcome because the leaders will still be there. Dean, Woodie, people like John Abele, folks on the executive board, folks like Dave... They are the reason FIRST is the way it is today.

If we have to consider the unimaginable, if we have to imagine a scenario where these folks are no longer there to make FIRST happen, I wonder if it will be possible to put together a FIRST similar to what we have. Will we be able to rally all the folks from all over the country to work together toward a single organization, or will the various regions develop their own organizations and go separate ways? I want to say it's possible for everyone to come together, but experience tells me how incredibly difficult it is to satisfy all the needs across a broad spectrum of people. It will have to start small again, in a region, and it won't spread to the rest of the country until it's proven again the new organization is going to be just as successful as FIRST is today, of not more. And I imagine there will be a lot of competition before that is achieved again.


Even though all these are very improbable, it's certainly very interesting to think about.

[Chief Samwize]

Start my own program and hold regionals in my garage, my front yard, and my back yard and hold the championship in my driveway. If it rained I would move it into my basement after it got cleaned

[Rabbit222]

If FIRST just stopped, I would probably go find a corner in my shop, bring all the robots with me and we would have a creative conversation between each other to keep our sanity in check. So guys.....whats going on? (Silence) Thats cool......

No really, I would go out of my way to create a program that will continue to inspire children to go to school and do something great with their life. This is my life mission, FIRST inspired me, now it is my turn to inspire them.

[bobmonkey836]

if robotics were canceled , i might just cry. i've made friends there who i wouldn't see otherwise! it's not quite marching band, but it's a real group. we all help each other out, and it is ... a great experiance.

[JaneYoung]

What about networking?
I haven't read anything about networking.
It is already established in FIRST among the students, mentors, parents, teams, FIRST, volunteers, sponsors. CD is one vehicle. There are others.