Eating lead in 2000

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Posted by Daniel.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]


Student on team #192, Gunn Robotics Team, from Henry M Gunn Senior High School and NASA Ames.

Posted on 5/31/99 9:44 PM MST


In Reply to: Daniel and Frank... posted by Joe Johnson on 5/31/99 8:48 PM MST:



Please tell me I'm wrong about this, but...

From what you said, it sounds like you think it's not possible for this competition to be focused on inspiration and still 'belong in the schools'.

I’d hate to believe we can’t have the best of both worlds here. Why don’t we keep trying...?

Here, let me start:

Partnership is one thing, but domination is vastly different. I have seen many instances where engineers dominate this project. I'm not saying this is an ineffective way to inspire the students, I just think better ways exist. The word 'partner' implies equality, and that’s exactly what we need. We’re all “engineers” here. The only difference between me and you is that one of us has a few more wrinkles (sorry ;-) ). Talk to some engineers on GRT and I promise, you’ll not find ONE who hasn’t been as inspired by the students on our team as we have been by them. This is a two way process, but only if we truly attempt to realize that “partnership” we set out to create. The greatest feeling is when I see an engineer discussing a design with one of our students, and I overhear the engineer saying something to the effect of: “good point, I never looked at it that way”. It’s times like those when we can really see the effects of the FIRST mission. We must allow that line between engineers and students to blur and even fade away.

If the line is gone, we’ve won. Because that’s really the intent here, isn’t it? We want to turn us kids, into engineers.

If the line is gone, we’ve won. You do NOT have to have a PhD to be an engineer. You say it can't be done in six weeks. Fine, perhaps you're right, but please then explain to me what I see happening ALL AROUND ME.

We need to get rid of the line. That, to me, seems like the best of both worlds.

I don’t think the problem is in the vehicle, it’s how we’re riding it. FIRST has set us up perfectly to change lives, we just need to know how to walk the path.


-Daniel