The President gets it !!!!

[misspunk]

I think it's a good idea to spread the word about FIRST around. It will be all over the news if the president comes to a FIRST competition.

[Trent B]

Originally Posted by santosh

...Yeah, but in tax money received back, those stadiums most certainly pay for themselves after a few year's and more...

Yea and after it is paid off via tickets and other things, the money is then put towards sports teams and a new stadium which is put towards training new players and making a new stadium. If we can't afford to build a stadium in a few years because of an economic depression, what good will training a bunch of professional league grade players do to benefit us as a society. Yet 20k for a robotics team which will train a bunch of individuals on future skills cant be done.

[nathanww]

The other part of this is that not all of your return on investment is necessarily in money. If you spend the money on a new stadium, you might make a profit. If you spend the money on upgrading school lab facilities, you might inspire someone to make a vaccine for HIV.

Thta's one of the things I love about FIRST--I think the idea of combining a sporting event and scitech education is one of the best ways to effect this culture change.

[waialua359]

Originally Posted by misspunk

I think it's a good idea to spread the word about FIRST around. It will be all over the news if the president comes to a FIRST competition.

He could start by going to his own alma mater in hawaii that has a FIRST robotics team, team 2090. They have a great team. When Dean came to visit Hawaii, he did a speech at Obama's school.

[canadiankid1029]

Originally Posted by Team2339

Exellent comments Rich.

Team 2339 is in it's second year at Antelope Valley High School. Next year the district has approved a robotics class as an A thru G elective ( UC credit)based on our performance and efforts. This is where the paradigm shift needs to occur, one school at a time, one class at a time. Ultimately the education system will evolve, sometimes kicking and screaming, but evole it shall!

One factor leading to the creation of the class was the axiom:
"Applied knowledge is this generation's version of wood and metal shop. Instead of making chairs and boxes, we are working with robots. "

Its great to know that some people understand the value of robotics and engineering for our generation. Its encouraging to know that this kind of change is occurring. But in some cases, much like my school, there is a backwards shift. Due to the tough times, we are in a position to lose our metalworking major (we are a trade school). We had the whole club and lots of parents etc come to board meetings to fight for it, and we hope the message got across. All we can do now is hold on for the ride and see how things turn out...

[AlexD744]

Originally Posted by JesseK

You know, I just had a conversation with someone at the Florida regional who told me that high schools in the U.S. spend $millions on their football stadiums and sport arenas. It's pretty shocking when you consider that 'non-sport activities' keep having their budgets cut, and cut, and cut. I've said it before and I'll say it again: the community that supports something will pay for something, regardless of what it takes. To realign things for academia (including Band, Arts, Music, Wood Shop, Robotics, etc), there has to be local culture shifts before we can do a nationwide culture shift.

Our school doesn't even spend that money!! Everything like that has been donated (If only a lab as big as a football field could be donated), students have to buy their books, equipment, and robotics fees. But at least things are fair to everyone.

[CarterM]

We need to get Obama to go to Nationals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Zach O]

Everyone make a very good point about how FIRST deserves funding, but I think before we hope someone must step up and show our president how important this is, and give him some of the facts that shows we NEED this, and funding would help increases this.

[NorviewsVeteran]

Originally Posted by CarterM

We need to get Obama to go to Nationals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is in a different thread, please keep it there.

[Feisty_one]

A couple of thoughts from an old guy:

Membership in the <Politicians> goup and the <teachers, scientists, and engineers> group is not mutually exclusive. There are many in our government who are both and are willing listeners to proposals increased technology in education.

Sputnik was launched when I was in the 1st grade, which created almost a panic in the USA due to the perception that we had fallen behind in math and science. Priorities in education changed in short order as students were urged to concentrate on these fields. This is the way things work.

[artdutra04]

At least someone gets it.

Last year our town spent over $2 million dollars to install an Astroturf football field for the two city high schools in our town to use.

This year, their budget is $1.8 million dollars in the red, and 30 teaching positions, all extra curricular activities, and all middle and high school sports are on the cutting block.

Oh the irony.

We lose all of this, just to have the entire city sit and watch the huge waste of money they spent on fake plastic grass to sit unused because there would be no more sports.

[robostangs548]

Does anyone by chance have Obama’s number? I was looking through my phone and I have seamed to misplace it....

[Kims Robot]

Originally Posted by swamp_child

Seriously I know we could use a few thousand dollars more. I wish FIRST got some of that bailout money, I know we would use it better than the AIG executives.

Now Im not against FIRST getting governement funding, but seeing this country fall into a recession and take the whole world with it, Ive got my fingers crossed that we hit the low point already and we dont see anything worse. While I agree that the whole AIG thing was nonsense, Obama quickly put that back in its place. The intent of the bailout money is to get corporations back on their feet and stable so that companies start HIRING again. Without a stable economy all those kids that are interested in engineering and science wont have jobs. Look at the majority of the engineering companies right now. How many are doing layoffs?? I know that we all love FIRST and all believe that science, technology and engineering is the way to the future, we need to be stable before we can hire all those scientists or engineers. I know I didnt live through the great depression, or anything that was even close, but I can imagine that if we let this country get to a point where people are worried about putting food on the table, the first thing on our President's mind wont and shouldnt be funding the FIRST program.

We should be honored to hear him say such great words, and there is no reason to stop pursuing government funding, but lets all make sure we keep the big picture in mind, that if any of us want jobs when this is all over, we need to get our economy straightened out first.

[Molten]

I would gladly discuss the politics of such things as funding and government influence, however this is not a thread for that. Please, if you really want to discuss the differences in funding sports vs robotics.... or want to discuss the AIG... or want to discuss anything other then the presidents appearance on the Tonight Show Please Make a Thread for it. This thread isn't for that.

[JaneYoung]

We are living in times that are having a profound impact/influence on our lives. There are many of these influences and within the influences there are many opportunities to look at and identify need for change - cultural change. The thread has moved along well enough without flaming, attacks, or passionate outbursts. I think it is doing pretty well and have enjoyed the input, insight, and viewpoints. That's not to say that I'd like to see it take a downturn towards attacks or flaming but there seems to be care and thought given to the posts. If we choke that or narrow that opportunity, it can create loss of wisdom.

Just an .02,
Jane