Transformers (the movie)

[Travis Hoffman]

Originally Posted by M. Krass

Using Battlebots' destructive nature to try to appeal to people, then "convert" them to the ways of FIRST later, represents a core disbelief in the value of this program -- and worse than that -- is deceptive and a colossal waste of time and resources better spent on the folks who're most interested in making things better for everyone.

I do believe that sometimes you have to dig through the trash and clean off the layers of dirt and grime in order to find diamonds in the rough. They do exist - we've discovered several on our team over the years. Not all robotics kids come from a pre-established background of creativity and scientific curiosity built upon a foundation of parental support and encouragement. Sometimes, mentors have to use some elbow grease to clean and polish the rougher kids until they find a way to shine. It's ok to get a little dirty in this pursuit.

Other people's trash is someone else's treasure. I think it's a positive goal to try and "salvage" kids who've been brought up to celebrate violence and destruction (or have been allowed to develop this affinity for mayhem via lack of attention and guidance from their parents).

Now I agree with Madison - we'd never want to lie and deceive these kids by telling them that FIRST is anything like Battlebots. Instead, just simply *pay attention* to them and do whatever you can to show them your robots and get them involved with a team. Sometimes, these "fringe" kids appreciate the simple fact that you actually give a crap about how they feel and what they're doing, and that is all you need to begin to unravel all the negative attitude and curb their destructive or antisocial mentality.

While the ultimate goal of FIRST is to cultivate the next generation of top-notch engineers, I personally do not feel teams should be treated as an exclusive club for those "best of the best" who've always shown the intelligence and desire to pursue science and technology. I feel there is always some room on a FIRST team for kids from more troubled backgrounds to learn, change, and grow. I bet on many teams, some of our more surprisingly creative ideas and spirited enthusiasm for the program come from those whom the rest of society allowed to wander astray - those who were never given the opportunity to participate in these FIRST activities that now bring more meaning and purpose to their formerly empty lives. Open the door, show them the light, let them walk through, and don't let them ever look back.


Wasn't this at one time a Transformers Movie thread? The real Devastator (Constructicons combiner team) is rumored to be in the sequel w00t!!