Did anyone notice that non-STEM fields got slightly dissed during Kickoff? Dean mentioned that technology moves fast, other fields move slowly (e.g. Romeo and Juliet = West Side Story). Was it Jon Dudas who gave the example of someone who gave up acting for technology, and went from portraying someone important to being someone important?
I’m sure any slight was unintentional. But we have to watch our biases, which tends to come out in comments like this.
Yes, technical careers can lead to great advancements for humankind. But I’d much rather be part of a well-rounded world that includes actors, writers, musicians and artists. They make the rest of life interesting.
What I thought was funny/backhanded was Dean talking about how we needed the entertainment industry to help make FIRST more recognizable and then the head of NASA dissed the whole industry by saying we are people doing good work while they are just pretending to be people doing good work.
I noticed it too. As someone who is/has been involved with a lot of non-STEM activities over the years, I was a little annoyed at that. They could have said “technological fields are some of the fastest-moving and -developing areas, and we have to keep up with the demand” and not brought other fields into it at all.
Art kids like me are always on the tail end of the FIRST food line, but then again FIRST’s main goal is to inspire and recognize Science and Technology so we should expect this.
Then again I went into Industrial Design so I have the best of both worlds.
If it was FIRSTAD… (science, technology, art and design)
I call the Animation contest the illegitimate child of FIRST. You never hear Dean give it any love and it doesn’t help that every year they have a challenge that has absolutely nothing with what FRC is doing.
To be fair the Chairman’s award doesn’t have alot to do with the engineering challenge of FIRST as it has more to do with community building to get the community to embrace technology which often falls to the responsibility of the PR on the team (the engineers are kinda busy slapping together a competitive robot) and Dean reps the Chairman’s award all the time.
We can’t have a functioning society without either. I too have felt slighted over the years (I’m a business major but I’m good at strategy, analyzing, marketing, scouting, design, etc but I’m not an engineer) by how it can seem all about engineering math and science but I feel that what FIRST teaches can be applied to any field you are in. It did feel like a disconnect but FIRST can’t control what everyone says. Even in the room at kickoff the applause for Colbert was much louder than that for the head of NASA.
A lot of the people I work with (at a technology company) are talking about steAm where the A stands for art. Art is important and it is losing ground in a lot of schools along with engineering. Few things get dissed in schools as much as computer science does though - in my biased opinion.
I think that larger concern though is people going into easy majors for which there is a shortage of jobs while ignoring the harder STEM courses for which there are jobs but a shortage of people to take them. It’s a real problem.
I love the concept of STEAM, and definately noticed the bias. Maybe I’m oversensitive, as a NEMO mentor who was in high school and still is a self-proclaimed musical theater geek (and proud of it!) But my daughter, in her first year on our FIRST team (although she’s been dragged around to competitions, build sessions, community events, etc. since she was 5) is both a devoted FIRSTer whose favorite subjectes in school are math and science, she is also a professional actress, having just finished touring in Disney’s Mary Poppins. I think she’s a great example of how the arts and science can and should co-exist. Both are equally important in a civilized society. Plus, studies have shown that students participating in music programs do better in math and science.
I know. Just making a point that even people in FIRST still get starstruck like everybody else. No matter how much we talk about changing the culture we’re all still enamored with it. I think Dean finally realized it and brought in celebrities to help because he realized much as it pained him he needed the help to get the message out faster.
I tweeted about this earlier and was told I was wrong. It’s bothered me for a long time. I really don’t like how much he hates everything from athletes to the arts. It seems very pompous, especially considering most pro athletes have completed more college coursework than Dean Kamen himself who dropped out. Pau Gasol went to medical school and James Franco has 3 masters degrees and is in two phd programs. They’re not stupid people. They are also incredibly talented and there is no problem, in my opinion, with kids looking up to them.
It’s important for FIRST to present students with the idea that STEM is good and fun and whatnot, but I think the message they send is “We are smarter and better than you so we are more valuable to society in the long run.”
The problem is we’re presented with so many images and stories of dysfunctional, selfish and ill mannered athletes and celebrities that they make easy targets for Dean to bash on. Obviously they are not all like that.
I’m really chuckling here. I’m thinking of a discussion in a NEMO meeting when I spent a few minutes talking to new mentors about the importance of recruiting from art, music, English, theater tech, drama, and business classes in the teams’ schools. My ending comment in that discussion was something like, “It only makes sense, doesn’t it?” I’m chuckling at the raised eyebrows that suggestion brought about, initially.
We have a bridge this year. To succeed in utilizing its potential, the teams literally have to find a balance. That’s part of the game challenge, true, but it is also true in managing a team of quality and excellence. Many teams know that, instinctively, while others have to learn to appreciate diverse talents and skills and then utilize them productively. People are not so different from teams or game challenges, really.
Teams work very very hard. They are on the ground, figuring it out. Teams deal with challenges, difficulties, and constraints on a regular basis - sometimes year after year. Their focus and intent is to grow a team well and to help their students develop their potential, find their dream, and go for it. The teams often have a very deep passion about inspiration and work hard to have their efforts recognized.
The FIRST leaders have different passions, viewpoints, concerns. Sometimes, there is a disconnect. That’s ok - if it is bad enough, they’ll figure it out. Growing pains are called growing pains for a reason. And… nobody is perfect. But… don’t let anyone rain on your parade.
