So after we all piled on a bus at 2:45 AM Monday morning, we drove to New York City on possibly the coldest day we’ve had in a long time. The wind factor was a bone chilling four degrees when we got to the Rockefeller center around 4 am. The plan was to be the first in line for the crowd outside of the Today Show on NBC. We were the first in line, and the only ones in line for a good hour. Around 7 am, we filed onto the outdoor set, and stood facing into the wind. We were front and center, and very difficult to miss. At 7:30, after hardly any sleep and three and a half hours of freezing cold, here’s the end result:
For the rest of us: We need a 15 second “elevator” sppech so that when someone asks “So what’s a robotics team?”, we have a well-rehearsed and informative “sound bite”. Works with grandparents, too…
it was funny, we expected him to go for a question from one of us who was wearing a uniform, so the girl who answered just spoke on the spot:p We’re planning a lot more with NBC and the Today Show so we’ll keep you guys posted
This is SO important. And really hard to do. But with Dean’s homework, it is going to be even more important.
Every team member needs to have the 15 second version. Which can lead to the 30 second version. Which can lead to the 60 second version.
(you get the idea). But need to be prepared to be cut off after 15 seconds.
I was sitting drinking a cup of tea, reading the paper, with the TV on. I looked up when I heard the word “robotics”
And there you were with the big banner. Way to go!
Yeah, let us know when you’re going, so that we can watch it live…or maybe we could organize some more NJ/NY teams to meet there, and have there be so many of us they can’t help but see us…maybe bring a robot or two…
thanks guys. Your responses made the trip worth it that much more.
it was something to see about half the team (around 30 kids) (the other half woke up early (but still later than us) to continue building) wake up on their day off, at 2 in the morning for this.
My principal called me in yesterday morning and told me about a FIRST team that was out in the cold on the TODAY show. He commented on how excited the team seemed and how great it was to see the kids on the TV talking about FIRST.
This was really an amazing experience and i’m so glad that i got to help do Dean’s homework. I encourage all teams to do something like this, a little bit of planning and a lot of dedication can go a very long way, and there’s no better feeling than knowing you were not only doing Dean’s homework, but spreading the news of FIRST nationwide.
Hey, i have an idea, how about all the local team around jersey do that again, at the same time. We can take up all the space at NBC and they will NOT be able to miss us. we will be everywhere.
When we went on monday, our team could have taken up like… half the fence i would say? but we wanted to be a team so we bunched up. If we could organize a mass trip to the Today show, i would be happy.
OMG LETS INVITE DEAN. heehhehehehehe.
(btw, i’m the one to the right of the girl with the white jacket, RIGHT UP FRONT. hehehe
First of all…WAY TO GO!!
Your dedication to spreading the word of FIRST is quite astounding, and you did a very great job of representing the entire organization!
Secondly…
Whenever I’m asked what robotics or a robotics team is, I usually say this:
“FIRST Robotics is a program where high school students work alongside engineers and mentors to design and build a robot to compete in a given game each year.”
This admittedly leaves out other valuable facts about what a FIRST team is all about, but I’ve come to learn that this statement is a good start to getting others interested in the program. A little tweaking never hurts, so feel free to put your own spin on it! =]
We’re planning a lot more with NBC and the Today Show so we’ll keep you guys posted 
