[CRUSH-all] the 2007 FIRST kickoff is history, the competition starts today!

[Bill Bennett]

Hi Team

About 20 of us, adults and students, attended the 2007 FIRST kickoff yesterday. It was great! If you missed it, you can view any or all of it on the web here: http://robotics.nasa.gov/events/2007_kickoff.php

In addition to the revealing of this year's game challenge, the kickoff included appearances by many key figures in education, academics, industry, and government. Some highlights were:

A great team video from Team 67, Team HOT (Heroes Of Tomorrow), 2005 chairman's winner. We need something like this to help attract and engage our sponsors! Watch their video here: http://www2.huronvalley.k12.mi.us/schools/mhs/activity/hot_team/index1_files/Chairmans%20Video%2006.wmv

Dean Kamen (FIRST founder), Woodie Flowers (FIRST co-founder and MIT professor), and Dave Lavery (head of NASA robotics) reminding us why FIRST exists, how well it works, and that "it's not about the robots"!

Gov Linda Lingle of Hawaaii and Gov Don Carcieri of Rhode Island - they get it! Both have committed to having FIRST teams in every high school in their states. 

Today Team CRUSH begins in earnest. Our meetings shift to 7 days a week for the next six weeks on this schedule:

Sunday 1 to 5
Monday through Friday 3 to 6
Saturday 9 to 3

Meetings will often go overtime. It will be up to each mentor and student (and their parents) to decide how the team and projects need them, and what their personal limits allow. Although the project is very time intensive, we will not pressure students to work beyond their limits or in a way that creates undue stress on their other academic progress. However, as with any team during competition season, we expect that CRUSH is your main if not only extra-curricular focus during the build season. We need all you've got to do the best we can do. 

Of course not all students and mentors can be at every meeting. But this is the time that our efforts need to be at maximum in order to have an accomplishment we will all be proud of in the shipping crate on February 20. It will come so fast you won't believe it's over. Worse, 4 weeks of it will go by and you won't believe how much is left to do. Only by the best teamwork, collaboration and cooperation, self initiative, good attitudes, working smart, and being focused and dedicated can we get it done well and stay happy while doing it. That's the goal, let's make it happen. 

This is day 2, 45 left. Go CRUSH!

Bill
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