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popo_liciousThis weekend, FIRST Robotics FRC Team 116 went to the New York City Regional Championship at the Javits Center and won the Chairman's Award. This is the most coveted award the program has to offer, and is presented to the team who best embodies the message of FIRST. Winning this award not only guarantees us a spot at the world championship in Atlanta, but also, bragging rights for the rest of our existence as a team.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Wow. Now that I'm done being serious... XD
Winning this award is like... winning the Nobel Peace Prize for Robotics! That's the only way I can explain the Chairman’s Award to a FIRST-outsider. Seriously. XD And I'm going to go on to say that right now, Team 116 just might be the team to beat.
Our FRC division [FRC: Think large, incredibly expensive, student-built robots] just clobbered the competition for the Chairman's Award at the NYC Regional, the biggest regional in the world, thus securing a spot in Atlanta; our FTC section [FTC: Think smaller-scale, less expensive, also student-built robots] (AKA Team 519) as you know, won first place at the Maryland Regional, also gaining a spot in Atlanta; and finally, our animation team won first place in the Autodesk Visualization competition at the Richmond VCU Regional for the sixth year running, giving them a spot in Atlanta and, promoting them as one of this year's top five national, award-winning animations.
I can't think of any other team in the world who can match this, or rather, us. And there's a lot of teams out there. XD
I have a little anecdote I want to share before I tie this up. When you get selected for an award at a FIRST event, the team leaves the stands, walks onto the field, and runs by a line of judges, sponsors, etc. for a quick congratulations and a high five. After Lori and I stopped screaming and hugging each other, we went down and joined the line with the rest of the team.
Now, I doubt many of you to know this name, but Dean Kamen, who among many things, founded FIRST, invented the Segway, and is a pioneering force in prosthetic limbs for veterans, was waiting at the end of that line with the massive Chairman's trophy. ((Can you see where this is going? XD ))
I walk up to him, noticing that no one has grabbed the award, but before I can shyly sneak away, he says, "Congratulations! Why don't you hold onto this." He then proceeds to maneuver the trophy into my arms, to which I'm totally shocked and panicking, and as I leave the field, I hear, "Stop! Stop!" coming from behind me. I turn around, and two photographers, one from th New York Post, snaps a few shots of me with the trophy and starts interviewing me, mentioning how he's going to put me in the press tomorrow and blah blah blah. It was incredible. 'Easily the best moment of my life, though, I feel bad for getting press attention regarding a submission I didn't actually work on. Obviously, my contributions to the team were a big help to our victory, but I only wish the people who actually wrote and delivered our presentation had thought to snag the trophy. XD
Anyways, we've been after this award for fourteen years, and I'm just so thrilled to be able to say that I was on the team the year we won, and also, the year that all of our sub-teams qualified for the world championship.
This was taken about thirty seconds after I finished with the New York Post photographer. If I look dirty, it's because the last day of competition is better known as Grunge Sunday, as us wild robotics dorks party hard with FIRST on Saturday evening and don't have time to take a shower until we get home the following night. XD In case your wondering, the Chairman's trophy may look small, but actually weighs exactly one metric ton. XD
Lori and me with our medals!
Wow. Now that I'm done being serious... XD
Winning this award is like... winning the Nobel Peace Prize for Robotics! That's the only way I can explain the Chairman’s Award to a FIRST-outsider. Seriously. XD And I'm going to go on to say that right now, Team 116 just might be the team to beat.
Our FRC division [FRC: Think large, incredibly expensive, student-built robots] just clobbered the competition for the Chairman's Award at the NYC Regional, the biggest regional in the world, thus securing a spot in Atlanta; our FTC section [FTC: Think smaller-scale, less expensive, also student-built robots] (AKA Team 519) as you know, won first place at the Maryland Regional, also gaining a spot in Atlanta; and finally, our animation team won first place in the Autodesk Visualization competition at the Richmond VCU Regional for the sixth year running, giving them a spot in Atlanta and, promoting them as one of this year's top five national, award-winning animations.
I can't think of any other team in the world who can match this, or rather, us. And there's a lot of teams out there. XD
I have a little anecdote I want to share before I tie this up. When you get selected for an award at a FIRST event, the team leaves the stands, walks onto the field, and runs by a line of judges, sponsors, etc. for a quick congratulations and a high five. After Lori and I stopped screaming and hugging each other, we went down and joined the line with the rest of the team.
Now, I doubt many of you to know this name, but Dean Kamen, who among many things, founded FIRST, invented the Segway, and is a pioneering force in prosthetic limbs for veterans, was waiting at the end of that line with the massive Chairman's trophy. ((Can you see where this is going? XD ))
I walk up to him, noticing that no one has grabbed the award, but before I can shyly sneak away, he says, "Congratulations! Why don't you hold onto this." He then proceeds to maneuver the trophy into my arms, to which I'm totally shocked and panicking, and as I leave the field, I hear, "Stop! Stop!" coming from behind me. I turn around, and two photographers, one from th New York Post, snaps a few shots of me with the trophy and starts interviewing me, mentioning how he's going to put me in the press tomorrow and blah blah blah. It was incredible. 'Easily the best moment of my life, though, I feel bad for getting press attention regarding a submission I didn't actually work on. Obviously, my contributions to the team were a big help to our victory, but I only wish the people who actually wrote and delivered our presentation had thought to snag the trophy. XD
Anyways, we've been after this award for fourteen years, and I'm just so thrilled to be able to say that I was on the team the year we won, and also, the year that all of our sub-teams qualified for the world championship.
This was taken about thirty seconds after I finished with the New York Post photographer. If I look dirty, it's because the last day of competition is better known as Grunge Sunday, as us wild robotics dorks party hard with FIRST on Saturday evening and don't have time to take a shower until we get home the following night. XD In case your wondering, the Chairman's trophy may look small, but actually weighs exactly one metric ton. XD
Lori and me with our medals!
no subject
Date: 4/8/08 04:22 am (UTC)I am so proud of you you, Popo! And happy!!
That is amazing - and only the first step to kicking everyone's ass in college XD <3
PEE ESS: That is SO SO COOL about Dean Kamen! *squees*
no subject
Date: 4/8/08 04:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 4/8/08 08:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 4/8/08 08:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 4/8/08 04:12 pm (UTC)Anyways... Thank you! I'm so proud. [*Makes a determined looking Kent-face] I'm really happy that we did well this year; I'll never forget all the hours I put in and how many great people I met along the way. :D
no subject
Date: 4/8/08 08:00 pm (UTC)Way cool news from your little corner of cyberspace.
Sending hugs & high fives...
-K.
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Date: 4/8/08 10:23 pm (UTC)w00t! :D
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Date: 4/8/08 09:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 4/8/08 10:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 4/9/08 12:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 4/9/08 03:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 4/9/08 01:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 4/9/08 03:15 am (UTC)3000+ teams to be more precise. and none of them (seriously none) have the opprotunity like us.
Date: 4/9/08 04:19 am (UTC)so respectfully, FRC got a free ride cuz of Animation Vex and Chairmans lol.
buy anyways,
<.< congrats!
though I was there, you should be congratulating me too :P
cept don't cuz I wasn't really there. :O
now that team 116 is going to Atlanta I feel so left out T_T lol.
So beautiful, I didn't even get to get my hands on that beauty.
I'm talking about the trophy not you :P
xD
well good luck with Atlanta, Sean Lavery says we got a 1% chance of actually winning chairmans.
last year we had 0.
:D
Re: 3000+ teams to be more precise. and none of them (seriously none) have the opprotunity like us.
Date: 4/9/08 04:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 4/9/08 11:27 pm (UTC)At least I'm not wearing those ghastly Cinderella gloves. XD
no subject
Date: 4/9/08 11:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 4/10/08 06:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 4/10/08 10:12 pm (UTC)Hopefully you'll be at tonight's meeting! :D
no subject
Date: 4/10/08 09:18 pm (UTC)Seriously though, congrats.
Don't they say that you're either an arty person or a mathematical person? Well, Popo, I beleive you just broke THE rule.
no subject
Date: 4/10/08 10:12 pm (UTC)