FIRST Technology Challenge

2016 Dean’s List Winner Luz Moreno explains how the skills she has learned participating in FIRST programs has changed her perception of herself, what she can accomplish, and her goals for the future. If you would have asked me five years ago what my plans were for college, I would have laughed and explained to you how college “is just not for me”. I was always told that once I turned fifteen I would become just another number on a graph. I never had college in mind until I started my FIRST team back in the fall of 2014. During our first competition with an incomplete robot, a referee asked me my plans for college and I stayed silent because I had no answer to it. What do I say? What should I say? So many thoughts were going through my mind, and not having an answer terrified me. I cannot thank that referee enough, he gave me a pamphlet about the FIRST Scholarship Program and said: “I know you will do great here in the FIRST Tech Challenge, welcome to the family”. He was the first

Have you ever been at an event, rocking out to the music that was playing between matches and wondered "How on earth does  FIRST  choose these songs?" Well, with a dash of magic, a sprinkle of funkiness and the help of folks who do the research to find the songs, here are our  Top 20 Favorite Songs of All Time!  The ones you hear often and still have yet to get tired of. The songs that you secretly (or for some of us, not so secretly) dance to in grocery stores and whilst driving. The ones we sing along with, we rock out to, and just plain have a blast listening to. Title Artist Uptown Funk Mark Ronson f./Bruno Mars Watch Me [Nae Nae] Silento Cha Cha Slide DJ Casper Cotton Eyed Joe Rednex Cupid Shuffle Cupid YMCA The Village People Chicken Dance ­ ‐  traditional version Kids Songs Macarena Los Del Rios Jump on it The Sugarhill Gang Put Your Hands Up In The Air Daft Punk Twist & Shout The Beatles We Will Rock You Queen Harlem Shake Baauer SHOUT Jackie Wilson I Like to Move

FIRST Tech Challenge season is here and now! Teams are building, programing, performing outreach, fundraising, and gearing up for an exciting event just around the corner. For many of our teams, this may be their first event. For Rookies (and even Veteran teams looking for a reminder) it is highly recommended to check out the Preparing for Competition Resources Page. This resource goes into great detail on: ·          Competition Preparation (Review our " How to Prep for and Event " article) ·          Inspection Process ·          Judging Process However, as most experience event goers would say, "You truly will not understand until you go to your first, FIRST Tech Challenge event. " In an effort to paint a better picture, here are some key areas and timelines most** events will cover. ·          Set-up, Pit Displays - Events can range from a single to multi-day extravaganzas. In each of these, what brings color and energy to the event are the teams themselves. T