Hello to incoming rookies, and welcome to FIRST Robotics Competition! With Kickoff approaching, I know that we all are anxious about how this build season. One year ago, I was in every rookies’ shoes. I had made the leap and signed up for the team, paid the MSHSL fee, and was on the track to where I am today. I had no idea what was going to happen. Robotics changed my life with the guidance and advice of the lovely people around me and online. As a senior, and now a team captain, here is some advice I would give to incoming rookies.
I hope you all have a great first build season! Happy kickoff! If you have any questions, I would love to talk to any of you. – Abby, MN FIRST Kickoff is in 7 days, and you know what that means: your entire life will revolve around robotics for the next 6 weeks. If you’re a veteran, you can probably handle this without a hitch, but for newbies, it can be difficult and frustrating. Thankfully, this is FIRST, and we’re more than happy to help our own!
Whatever the game is this year, know that your team can accomplish anything with enough determination and elbow grease, but make sure to stay GP. -Max C. 2197 Kickoff is next month, and I’ve started planning everything that has to be done for the 2017 season. The one thing that has been circling my mind is what kind of senior I want to be. For the last four years, I’ve worked extremely hard to lead my team, take responsibility for new things, and make my team better. The majority of the things I’ve done, however, were completed with a lot of the work being my own. That was fine when I was an underclassman; I would still be around the next season to do it again. However, a year from now, I’ll be off at college and what I’m afraid of is that everything I worked so hard for will end with me, making my team weaker. If I were to leave now, my team would be without a scouting captain, the head of the Chairman’s team, and a documentation captain. They’d definitely build the same robot with or without me, but they’d struggle to put together a strong alliance, would have no shot at Chairman’s and would have nothing to show judges. If my senior year looks the way the past three years have looked, they’ll be in that situation next year anyway. Which leads me to an epiphany that I’ve found hard to accept: senior year is not a victory lap.
If you want your team to do well after you graduate, your focus needs to be less on you and your achievements and more on teaching underclassmen how to do your job. We all bring different skills to our respective teams, but particularly for those of us who bring unique abilities, it’s important to teach the next generation what they need to know. This is not a job that should fall on the mentors, but on the older students. This year, my team has as many new students as veterans, numbers which are frankly terrifying. Of those veterans, half are seniors. The future of my team depends on how well we train this year’s rookies. It’s not always easy or glamorous or fun, but it’s a necessity. So here’s my message to all you seniors out there… Embrace your underclassmen. Teach them everything you know. Learn together. Work for what makes the team the strongest. Enjoy your final year, but remember that the legacy you leave might be the determining factor in whether your team succeeds in the future. Good luck with FIRST Steamworks. Stay GP. -Tristan D. 107 There are two subjects that you’re supposed to avoid at all costs when it comes to family gatherings: religion and politics. LGBTQ+ issues are discussed under the umbrella of both categories, so when you sit down to Thanksgiving dinner with your conservative Aunt Lucy, the easiest option is not to talk about it. If you need to, go back in the closet for the holiday season; it will make your life less stressful. For some people, that is the only safe option. If you’re under circumstances where you’re likely to be harassed, abused, or kicked out if you express your identity or opinions, do not feel bad about spending the holidays with your head down. Get through the uncomfortable niceties, don’t bring up either of the taboo topics, don’t engage in conflict if the conversations arise, and stay safe. This is the first, most extreme approach to family gatherings. There’s nothing wrong with it, and it doesn’t make your identity less valid or make you a traitor to your community. Your safety is more important.
The second option is to answer any direct questions briefly and move on, keeping it a political issue and not a personal one. Don’t dwell on the subject for any longer than necessary. While uncomfortable questions are pretty much expected at every family gathering, you don’t have to let the discussion they may spark turn into all you talk about. If someone asks your thoughts on an issue pertaining to the LGBTQ+ community, state your opinion and move on. If they want to know how you feel about this election, briefly explain your perspective. However, if their questions are vague, don’t feel the need to out yourself in answering. Sidestep the questions if you can. Thanksgiving dinner isn’t necessarily the time to drop the bombshell that “No grandma, I don’t have a boyfriend. I do have a girlfriend though. Her name’s Marissa.” That sort of statement is opening yourself up to a lot of criticism and making a controversial issue very personal. However, if you’re more daring and want to defend your community when Uncle Ron starts ranting about how he doesn’t want ‘men’ in the women’s restroom, go for it. However…
These issues are not always easy to talk about, and they can cause divides amongst families. Don’t let that be you this holiday season. Especially with the political tension in the air, don’t put yourself in situations that are not safe. Be smart, be safe, happy holidays. -Tristan D. 107 Everyone experiences dysphoria differently, so my experiences might not be an accurate reflection for some of y’all. However, there are some noticeable differences between trans and nonbinary dysphoria.
Before I begin, it is important to understand what dysphoria is. One of the other admins on the blog said, “Dysphoria is like the feeling you get when you scratch a holographic bookmark the wrong way.” Essentially, it is the realization (and the aftermath of the realization) that one doesn’t perceive themselves as how their body represents that person. You know that makeup scene in Mulan where she wipes it off with her sleeve because she doesn’t recognize her reflection in the water? These are examples of what dysphoria feels like. First, let’s discuss transgender dysphoria. A central issue here is not feeling aligned with the genitalia you possess. Many trans people undergo surgery to help combat this feeling. Another great way to help combat dysphoria is by taking hormones to make oneself either more feminine or more masculine. Another method to relieve dysphoria is by binding. Other strategies include packing, changing names, and changing pronouns. These strategies allow a person to feel more aligned with their body. Nonbinary dysphoria is less obvious. Instead of the jarring holographic bookmark example from above, it feels more like being called by your sibling’s name. It throws your brain for a loop, and you’re left feeling confused and distraught afterwards. Nonbinary dysphoria is a balancing game; for me, I feel dysphoric if I present as too masculine or too feminine on a given day. To combat this, I tend to wear over-sized flannels and mom-jeans. Coping methods for nonbinary dysphoria range from changing pronouns, changing names, dressing a certain way, taking hormones, getting surgery, and sometimes just flat out dying your hair a wonky color. The most important message from this should be that everyone experiences dysphoria differently. It feels different to everyone, and it fluctuates in severity. This does not make anyone’s experiences with dysphoria any more or less valid. There is not an ideal level of dysphoria that you have to reach in order to claim the term. -August S. 2194 pastelgray asked:
hi, lesbian lead student again ! we’ve had two gay lead students in the past three years and from what I’ve seen its been okay,I guess the main question is how I’d go about it? come out all at once to everyone? slowly just start coming out one by one? Hello! It’s great that you already have had out members of the team. Personally, I find that even after coming out publicly, to everyone, there are often still people who didn’t hear or don’t quite understand. Coming out is usually never a one time thing, and you’ll probably have to come out again and again as new people enter your life or as you find yourself in new situations. It’s up to you. If you prefer coming out all at once, you should still expect questions. Coming out to people individually is also a more personal experience, so depending on how close you are with the person, the more or less awkward the conversation goes. A personal favorite: “Nose goes, you’re gay.” (Wait for everyone to touch their nose and then say “well I have some news for you guys…”) ~Staff: Sean 5113 anonymous asked:
hi everyone! first off, love the blog so I’m the lead student of my robotics team of 50+ students and about 15-20 mentors. I’m a closeted lesbian and I’m scared they’ll take away my leadership position If I come out. what should I do? (NH team) Hello! Thanks for loving our blog! FIRST (haha puns) of all, you don’t have to come out unless you want to and are ready. If you’re afraid, don’t do it, but coming out isn’t some big gesture like it is in the movies. You don’t have to come out to everyone at once. With 15-20 mentors, odds are that at least one mentor is also LGBT+. Still, if that mentor isn’t out, it could be hard trying to figure out who it is. My personal advice is to test the waters. Discuss LGBT+ issues and topics with a friend or mentor on the team. If that friend or mentor seems supportive and trustworthy, you can decide to come out to them. If that mentor or friend is homophobic, don’t come out. Make a T chart and list all the negatives and positives to coming out. If you feel that coming out is safe and good, you still shouldn’t risk your safety and well-being. Try coming out to one person first, and hopefully through them you can find a group that supports you. If you want to come out to your whole team, keep in mind people will have questions and people might be rude. Stay strong but always have a backup plan. If your school has a school psychologist, meeting with them before coming out to make sure you’re ready and make sure nothing you say to your team will negatively effect your home life or life outside of the team. If you’re not out to your parents and you feel that coming out to the team will inadvertently out you to your parents, take that in mind. If you find that coming out would harm you more than help you, know that being out doesn’t make you more or less LGBT+. Your identity is valid. Whatever you chose, know that we support you. The world is changing and you might be surprised at the support you receive. Chances are that you’ll be okay and coming out won’t rid you of your leadership position. Just always be prepared and have a back up plan just in case. If you have any more questions, feel free to shoot us another ask and we’ll try to respond quickly. Good luck! ~Sean 5113 anonymous asked:
I am a mentor on an FRC team and one of my students just informed us that she is a transgender female. What can we as mentors do to support her and help her share this information with the team as a whole? Are there any resources available? Thank you! Hello! FIRSTly, we’re so glad that you’re being accepting and showing support by asking questions! We have some resources for trans women and parents/support on our resources tab of our blog [x]. Remember that she is the same person as she was before coming out. Any interests she had before she will likely have now. So if she loved mechanical work before, she’s still as competent now. Just remember to use the right pronouns and name while treating her with respect. You can also ask her if there is anything she would like to feel more comfortable on the team. Don’t beat yourself up over using her old name or pronouns; just apologize and move on. Everyone makes mistakes and the longer you dwell on it, the more uncomfortable she’ll feel. One thing many people do is ask questions, but make sure to be respectful. Don’t ask about anything you wouldn’t ask a cisgender person (AKA don’t ask about her private parts). Some questions that are appropriate would be “What are your pronouns?”, “What name do you go by?”, and “Are you out?”. The last question is important because you do not want to share information about her gender with anyone unless she gives permission. If she has come out to the team, support is as simple as reminding people to use the right name and pronouns. Try to use gender inclusive language such as “hello, team” instead of “hello, boys and girls.” If your team has separate uniforms for masculine and feminine people, ask her which one she would prefer. If you are staying at a hotel for a competition, allow her to room with girls if she is comfortable. If anyone on the team is having problems accepting her, speak with them. Everyone deserves to feel safe on the team. Lastly, treat her like you would treat any other girl on the team. If you usually compliment girl’s makeup skills or shoes, do that with her. If you see something online that you think she would like, tell her. Simply being there for her is the end goal. Tell her that if she has any problems, she can talk to you, even if it doesn’t involve the team. Make her feel validated and important. If you have any other questions, just send us another ask and we’d be happy to answer. ~Sean 5113 The experience of overt discrimination is a familiar one. Slurs, harassment and the like are unfortunately all too common. A problem that is distinctly harder to notice is the phenomenon of subconscious bias. While sometimes difficult to detect, confronting and stopping it is crucial to ensure that you are being treated fairly by your FIRST team and your coaches. The purpose of this post is to provide some information about unconscious bias and hopefully help you protect yourself from it What is unconscious bias? As defined by The LGBTA national diversity council, unconscious bias is “an unquestioned or automatic assumption about an individual, usually based on positive or negative traits is associated with a group they belong to, that prevents them from treating them as an individual”. It can take the form of having ideas ignored, being overlooked in determining leadership or generally receiving less respect. Everyone holds some form of unconscious bias, but it is important to recognise it and not allow it to affect your actions. LGBT+ people are unfortunately often targets of this form of discrimination What causes it? While the cause of each person’s specific bias is unique, bias often arises when you are confronted with an identity or lifestyle you are unfamiliar with. Many older adults were raised in a time when the LGBT+ rights movement was just getting started, a time when having a non-conforming identity was still considered by the mainstream to be strange. It is for this reason that often times it is older adults from conservative backgrounds that are the source of this bias. However, discrimination can come from anyone from any background What should you do? This depends on the type of bias you are facing.
Jokes are some of the most common examples of unconscious bias coming out; most are made without malicious intent, but they still reinforce stereotypes. Jokes can sometimes be harder to defend yourself from then direct attacks, as when you try to shut down a joke you are often labelled a “buzzkill.” If someone makes this kind of joke, there are two main ways of dealing with it. The first is calling them in the group setting, this strategy creates a more public message that this kind of humour is not ok, but this may put the person on the defensive. A simple “I don’t appreciate those kinds of jokes” should suffice. The other option is to wait until you can speak to the person one-on-one, this allows you to talk to them without potentially embarrassing them, but you lose the opportunity for a larger learning moment for your team. Make the decision you think is best for your team and your circumstance. The most important thing to do is to use one of these strategies the first time you hear one of these jokes. These jokes can quickly spread out of control so it’s important to nip it in the bud. Another way unconscious bias can manifest itself is in the relationship between LGBT+ team members and their teammates. Often times the discomfort that people feel towards an identity they are unfamiliar with can manifest itself as consistent disregard for another’s opinion or instruction. This can result in you not really getting a say in team meetings or having people you are supposed to be leading not listening to you. This is unacceptable; You should receive just as much respect for your input or ideas regardless of your identity. The most important step to combatting this form of bias is to make sure there is a legitimate reason whenever your idea is rejected. If you notice a trend of you or your ideas consistently being ignored or rejected without good reason, talk to your coaches, or the infracting member if you’re comfortable. Often times when people realise they are being biassed they will attempt to correct their actions. If not, your coaches should be able to help. One of the most damaging ways bias can present itself is in the selection of leadership. LGBT+ members can often be looked over for leadership due to unconscious bias. If you are ever either not selected for leadership, or get a position you do not enjoy, always ask why that is the case. If the reason you are provided is not satisfactory it may be because of your identity. This problem is, unfortunately, one of the harder to prevent and most difficult to identify forms of unconscious bias. If you suspect that your identity impacted how your position on the team was determined, speak with the coaches. If you receive a hostile or unhelpful response, you can contact your school administration if you attend a public school. You can also contact FIRST’s Youth Protection Program; they can help with cases of discrimination. In all cases, if you cannot solve the problem through your team or school then contact the FIRST youth protection program; discrimination violates FIRST policy. If to go to a public school, you can also contact your local ACLU; any form of discrimination is illegal. I hope this guide was both helpful and informative. We here at the blog would be more than willing to help with any specific questions. |
About LGBTQ+ of FIRST
LGBTQ+ of FIRST is a student run organization that advocates awareness and acceptance of LGBTQ+ students, mentors, and volunteers of FIRST Robotics. LGBTQ+ of FIRST reaches out to over 1000 members across the FIRST regions and fronts multiple outreach endeavors. Archives
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