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Every September, the FIRST Tech Challenge annual game challenge is released to the world at kickoff. It is the culmination of much anticipation from our community surrounding what the next season�s challenge will bring. It�s also just the beginning of the FIRST Tech Challenge season, where teams are tasked to build and program their robots for a successful competition season. Have you ever wondered, where does the game challenge come from? We realize that for much of our community, the creation of the game challenge is somewhat of a mystery. How does it work? Who are the key players? How does the Game Design Committee brainstorm these ideas? The core Game Design Committee is made up of five volunteer members; Michael Coleman, Mark Edelman, Mannie Lowe, Joe Perrotto, and Kevin Rudd. Each spring, FIRST invites the Game Design Committee, and other creative contributors from our community, to travel to FIRST Headquarters for a two-day brainstorm session. Prior to the session, FIRST coll...

The FIRST Tech Challenge season is in full swing, and we know teams are working hard preparing for competition. We�d like to also remind you that in most states, the Dean�s List nominations are still open! If you have an exceptional 10 th or 11 th grade student, consider nominating them today. The impact of a student being recognized by their peers is life changing. We�d like to share some awesome stories from some of our Dean�s List Semi-finalists and Finalists over the years, and what the Dean�s List meant to them! Daniel Shorr � 2015-2016 Dean�s List Semi-Finalist �I was a Semi-finalist two years ago in the midst of my FIRST Tech Challenge career (Team 417, Woodinville WA). In short, a Dean�s List nomination gave me both the confidence and recognition to relentlessly pursue robotics and my academics. As a freshman studying mechanical engineering here at Stanford, I think it has certainly paid off. I carry the lessons and experience I�ve been fortunate enough to come across in FI...