[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 68 (Thursday, April 26, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E867]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     TRIBUTE TO FIRST ROBOTICS TEAM FROM MASSACHUSETTS ACADEMY OF 
   MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCES AND WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE (WPI)

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                         HON. JAMES P. McGOVERN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 25, 2007

  Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the FIRST 
Robotics team from the Massachusetts Academy of Mathematics and 
Sciences at WPI for their recent championship victory at the FIRST 
Championship at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The team earned an 
invitation to this competition after months of demonstrated excellence 
in competitive play, sportsmanship, and development of partnerships 
among schools, businesses, and communities.
  The diligent efforts of these students over the course of 6 weeks 
enabled them to channel their energy and creativity into the 
construction of robots while adhering to competition guidelines and 
design specifications. This final effort was the culmination of months 
of competitive innovation among over 1,300 teams from across the United 
States and six other countries. The team was recognized earlier this 
year with the prestigious Regional Chairman's Award at the FIRST BAE 
Systems/Granite State Regional in Manchester, New Hampshire, making it 
the first team in the competition's history to win the award for the 
second consecutive year. The team has also been recognized with the 
Tournament Champion's Award and the Motorola Quality Award at the 
Silicon Valley Regional Robotics Tournament in San Jose, California.
  FIRST is a not-for-profit whose acronym means ``For Inspiration and 
Recognition of Science and Technology,'' that was founded by Dean 
Kamen, a WPI alumnus. The organization provides programs to motivate 
youth to pursue opportunities in math, science, technology, and 
engineering, while also building practical life skills.
  The FIRST Robotics Team from Massachusetts Academy of Math and 
Sciences at WPI works diligently in the pursuit of knowledge and 
innovation as they apply it to technology. The team's accomplishments 
this year illustrate their tremendous hard work, determination, and 
creativity. These achievements make them role models to their fellow 
youth and assets to the community at large. I encourage my colleagues 
to join me in congratulating the team on their extraordinary 
achievement.

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