Delphi-Sponsored High School Teams to Compete In 'FIRST' Regional Robotics Competitions

    TROY, Mich., Feb. 28 March usually means madness for
college basketball players bound for the NCAA tournament.  At the same time, a
similar frenzy is building around teams of high school students gearing up to
compete in the FIRST regional robotics competitions!  This year, Delphi
Automotive Systems is again helping mechanically minded students
recognize their passion for science and their dreams to invent.
    (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001019/DELPHIAS )
    During the past six weeks, engineers and skilled tradespeople have helped
students at eight high schools in the United States design and build radio-
controlled robots, each from a box of parts that included a control system,
electrical components, motors, batteries and other hardware.  The six-week
brainstorming, designing and major construction period has come to a close,
and the teams will soon be competing in spirited regional tournaments with
referees, cheerleaders and time clocks.
    FIRST, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, is a
non-profit organization that pairs businesses and universities with schools to
inspire students to pursue engineering, science and technology professions.
The FIRST annual robotics competition immerses high school students in the
exciting world of engineering by challenging them to design and build robots
that must complete specified tasks while partnered with other teams'
creations.
    "FIRST is really an investment in our future," said J.T. Battenberg III,
Delphi's chairman, CEO and president, and a FIRST board member.  "We need to
attract the best, most creative talent.  We want to encourage students to get
into science-related and other technical fields.  FIRST is hands-on, it's fun
and it's rewarding."
    Delphi's participation in FIRST has grown during the past decade.  A FIRST
foundation sponsor, Delphi divisions and plants sponsor eight teams.
    "We are tapping into a powerful resource -- today's young people," said
Dr. Andrew Brown, Jr., Delphi's director of engineering.  "If we can open
students up to a new career possibility, such as engineering, math or science,
we have succeeded and we will make a difference."
    Delphi-sponsored teams will be competing in a number of regional
competitions before moving on to the national competition, which will be held
April 5-7, at Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center in Orlando, Fla.  The Delphi-
sponsored teams and their regional competition schedules are as follows:

    *  Team:  Chief Delphi, Pontiac (Mich.) Central High School
       Sponsored by:  Delphi Interior Systems
       Regional competitions:  UTC New England Regional on March 1-3, at The
       Meadows Music Theater in Hartford, Conn.  In addition, the team will
       compete at New York City Regional on March 15-17, at Columbia
       University, as well as the Great Lakes Regional on March 22-24, at
       Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Mich.

    *  Team:  The Circuit Stompers, Newfane (New York) High School
       Sponsored by:  Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems
       Regional competitions:  Great Lakes Regional on March 22-24, at Eastern
       Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Mich.

    *  Team:  The Delphi Elite, Warren (Ohio) G. Harding High School
       Sponsored by:  Delphi Packard Electric Systems
       Regional competitions:  NASA Langley Regional on March 8-10, at
       Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., and the Great Lakes
       Regional on March 22-24, at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti,
       Mich.

    *  Team:  The Delphi Knights, Buena Vista High School, Saginaw, Mich.
       Sponsored by:  Delphi Saginaw Steering Systems and Dow Chemical
       Regional competitions:  West Michigan Regional, March 8-10, at the
       Grand Center in Grand Rapids, Mich., and the Great Lakes Regional on
       March 22-24, at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Mich.

    *  Team:  The Knight Riders, Flint (Mich.) Southwestern Academy
       Sponsored by:  Delphi Energy & Chassis Systems
       Regional competitions:  West Michigan Regional, March 8-10, at the
       Grand Center in Grand Rapids, Mich., and the Great Lakes Regional on
       March 22-24, at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Mich.

    *  Team:  The RoboDawgs, Grandville (Mich.) High School
       Sponsored by:  Delphi Energy & Chassis Grand Rapids Operations and the
       X-Rite Corporation
       Regional competitions:  West Michigan Regional, March 8-10, at the
       Grand Center in Grand Rapids, Mich.

    *  Team: The Saginaw (Mich.) Career Complex/Delphi United
       Sponsored by:  Delphi Saginaw Steering Systems
       Regional competitions:  Great Lakes Regional on March 22-24, at Eastern
       Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Mich.

    *  Team:  The TechnoKats, Kokomo (Ind.) High School
       Sponsored by:  Delphi Delco Electronic Systems
       Regional competitions:  West Michigan Regional, March 8-10, at the
       Grand Center in Grand Rapids, Mich.; Motorola Midwest Regional,
       March 22-24, at Northwestern University, in Evanston, Ill.

    For more information about Delphi Automotive Systems, visit Delphi's
Virtual Press Room at http://www.delphiauto.com/vpr .