Robotics log 5

Here are some memories:

This is just a reflection on the overall experience, written after my presentations have been done. Overall I really enjoyed my Senior Exhibit this year; it can be seen in some of my previous posts that I have been fairly stressed about the whole thing but I think in the end everything worked out better than I expected. My written document, my guide book, has been semi read by the captain of the team next year and he has said that it answered a lot of the questions he was worried about. There were obviously some things I missed, which I am just known noticing. So before the end of school I will update it where it is needed then post a final version either on the server or the website. If it goes on the website I will be able to edit it during the summer or even next year if needed. I truly hope the team utilizes it as a resource; for I know that there were mistakes I made which I don’t want them to repeat.

My Presentations went over well I think, I set the goal of trying to convey to the facility that were present how important the team is to the school. Because they are the ones who have the power to get money and visibility to the team. I have some faith in the members of the team next year, but you can’t expect high school students to bear the weight of running a whole team by themselves with no faculty support. There is also the issue of recruitment; the school could make the team count as something more than a club. The amount of work that goes into the team, I feel, qualifies it as a elective class with a grade. I don’t really see that ever happening but at least let it count as a sports credit or something to entice students to join. Once people are on the team they can see what it is really like, then they will enjoy it enough to get their friends on it. From there it is a domino effect that will only benefit the team.

I may be doing a shorter presentation to some of the middle school in the following weeks and try to gain some interest there. The only problem is that there is a lot going on in the next three weeks for me. If nothing else this year, I learned that I am very good at obligating myself to too many activities. Sleep, I think I remember that… But seriously the middle/lower school should have programs reinstituted in it that are related to science. The Lego team which used to be in the middle school was very successful, yet that was discontinued this year. Again this is a way that teachers need to get involved. FA in this century seems to be highly focused on two things; sports and basic academics. Lately the tone has been changing with better and more often inclusion of the arts with the many drama productions. But there still isn’t much focus on the sciences as there should be. I feel both the robotics team and Blue crab bowl don’t get the kind of respect that they should.

Hopefully these things change in the years to come. Anyways it has been a great experience; I think the way the senior exhibit was done this year was much better than before; with the rehearsal being private and the main presentation public.

Here is a link to all the videos of our elemination rounds: http://www.thebluealliance.net/tbatv/team.php?team=2021