New Year, New Students

Why hello, it’s a pleasure to see you! Summer is over and school has begun, meaning robotics is once again in full swing. We lost many seniors last year, but many new students have joined into the fray. From now until build season our returning students will be introducing them to all aspects of our team and teaching them the basic skills necessary for success.

Our marketing team in particular was lucky enough to have not one, not two, but five new students interested in joining. So to show them the different areas of marketing, we’re running them through a few mini lessons. First off is blog post writing, where I, the one and only Loresa, will be teaching them tone of voice, grammar, and formatting.

They were asked to write a brief introduction about themselves and how they’re feeling about these first few weeks of robotics. Are they nervous, indifferent, excited for writing but hesitant about public speaking? Only they can tell. Let’s start out with Diana shall we?

My first couple weeks in robotics have been both wonderful and terrifying. I grew up around robotics. I’ve been on a team since I was in third grade. I can’t imagine my life without robotics being part of it. It has entirely changed my worldview and has really opened my eyes to what I could be in the future. FRC has been this beacon in the distance of what I could do in robotics. What I could achieve. For years I’ve seen these robots compete to win championships all over the world and I’ve also seen all of the hard work put in to make it to the competition.

In these past few weeks I’ve seen how much effort the marketing team puts in to make sure that people hear about the team, to make sure we don’t just disappear from view simply because we’re a small town. I’ve observed the metal shop as the build team desperately hurry to make sure that there will be a robot in time for competition. I’ve heard about how the programming team work right up to the very last second to know without fail that the robot will follow commands and that all of the team’s work will not be in vain. Most of all I’ve felt the support from every group to keep going and to know that we can succeed.

None of the groups work without the others and we all know this. It’s why we’re a team. In these past few weeks I’ve been terrified of the build season looming around the corner and that I won’t be able to do my part, that I’ll fail. Despite this I’ve also felt wonder at all of these new opportunities presented to me. The fear falls away now because I know that my team will support me, even if I fail they will not leave me behind. They will support me no matter what. No matter if I continue to do marketing or if I choose to do programming I will be supported and that is the most wonderful thing I’ve ever known.

Next up we have Emma.

Hi, I’m Emma Lebo. I’m a small town girl who is trying to figure out who she is and will have great fun doing it. I can’t guarantee that there will not be the normal “blood, sweat, and tears” along the way. I joined Robotics to be a part of something big and I want to learn how to push through the struggles and stress of Marketing. Somebody once told me that you will never figure out what you like until you try everything you can. That wise person is my mom. To be honest, I was very nervous to join robotics because I’d never done anything like this until I decided to give it a try.

I joined the marketing section because I have experience in writing and I enjoy writing narratives in any empty notebook I can find. I feel I have the potential to because able to help in this section because I am also trying my hand at design because when I was introduced to it, the topic really fascinated me. The topic of build season has got me super anxious because I am easily stressed out and even when I want to push through, I have a hard time doing so. This year I am striving to get at least 6 hours worth of community service signed off this year so I can accomplish the rest of my hours my junior and senior years. My other goal for myself is to be good with deadlines, and I will strive to attain to keep up with the class work.

Fantastic, and Lexi?

My name is Lexi Larsen and I am a student of Kettle Falls High school. I first found out about robotics when I was greeted by high school students on the side of the road holding up big signs that read “WE NEED MONEY FOR WORLDS!”or “Houston here we come!” I then later met the lovely Ande Schoonover and Jessica Lawrence who told me of all the fun times they had in Houston, and told wondrous stories of the robotics team and their antics. It naturally sounded like a world of fun and when I found out some of my friends in class where doing this, I just had to. I love doing team sports and activities and Robotics sounded like one of the biggest team efforts out there and I'm happy to say I'm not disappointed. The team is made up of tiny little teams all working for the same goal. I was surprised however by the huge commitment I had gotten myself into. I know being in a team is always a big commitment, but this seemed like a dozy of one. I had really gotten myself in deep with Robotics,sports and theater on my plate. Even though the thought of the commitment I joined haunts me sometimes, I’m striving to rise to the challenge and balance my things like I know I can. It especially helps to have friends who are there to support me and to know most of the team goes through the same struggle and it is possible to balance life and create a robot.

When it came to joining and how the past few weeks have gone I'm super excited. Through the marketing meeting and the survey I've learned of the many responsibilities of people in marketing and have gotten to know where I would like to fit in that chaos. I'm excited to see how competitions work, and to stay overnight for a school activity. I love traveling and getting to travel with a team of my friends is even better. Although when it comes to build season, I find myself stressed and nervous. I'm stressed about the stress I'll be going through. I've heard many treacherous tails of the woes of build season. But underneath that stress and fear that comes into the story tellers eyes is happiness and fun. I'm nervous for build season but I hope to find the fun and joy in it to help us to accomplish what know seems to me know, the impossible.

And lastly we have Montana.

I have been in robotics for three years. During this time period I have established a love of computers and robots. When I was told that the high school robotics team was different from the middle school robotics team, I was fairly scared. It was said that the older robotics team was even more laid back, and I relaxed, although there was still an underlying nervousness. After another year of constantly hearing how laid back the high school robotics team was, (and seeing evidence to back it up) I had finally gotten over my nervousness. Now, as I join the team, those who said it were very right, but also very wrong.

When you hear that someone is laid back, you usually think that they’re always that way, but here in robotics, that’s untrue. This team is nicely adept at joking when they have time to spare or need a break, but when they’re down to the wire and need to get things done, they are akin to the machines that they build. This being said, I am excited to start working with them on a new build season, and hope that someone can help me here to become a better teammate (and writer!) within marketing