The Adventurous Experiences
"The video team members all had their own strengths and the initial challenge was figuring out how to best bring out everyone's talents. I remember getting stressed at the beginning of the new year when we had barely settled on a concept. I sent out a text to my team and the writing team immediately tackled the script and we got the ball rolling. Making the video was a challenge because a lot of people needed to be involved and we are all very busy individuals, but we somehow managed to pull together and make something we are all very proud of. As team leader, my biggest struggle was trying to take the lead without being patronizing. Overall, the teams I worked with were very cooperative, so I was able to keep the bossiness to a minimum. It is a challenge being in charge of a student run project when the teachers are not in charge and are only there for outside assistance. I'm really proud of my team. I already knew they were amazing peers, but they all impressed me with their ambition, talent and dedication. If it's true about a team only being as strong as their weakest link, then boy are the other teams in trouble because we will be the mitochondria of that competition!"
Sarah Zidle – Project Manager & Video Team Leader
LSA Student Interviews!
"Robotics this year has taught most of us here how to actually use tools. Most of us are brand new, others are a little more experienced, but the thing that our team really learned was how to work together to get things done. Working together has also made us all some new friends, which we're all thankful for. The thing we enjoyed the most about this year is probably just hanging out in the robotics room, building, and having fun. We had lots of time to talk and become friends with one another. The most difficult part about robotics this year was definitely coming up with a design that worked. Even to the very last day of the competition, we will still be changing things. We didn’t have to make any major sacrifices, but one thing we got rid of were ideas that we didn’t agree on anymore. If they weren’t working, then we scrapped it. The type of people we wanted in robotics were the ones who wanted to build the robot just for the fun of it, not because they had to or for marks. We had to sacrifice the people who just weren’t fully with us. As one of the team leaders, there were certain challenges we saw coming; the amount of time it would take us and how many times our ideas would change. We’re still going to be working on the robot until the last day we have and our ideas are being changed even to this day. Something we weren’t expecting was our lack of equipment and materials. Luckily, with the help of the school and donations from members, we bought new tools, equipment and materials for the team to use. The most important part is that we had fun and I think at least some of us will be doing this again next year."
Giancarlo Tucci – Build Team Leader
"Being a part of the kiosk team in robotics this year has truly been an amazing experience. Our team is filled with motivated, talented students who have a passion for art. One of our biggest struggles was determining the theme of our set, and the length of time it took for everybody to finally agree on one thing. Once the theme of 'Adventure Time' was settled, every team member shared their creative input, and together we created an amazing kiosk for our robot. This experience has allowed us to meet new people, and share our ideas in a space we feel comfortable. Since we meet multiple times a week to work on the kiosk, we feel immense pride in what we have created, and this project is something that none of us will ever forget."
Samantha Laskaris - Kiosk Team Leader
"This is my 15th year participating with a team at CRC robotics. This year I helped the video and web teams. However, I am using the term help very loosely because other than smile and make encouraging words, I did nothing. So for me, this has been the best year ever. The teams worked autonomously, they set deadlines, did the work, met deadlines, and all I had to do was smile. Well done team! You rock."
Heather McPherson - Video Team Supervisor
