8/30/10

This has been a very emotional past couple of days. As part of the Falcon Robotics team, we went to Payson, AZ to a retreat so the new members as well as the returning members bond and learn the history of the team. We were scheduled to depart from Carl Hayden at six in the morning but due to some mix up we were unable to because our methods of transportation were not accessible. After finally getting on the road, close to an hour before reaching our destination traffic stopped. There had been a fatal motor vehicle accident that caused us to delayed another hour. When we finally arrived we went grocery shopping; We spent around $640 on food and drinks for the weekend. Once we settled down at the cabin we went for a hike on Mugalon Rim. The view was fantastic, the hike was exhausting, but spending time with each other was priceless.

8/27/10

Yesterday in the evening a group of 4 student, myself included, and our teacher, Mr. Lajvardi, went to a convention called Microchip Masters. This is a convention were Microchip invites there employees from different locations all over the world and they go to workshops during the day. In the evening the are exposed to some entertainment that has some Microchip features. Microchip is one of the many generous FIRST sponsor and they invite FRC teams from around the state to come and demonstrate and explain what FIRST is all about. We were asked to have a display of our robotics program along with participating in a "Robotics World Cup". Every team present was assigned a country to represent, we were Spain, we came to think it was a sort of omen and that we would end up winning the games. Unfortunately our robot began to malfunction, we believe it was due to some electrical components that were not in operating in a proper manner. Even though we were unable to win the World Cup, we met many people from around the world who work for Microchip. I myself, met people from the United Kingdom, Mexico, Holland, Germany, and other who were more local. After speaking with most of them I was intrigued by the differences in our school systems, socioeconomic status, and lifestyle. The man from UK said, "We would never be able to find a groups of students who would be willing to give up so much, or work so hard just for a simple robot competition." It is then that I explained that FIRST is not all about the robot, that it is everything that you learn, people you meet, and things you discover in the process that is valuable. Every one that I spoke to had the same expression of awe on the face. When we were able to have some free time we also visited some of the exhibits out side. One of the exhibits that caught my attention the most we a machine that would receive and decode information right before your eyes. It was fascinating to see something so complex yet so simple work its magic. One of the more thrilling moments of the evening was when we saw the Energizer Bunny mascot. We took a team picture with him and with our robot. Overall the event was very enjoyable, not only did we entertain others but we had fun in the process too.

8/25/10

The past couple of weeks of school have flown by very quickly. Since the first day of school I have been working with the other officers to better organize this years team. I have very high expectations for the following year. What we are trying to accomplish by the end of this semester is to further educate both new and returning students on robotics team. We want that everyone be more efficient and prepared so when it comes to the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Competition we will be stronger as a whole.

One of the other approaches we have taken to better our team is to inspire them as well as enlightening them by showing the great, inspiring movies. The first time we saw was "October Sky"; This film showed us how no matter where you, or where you come from you can do anything if you set your mind to it. "Contact", by Carl Sagan, was the following movie we saw. It was a moving story about a woman who lost her mother at birth, and her father at the age of 9. She overcame the judgment of her peers to strive for what she believed in and was able to reach her goals along with the help of some extraordinary people. Today we are featuring the movie "The Road". From viewing the trailers, its suppose to be a film about how the world could in a moment change for ever and how a father and his son attempt to over come all the obstacles presented.

8/02/10

Yesterday was the first day of school. The day went by fast and at the end I attended a meeting regarding a block class for algebra 3/4 Honors and Pre-Calc. After wards we had a reading a Runner's World article about two Track coaches from Alhambra HS here in Phoenix. It was a strong story that affected us all on the team in a different way.

Today we will have another meeting regarding the block class. Another thing we need to take care of is completing the new tax credit form, as well as finish paper work for trips.