Tuesday, February 23, 2016 – “Bag Day”
Grover’s Automated Journal System v2.6a
3:30pm
My friends and makers entered the workshop. Some reached for Rice Crispy Treats, some grabbed pretzels, some took a Cliff Bar, and some went straight to work. My wires are a little out of place. A few zip ties and I’ll be alright.
4:30pm
My sight is a little blurry. My friends are working on a better way to mount my camera.
6:30pm
I briefly had time to recover from all the scraping, polishing, and riveting as my friends ate dinner.
8:30pm
My sight is ok now. Thanks, John Sauer ’16 for my ability to see.
9:30pm
The makers finished strapping and bolting things on me. President Michael Mong ’16 reflected upon the season, noting that “each year presents an exciting new challenge, which requires a whole new perspective, making the game exciting and unpredictable.” I’m glad he feels that way about my purpose.
My wires are all connected. Thanks, Kyle Dotter ’18 and Jacob Dewa ’18. My teachers finish their lessons by giving me a few more lines of code through a wire connected directly to my brain.
10:30pm
I overhear some of the makers proudly complimenting me but still pointing out some of the things that can be improved. Freshman Noah Santoni thought that “designing the shooter was a challenging and enjoyable task.”
Director Mr. Couvillon reflected on “how the team evolves” to create a great robot because each year “students teach students what they learned from the previous years.” I’m flattered.
11:30pm
I begin rolling around and shooting the ball, because my friends want to take pictures of me in action. I have six wheels and two gears that I can use to shift my speed, but it is still a pain to fly over all of these bumpy obstacles. Anyways, thanks, Mong, for the ability to move.
11:45pm
One of my drivers ran me into a wall and bent my shooter head; it tickled a little. It seems odd that my friends would be so rough with me so close to competition, but I am confident that they know what to do.
11:55pm
I start to rest, posing for glamour shots, while everyone else is running around frantically to tuck in my wires.
11:58pm
My battery was yanked out and a rubber cord was wrapped around my neck to keep me steady.
12:00am
I’m now looking out through a cloudy plastic bag back at my friends. Thanks Team 2848 for creating me in six weeks with everyone’s hard work. A few electrons still run through my wires as I record a few final thoughts. Here I will hibernate until my first opportunity to try out my new skills in San Antonio, Texas on March 11th. I’m getting sleepy…
