Olivia Dewey ’14 was active in all aspects of building the Fembot’s 2012 robot and was specially trained in welding. Olivia is also a cellist in the SFHS Chamber Orchestra, as well in the California State Youth Orchestra and Sacramento Youth Symphony.
Lessons Learned:
Reflections of a Robotics Rookie
By Olivia Dewey ’14
Learning. It is a central theme for any Fembot, in particular, the rookies. The first lesson learned is balance— primarily, the balance between work and play. Many fun times are to be had during the odd hours spent in the Build Room after many people have long retired to their beds. These times also become our most intense and productive of all the hours we spend in the Build Room. All play and no work prevents us from rising to the challenges we face. Thus, rookie Fembots rapidly learn the delicate balance between work and play. The second lesson learned is Gracious Professionalism. The philosophy of Gracious Professionalism has long been a standard that FIRST strongly upholds. Individuals acting in accordance with Gracious Professionalism treat others and themselves with kindness, justice, and respect. As Fembots, we learn to maintain these standards of conduct even when everyone is underfoot, your carefully clamped project was bumped and buried under a pile of aluminum scraps cast aside by a preoccupied team member, and to cap it all off, you procrastinated and missed the deadline for submitting your brilliant interpretive essay to Turnitin.com. Indeed, much Gracious Professionalism is practiced among the Fembots. The final of the major lessons Rookies learn is communication. Clear communication is essential to the transfer of ideas and instructions. Excellent communication skills are also the key to spreading the word about our team and FIRST to the populace at large. Rookies are presented with their first opportunity to hone effective communication at the California State Fair. As rookies, we are encouraged to approach fairgoers and educate them about everything we stand for. Fembots also learn to communicate clearly with fellow team members and mentors. In the absence of clear communication, all theories, ideas, and instructions are lost in the bustle of the Build Room. As a member of the Fembots, all avenues are wide open. We have extensive sub-teams, and a significant amount of specialization within those sub-teams. For the technically inclined individual, sub-teams such as Build, Field Build, CAD, Design, or Programming are highly rewarding. For the individual who is happiest when making connections with other people, sub-teams such as Special Events, Community Outreach, Business, Organization, and Media are found to be satisfying. Such diversity within the team makes for a blend of unique and fascinating minds in collaboration to lift our team to a higher level of excellence. I have always been a person who derives the greatest satisfaction through working with my hands. To shape and create—art stretches its tendrils even into the seemingly cold world of engineering, science, and technology. It is something of a wonder when those carefully laid drawings take their true form in the third dimension. On the Fembots, I serve as the lead of Welding (an offshoot of Build), and am fully immersed in this creative process. Welding is an art within itself. The basic idea is to join two pieces of metal together by melting it and then adding additional metal, called filler rod, to create a seamless bond between the pieces. Each movement made, each dab of filler rod—it all must be accounted and compensated for. The torch moves across the aluminum with the finesse of a brush across canvas or a bow stroke across a string. Learning never ends for the Fembots. It is a trek up a trail to infinity. Veterans assist rookies. Mentors assist veterans. It is cooperation. It is perseverance. It is passion. It is robotics at St. Francis High School. v
Spring 2012 19