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Originally Posted by To be a girl Gearhead
For Christmas or their birthday, most teenagers dream of a car--I dream of a robot.
The Gearheads robotics team is given six weeks to design, build, program and occasionally test a 120 lb. robot, the purpose of which changes each year. This year, the goal of the game is to shoot 9-inch balls at targets that are attached to the backs of opposing robots. Think of it as robot basketball, but on smooth ice. And you're not wearing skates--you're wearing thick, fuzzy socks.
I remember walking into the informational meeting last year. I was a small-feeling, very confused little freshman. The only reason that I even showed interest in the team was because my friend's older brother was a member, and she told me stories about how fun it was. So I found her, and began talking excitedly. Soon, a veteran team member came over and joined in the conversation. After picking up an interest survey from a nearby table, I looked around and realized that the room was filled mostly with guys.
Building a robot didn't seem so appealing, either--I didn't want to be an engineer, and I wasn't nearly geeky enough to be able to do all of that...math. I glanced down, and saw that there were other areas that I could participate in, such as making team-themed necklaces, drawing up logos, and business management. Making necklaces is fun. I thought I'd do that.
Wow, was I wrong.
When I changed, I don't know. I don't even want to know anymore. Sometime between September and January, I changed. Guys weren't so bad and scary any more, either. Robot building suddenly seemed to be the best thing in the world.
Yet, the hard work and satisfaction of building a robot isn't all this girl-among-guys gets. Walking into the shop, I know that I've conquered my assumptions about guys. now, I'll jump right into the work, doing whatever needs to be done, from drilling mounting holes to operating some of the heavier machinery, working alongside a dozen fellow team members of varying ages, genders, ethnicities, and personalities.
It's not all about the robot. Okay, yes it is, but there are some non-robot aspects to the team. Through working together towards one common goal and having fun along the way, we become one big happy family that understands each other perfectly.
Joining the team has had more of an effect on me than I realized it would. Now, science to me is like a light to a moth. Math used to be a feared creature in my books, but now it seems a lot easier and a lot more enjoyable. I used to want to become a band teacher (sorry Mr. Cleveland) but Robotics changed that. THe plans are currently to major in Engineering at Michigan Tech--the one career that I've been dead set against since I was a little kid.
I can't believe that all I ever wanted to do for the team and in life was sit around and draw logos. All I want to do now is CAD a robot, build it, and then drop everything and use my awesome new HTML skills and update the Web site.
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