The start of the competition season for our very own Geneva Robovikes is imminent, and the excitement from the members is palpable. Their season begins on January 6th, which seems far away, but with preparations already underway, there is little time left to train the new members.
Build Team Captain Catelyn Schleyer works tirelessly to ensure that her team keeps on schedule. She has planned meetings for every Thursday before the season. During the season, there are meetings every day of the week.
“Before the season, the latest we stay is about 7:00, but during the season It is pretty common for us to stay until 10:00 or later,” Schleyer said.
The dedication of the members to the team is impressive, and it is on par with the other major teams in the school. One major difference is that the majority of their practice involves strengthening the mind just as much, if not more than the body.
Senior build team member Soren Larson has been on the team his entire high school career. Due to this, he is familiar with the usual challenges that are faced by the build team such as fast-approaching deadlines, membership issues, and the usual quirks of the robot.
“Some of the main challenges we have faced over the years include time management, since we only have 3-ish months, and we never know what complications that are unique to our robot may appear,” Larson said. “Other challenges include money, since we need roughly 20k each year, membership, since we always need more people, and tools, since we are limited to what we can afford.”
To help relieve the monetary challenges, the team searches high and low for companies to sponsor them in competitions. They also utilize fundraisers at local restaurants to generate further funds.
One of the members has a unique job alongside his regular tasks. Jared Walter is a member of the coding team, but he also keeps track of the team’s budget.
“I keep an “unofficial” budget for the team,” Walter said. “The team technically has an official record of funds, but it is easier for a team member to be managing a copy of it. I have an excel sheet with funds from membership fees and costs.”
Despite these challenges, there is still a sense of overwhelming optimism and commitment from the team. While the tight deadlines loom on the horizon, every interviewee expressed excitement for the upcoming season.
“The season is probably my favorite part of the year!” Schleyer said.
