Beginning this school year, Aragon’s First Robotics Competition (FRC) team is requiring formal applications and interviews for aspiring members. FRC is the largest division of the robotics-related Aragon groups, and this will likely result in a reduction from the previous 61 members to a team of 25 to 35 members.
While this may appear to be a drastic change, there was a past precedent for interviews. Interviews are a routine practice for another division of Aragon Robotics, the First Technology Challenge (FTC) team, and were also used by the FRC team years ago. But when the FRC team went virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it grew to a size that was not manageable when they returned in person.
“COVID threw a curveball at everyone,” said robotics adviser and math teacher Craig Sipple. “During COVID, it was all through zoom. If anybody want[ed] to show up, [they could] … [This way], we could have one hundred people on.”
However, the switch back to in-person meetings was not as smooth as the team had expected. One issue that arose was safety concerns in the shop, where the robotics team constructs the robot.
“Part of the [reason for] limiting the team size is that there has to be an adult in every room supervising,” Sipple said. “Not [to exaggerate], but you could get yourself killed in [the shop] … We can’t have so many people in [there]. It has to be a smaller number of people that we can supervise.”
In the past, the team’s large size also made some students feel excluded, leading to a decrease in morale and commitment from some members.
“From the kids’ perspective, a lot of them weren’t able to do much,” said junior and FRC lead Satvik Reddy. “There was a general lack of motivation, to the point where people would stop showing up to meetings [and] were upset with [the] leadership because they felt like things weren’t going anywhere.”
“The purpose [of] having a smaller team is so that each group can work more individually”
Some members in the team predict that fewer members will mean more effective training periods, as more resources can be focused on each student.
“The purpose [of] having a smaller team is so that each group can work more individually,” said sophomore Anish Dara. “[For example], during the training for the new members, it’s easier to focus in smaller groups rather than one lead having to work with 15 people at once.”
Another possible solution for the team could have been finding new mentors. Unfortunately, this is not a straightforward process.
“Last year we did get a new mentor [but they resigned from their position],” Reddy said.
FRC hopes to gain a fresh start by reintroducing interviews to apply.
“[My FRC] application [in 2019] was a bit disorganized,” said senior and robotics team director Sebastien Ludwig. “The way we have [the application process] right now, coming out of COVID, has made it a lot easier on the members and the leads.”
For some new recruits who are going through the application process, the expectations set by the robotics team are more reassuring rather than intimidating.
“[I was] mostly asked questions about [myself] and why I would be a good [addition to] robotics,” said freshman and applicant Emily Vincent. “They [did not] require experience in robotics and that made [me think], ‘Oh, maybe I can apply.’”
Sipple reaffirms that the team values attitude and commitment more than one’s past experiences.
“Having some experience helps,” Sipple said. “[But] time commitment is really the big thing. It is [also] important that there is a good vibe in terms of fitting in with the team. If someone is willing to put in the time, they’ve got a good attitude and they’re committed to [robotics], they can make the team.”
While the FRC team size is getting smaller, Ludwig believes the team spirit won’t be impacted.
“Even if the FRC [team] is reduced, I think that the general atmosphere of Aragon robotics as a whole will stay largely the same,” Ludwig said. “The same team culture, the same kind of fun I get at every meeting [will still be there].”
The FRC season begins Jan. 7, and members will begin to work with programming and design to prepare for the competition.
Written by Meilin Rife.
