Writer: Alishba
Editor: Lia
Visuals: Kiman
ISM’s First Robotics Competition team, commonly known as FRC, took off for Hawaii on Wednesday, March 18th and returned on March 24th. The competition is composed of high schoolers from countries all over the world to compete in seasonal games.
The teams that take part in FRC are required to build industrial-sized robots with limited resources, strict rules, and sponsor funds alone. One of their goals is to spread STEM-based education locally through outreach programs, which ISM’s team has done through Saturday services, including schools around Metro Manila.
Bolivia, a member of the FRC team, talked about what happened on this week-long trip. “It’s similar to other IASAS trips…Building, fixing, and testing the bot on the fourth-floor balcony area was pretty much all we did the day before the competition. We hung out and talked to each other, of course, but it was all centered around our robot.” She mentioned how the actual 3 days of the competition were tiring, running from 8 AM to 6 PM, alternating between competing, fixing their bots, and interviewing other teams.
Bolivia also mentioned how helpful the opposing teams were. “If anything goes wrong at your pit (robot repair area), you can just ask your neighbors, and they’ll help you even if they know they are competing against you.”
FRC is a competition that’s able to celebrate a common love for robotics, bringing together robotics enthusiasts from all around the world for a unique experience. It’s a representation of sportsmanship where everyone feels a part of a larger FRC community, through bonding with your teammates or with the opposing teams.
