The Road to Atlanta        

By Ryan Brancheau      

    I never thought walking into the conference room of Premier for the first time, that it would take me to the other end of the country.  After the long, hard working build season we shipped off to competition.  Winning the Rookie All Star at our second competition was the ticket we needed to be able to attend the National Competition in Atlanta, Georgia.  I can remember the instant we won Rookie All Star.  I had never felt so great!  We continued on to our last Michigan competition as we knew we needed all the experience we could get if we were going to Atlanta.  We needed to really show everyone what the Grand Blanc EngiNERDs were all about. 

        In the weeks leading up to the Atlanta departure day, there wasn’t a time when a ‘NERD’ passed another that we didn’t at least hint about Atlanta.  I can remember sitting in class the day we were leaving, but that was just about it.  I honestly could only sit there and draw pictures of airplanes and robots all day.  Then it was finally time for the Airport.  I was so excited I could not sit still waiting for the plane to get to the gate. We lined up and waited for our seats.  The plane ride was the most painful thing of my life.  Sitting there knowing Nationals were just a few hours away and it seemed that the plane was flying way too slow.  But a few hours later we made it to Atlanta and our adventure began.  Our first stop was our hotel. Not just any hotel either, a 47 floored masterpiece.  As you stood in lobby and looked up, it looked as if the building twisted.  However, this was just a small piece of wonder… the next step of our epic journey of Nationals. 

  The next day was day one of competition.  I hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep the prior night. I don’t think anyone did.   We were all  too excited!  We took the MARTA and headed to the Georgia Dome.  Upon arriving at the Georgia dome,  we broke into two groups, the pit crew and the rest heading to the stands.  I was one part of the pit crew. It was soon time for the opening ceremonies to begin.  Looking around the arena, the realization hit me that we were competing with the best of the best from all over the world.  Then, Boy, was it a shock to all of us when George Bush Sr. came on stage.  He gave a speech in which he said of Robotics, “It is like the W.W.F. for smart people.”  This got us all pumped and ready for competition to begin. 

   Our second day at the competition started and we all went about our jobs. This day I was with the scouting group. We sat and watched match after match. The day pressed on and the team was doing great against all the experienced teams!  After the day of heated competition we set off for the Hard Rock Café.  We went there for dinner but got much, much more.  As the staff sang and danced their way through the night.  Well of course most of us had to join in.  Talk about team building!  After the dancing, singing, and dinner we headed back to our hotel for free time and relaxing.  We all hung out together watching TV. and playing games.  It was so much fun!

     The next day was the final day of competition.  Everyone was on edge. I do not think anyone slept the night before.    After we all were ready we headed off for the competition.  We were all running around like crazy making sure we took care of everything.  Then came the moment of … Alliance election.  We were all sitting, shaking, and hoping that the teams we were asking would say yes.   All but one of them did which was ok because that allowed us to have a really good alliance.  We worked hard and competed to our fullest. Then it all came down to the score of our last final match.  We all stood there holding each other and shaking as we stared at the screen waiting for the score.  We lost that match, which knocked us out of the finals, but we knew we had done what few rookie teams could do and all the teams dreamed about. 

The next day we woke up and packed our bags.   Our team then went to the Coca Cola Museum.  We all enjoyed the tour.  However, I’m sure everyone’s favorite part was the bear!  The Coca Cola bear was there so we could take pictures with him. We got a team photo with him and gave him one of our team buttons.  I think that secretly we were his favorite part of that day as well.  Then the sad part came.  The time when we had to go back to the airport.  We all wanted to stay, but we knew it was time to go back.  We went back to the airport, where we boarded our plane and came back to Michigan.  Our parents met us with open arms and lots of congratulations.  It was a great experience and one that I’ll never forget!

Ryan Bancheau, currently a junior at GBHS, was a member of the Mechanical team and part of the Pit Crew during the EngiNERDs 2008 Rookie season.

- EngiNERDs Newsletter, Fall 2008 

The Mid-Michigan Robotics Alliance (MMRA), a non-profit organization comprising of Mid-Michigan FIRST Robotics teams, were asked to volunteer at the FIRST Tech Challenge competition at Southwestern Academy in Flint on Saturday, December 1.

FIRST Tech Challenge is a mid-level robotics competition for high school students.  It differs from the FIRST Robotics competition with smaller teams using a VEX Robotics Design System to design and build their robots.

The Grand Blanc Robotics Team, a member of MMRA,   provided volunteers which gave the team a chance to become familiar with the different levels of FIRST competitions as well as an opportunity to earn community service hours.  Team members served at the competition pit in safety and pit management as well as queueing the teams for competition.

The Premier Tooling Systems building has been kindly donated to be used for the Grand Blanc Robotics team. It is co-owned by Thom Self, who authorized its use.   Premier Tooling Systems designs and manufactures tooling that is used to machine valve bodies, brake calipers, and other various automotive parts. The tools provided are welders, drill presses, saws, among other tools that we can use to create the best  robot possible. It's open spaces are also ideal for maneuvering and testing our robots.

Our electrical team and public relations uses its conference room to do their tasks. The mechanical team uses the lunch room to do their planning and also uses the tools to construct the robot. The programming team uses one of the many rooms to meet and write codes and program on their computer to make the robot move and complete tasks. Mechanics also uses the machines to create counter boards so the other team members can construct the base. We are very fortunate to have the use of this building, which is in the perfect location.

_______________________________

Story by: Logan Hainer

- EngiNERDs Newsletter, December 2007

FIRST is truly a volunteer driven organization.  Volunteers serve as partners, team mentors, team coaches, event organizers and event volunteers. 

Thanks to those who have volunteered as team mentors for the EngiNERDs:

Mechanical– Mike Masica and John Boehnke

Electrical– Tom Kiihr and Joe Nickola

Safety– Tom Kiihr

Programming– Brian Young

The Robotics team is able to focus their efforts on learning the various engineering  areas in preparation for the upcoming season while the Sponsorship mentors Shelly Masica and Cathy Nickola concentrate on obtaining corporate sponsors who are willing to fund and/or provide materials for the teams' robot and competition expenses.

- EngiNERDs Newsletter, November 2007

FIRST Robotics Teams rely on Mentors to lead the team as well as coach the students in the skills necessary to design, build, and test their robots for competition.   

        Grand Blanc’s Head Mentors are Clinton Bolinger and Brandi Suder.  Clinton was introduced to FIRST Robotics as a senior at Kearsley High School and then assisted a Kearsley team in the 2001 season.  He entered Kettering University to prepare for a career in Engineering and   continued to mentor the Kearsley High School Robotics Team until 2003.  In 2007, Clinton became an assistant mentor for the Swartz Creek High School Robotics Team with the help of Brandi Suder.  Brandi has an education background from Central Michigan University and develops much of the educational core of the activities.  After one season with the Swartz Creek team, Clinton and Brandi were presented with the opportunity to establish a FIRST Robotics Team at Grand Blanc High School.

Thanks to the enthusiasm and initiative of both Clinton and Brandi, a team has been organized at Grand Blanc High School.

The Grand Blanc FIRST Robotics team is lucky to have both as Head Mentors. Welcome to Grand Blanc High School Clinton & Brandi!         

- EngiNERDs Newsletter, November 2007

Each year, Dean Kamen, the founder of FIRST, creates a homework assignment for the students, mentors, parents, and Sponsors of FIRST Robotics Competition Teams. In the past, assignments have included an attempt to develop a database of current members and alumni, a push to create opportunities for FIRST to be featured in the media, and a request to contact your Congressperson and Senators and invite them to District, Regional and the Championship competitions.

This year, Dean's Homework encourages Students and Mentors to turn every FIRST Robotics Competition Event into a Spectator Sport. The indention is to fill the stands at every competition, and create standing-room only in every venue. Fans will be filled with the spirit of Gracious Competition, and watch all of the teams' Robots "compete like crazy, and treat each other well in the process." 

Students and Mentors on the Grand Blanc High School Robotics Team have sent invitations and VIP Pit Passes to all of the Team's sponsors, the Grand Blanc Community School Board, and Grand Blanc High School Administration. Students have been encouraged to get their peers involved with the team, and help with outreach projects within the community. Students and Mentors have been inviting their friends and family to attend our two District Competitions, and the Michigan State Championship. 

The Grand Blanc High School Robotics Team will be attending the Kettering University District Competition on Thursday, March 4, Friday, March 5, and Saturday March 6. The competition will take place at Kettering University's Connie and Jim John Recreation Center in Flint, Michigan. In addition, The EngiNERDs will also compete at the Ann Arbor District Competition at Skyline High School, in Ann Arbor, Michigan on March 11, 12 and 13. 

Competitions are free and open to the public. Friends and family of the Grand Blanc High School Robotics Team are encouraged to attend throughout the three days of competition and practice. Spectators will enjoy watching practice and competition rounds, and may also take a tour of the Pit Area. The EngiNERDs will supply Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), such as Safety Glasses, for any visitors, which is required to enter the Pit Area.

For more information, please visit the EngiNERDs' Tentative Schedule of Events for the Kettering University and Ann Arbor District Competitions, or FIRST's information on all of the Michigan District Competition Events.

Scrip can help you earn money for Robotics!

The 2010 FIRST Robotics Competition season has officially begun! Team 2337 attended their local kickoff at Kettering University in Flint, Michigan. After the official game announcement, the EngiNERDs attended a strategy brainstorming session. Kettering University was Gracious enough to lend the EngiNERDs a classroom in the Academic Building for this meeting. A special thanks goes out to Bob Nichols for the wonderful accommodations.

The purpose of this brainstorming session was to discover all of the possible game play strategies for the 2010 FIRST Robotics Competition game, Breakaway. Students of Team 2337 played a board game specifically tailored for Breakaway, designed by one of the Team’s Mentors, Clinton Bolinger. The intention was to allow students the opportunity to immerse themselves into the game, and create an environment where the best strategy will win, rather than the best robot design.

After reading the manual to better understand the rules of Breakaway, students used pawns to represent robots, and bingo chips to represent game pieces. Throughout the afternoon, students worked in pairs to develop strategies that could be translated into the game play, and eventually into the actual design of the Team’s Robot. 

Students used the knowledge that they gained during their participation in game play  to come up with a list of Robot functions and game strategies and ranked them according to their agreement with the Team's overall goals. As the build season progresses, the EngiNERDs will refer back to the list of strategies and robot functions to ensure that the final designs and prototypes will meet the goals set. This list will provide the Team with a starting and end point during the build season, and allow them to set goals for deliverables and completion dates on various projects.

The EngiNERDs left their brainstorming session with a stomach full of pizza and Mountain Dew, and a great strategy for Breakaway. They are excited to see how the build season progresses, and how the strategies that were developed align with the 2010 FIRST Robotics Competition game. The hope is that this brainstormong session will have produced enough knowledge and strategies to guide the EngiNERDs to a successful season. 

 Please continue to check back with the Team's site to discover more about our plans and activities for the 2010 FIRST Robotics Competition season, Breakaway. Also remember to read our new student blog section. This new feature includes articles written by team Student members and Mentors, describing their roles, responsibilites and experiences with Team 2337 throughout the 2010 season. Best of luck to all Teams!