EDITOR’S NOTE: Alexandra Wilson-Zegil, who is both captain of the MSS Robotics team and the author of this newspaper’s weekly Kids in the Halls column about MSS events undertook a first-person account of the team’s successful journey to the World Robotics championships in Houston, Texas a week ago.
Tuesday, April 16
“Good luck in Houston!” my friends told me before I hopped on the bus that would take me and sixteen other students from Manitoulin Metal 6865 to Toronto.
The first leg of our journey included leaving Manitoulin Island, the home that we would not return to for another five days. Even after having a year to wrap my head around it, I am still in shock that we are leaving the Island to represent Canada on the global stage at the FIRST World Championships for the second year in a row. Once in a lifetime has turned into twice in a lifetime.
Houston, Texas is approximately 2,787km away from the Island. Despite the distance, and challenges we faced as a rural team, we crossed every kilometer and overcame every obstacle. This is largely due to the tremendous support from Manitoulin Island as a whole. Over the past year, I have seen every community come together to support our team and our dream. When they say there is no place like the Island, they mean it.
After a six-hour bus ride, we arrived at the hotel where we would stay for the night before catching a flight the next morning. The night is spent hanging out with team members, preparing for the journey the next day, and getting some sleep before our four am wake-up call.
Wednesday, April 17
On the airplane
Getting up at four in the morning is not as hard as it seems…if your alarm goes off. Mine did not. Miraculously, I managed to get ready in time.
I am currently writing this 10,359 meters above the ground. The airport was an even more chaotic experience than my earlier adventures. Despite the challenges, all seventeen students and three mentors made it through to our gate.
Once we land, we will go to the competition venue to “load-in.” This includes taking our robot out of the crate it was shipped in, setting up our “pit” (our robot-repair area), and navigating our way through up to 60,000 people.
This is all hosted at the George R. Brown Convention Centre. The venue takes several kilometers to go around and could fit several times the population of Manitoulin Island comfortably.
Houston is supposed to be a balmy 29°C (I am not in the USA yet!) when we get there. The temperature is one of the many things I am looking forward to.
Later that day…
We have finally arrived at the FIRST Robotics World Championship. I have never seen any group of people come together in the same way they came together at Champs. Teenagers from different countries, backgrounds, cultures and experiences are bonding over robotics in a way that highlights all of our similarities and celebrates all of our differences. It is the first day, so I feel nervous, but at the same time, I know this is where I belong.
At load-in, we saved our robot, BEEthoven, and some other supplies from their shipping crate. Parts of Manitoulin touch our build area (also known as ‘the pits’). Bees crocheted by a community member, 3D-printed keychains of the Island, a poster of all our sponsors (the overwhelming majority of them local), and a map of Manitoulin hung proudly on our canopy. I spend part of my time explaining to people from all over the world where I live, and why it is the coolest place on Earth.
I had the opportunity to speak to teams from the United States to Turkey to Mexico today. My team and I are involved in an international initiative called Project Pangea. This project aims to amplify a message of environmental sustainability globally. I finally got to meet several project participants in person and discuss different ways that we can make the world a better place.
Later that night, we shared pizzas as a team and met up with Helen Siksek, our team grandma. Helen, who lives part-time in Texas, has been invaluable to Manitoulin Metal. During our stay here Helen has offered to make lunch for all twenty of us each day, provide needed supplies, and cheer our team on. Her support will forever be appreciated and she will always hold a special place in Manitoulin Metal’s hearts.
P.S. You can disregard what I said about looking forward to the weather, I am sweating buckets!
Thursday, April 18
It is the first official day of competition matches. The buzz of excitement I felt both this year and last is shared with the roughly 60,000 other people in the building. I spent my day watching the robot race across the field and in the pits, meeting kids my age from several different countries and talking to judges.
As Manitoulin Metal’s captain, I often find myself in awe of my teammates, especially today. Their skills, though different, all work together. Throughout the season, our teamwork skills have only grown. We can problem-solve together, share ideas, and be there for one another. I could not have asked for a better group of people to lead.
Tonight was a special night for Manitoulin Metal as we got to attend Robo Prom. This is a dance designed for teens attending the World Championships to come together and dance. Myself and several others got dressed up and headed towards the Hyatt Regency in the Houston Downtown. We danced the night away with dozens of other teams around us, singing, cheering and busting some moves.
Friday, April 19
After yesterday’s adventures, we settled into another day of competition. Manitoulin squeezed through the throngs of tens of thousands of people, cheering, visiting the Innovation Faire, driving robots, eating at the food trucks, singing karaoke, and enjoying the heat. Despite knowing what to expect, I was still not ready for the crowds. The energy emanating from the building—the excitement, happiness and togetherness that you can only find at robotics—felt euphoric.
This year, my team incorporated many new-to-us technologies into our robot including, swerve drive (an efficient way of moving the robot) and pneumatics (using air to move parts). This being our first year using these things, we ran into issues that we had to solve. By the time we made it to the World’s fields, our robot had come together. We were able to zoom across the field and have a smooth game-piece shooter. Several hours of work went into the robot, and I could not be more proud.
Saturday, April 20
Today was alliance selections and the finals. We walked 20 minutes to the venue from our hotel and were met with even more people than we had seen in the building previously. We claimed seats in the stands (precious real estate in the robotics world) and watched as teams were invited to the division finals. Shortly after, awards ceremonies began. We came to Worlds with little expectation, we wanted a working robot and we wanted to have fun, we were there with the best of the best after all. So imagine my surprise, when for the second year in a row, our name is called to receive an award on the world stage. My team exploded with cheers as we ran up to get our award. We won the Sustainability Award, which “celebrates and recognizes a team which has developed sustainable practices to have a positive environmental impact and achieve long-term continuity.” I was so grateful for the opportunity to once again put Manitoulin on the map at an international competition.
Later, there were the semi-finals where three Canadian teams were represented. I watched the vastly different robots complete the same challenge while talking to friends I’ve made from different countries. I was filled with a bittersweet feeling during finals. Worlds was almost over and so was competition season, leaving room for new ideas. I thought that a part of me would always miss my time in Houston and the friends I made while I was there.
Even if we hadn’t brought home an award, this experience would have had immeasurable value for those there. In Houston, I was able to fully see the depth of my team’s unique skills and talents. I saw them when their hard work this season was recognized by thousands of people, and that was just as meaningful as the Sustainability Award itself.
Without our mentors, parents, sponsors, and community volunteers there wouldn’t be a Manitoulin Metal, much less one capable of competing at an international level. These adults are the ones opening doors for rural teens to pursue what they are passionate about. The opportunities provided will have a positive impact on myself and my team for years to come.
Living in a small town I thought that something of this scale couldn’t happen to me. Manitoulin’s community disproved what I once believed. They have come together to support me and Manitoulin Metal in a way that goes above and beyond what anywhere else in the world could do. My time in Houston, despite being so far away from the Island, has only reaffirmed to me that I truly could not live in a better place.
by Alexandra Wilson-Zegil
