Hello everyone, have you ever wondered where Trial and Error Robotics began? I have, well, at least once or twice. As we celebrate our 10th year as a team, we wanted to go back and see how it all started. So I, General Mayhem, and a few of our raccoon journalists are here to interrogate, er, I mean, interview a few of our team alumni and our super coach, Mr. Cody Goss. With that said, let’s get started!
General Mayhem (GM): Allow me to introduce our victims-I mean guests, team alumni, Shelby and Brandon, thank you for joining me. And last but not least, Mr. Cody Goss! Welcome!!!
Let’s rewind ourselves to the past and ask: how did Trial and Error Robotics start? Were you on any other teams before this wonderfully chaotic one?
Shelby: Well, Trial and Error didn’t originally have the name Trial and Error Robotics; it was originally called the Vicksburg Victors. We used to not be a community-based team, and we were a public school team. Coach made Trial and Error, and Brandon was a founding member.
GM: Oh, hold on one sec. (leans down toward one of the raccoons.) Yes? (raccoon whispers in his ear) Oh, okay. (turns to Brandon) So if the name wasn’t ‘Trial and Error’ previously, then what was it?
Brandon: When we were a school-based team, we competed under the name ‘Vicksburg Victors’ in the FIRST Lego League; the name correlated to us operating at Vicksburg Junior High, and because we wanted another word that started with the letter ‘V’.
Super Coach: (Looks toward General Mayhem) The Vicksburg Victors was actually the first team I was on, and they closed the doors on the team when the coach became a teacher at another school. Since they couldn’t find anyone else to continue the team, they completely shut it down. They were flexible on allowing my daughter to join, and the team was sponsored by the school. We still have a few tools from that team, some or all of which was given to Trial and Error Robotics.
GM: Interesting… (Looks at Coach) Why did you decide to create a team such as Trial and Error Robotics?
C: Well, I wanted to create a community based team that also worked with the school system, and gave kids that couldn’t join a school team a chance to learn more about robotics.
GM: Why did you finally settle on the name ‘Trial and Error’ for your team?
B: (Looks eagerly toward General Mayhem) Early on, the team members had a mentality of finding different methods to attack a problem until we came across one that would solve our problem, so quite literally trial and error. When we became community-based we adopted the phrase as our team name because it clearly represented our problem-solving approach.
C: It started out as Trial and Error, and then we quickly changed it to ‘Trial and Error Robotics’. We did that to make it evident we were a robotics team.
GM: (random raccoon flashes camera in GM’s face, GM squinting slightly at the sudden light) Was it hard to get started?
S: Trial and Error was hard to get started because we didn’t have a lot of funding. *camera flash* We also didn’t have a lot of space, *camera flash* so we would have to haul our tools around in a travel toolbox.
B: *camera flash* Our first year as a community team was also our rookie year in the FTC, so there were a lot of changes that happened to me personally. We were now meeting at a completely new place. We relocated to ERDC that year. *camera flash* *camera flash* We cycled through a couple rooms at first, but our first real base of operations was this trailer looking workshop behind 1006 with only 1 room. *camera flash* I went from programming in block code to programming from scratch, and we didn’t have a dedicated mentor at the time to mentor me as I learned this language.
GM: Ooh! Captivating, really! So, how did you start off, team members and all?
C: We had a bigger group of kids at first, which was a struggle, keeping them motivated and all. The first couple of years, we were learning everything at the exact same time.
GM: (Looks at clipboard for next question) If it was hard, how did the team push through?
B: *gets flashed* We reached out to programmers at ERDC to help guide us as we were first learning Java, and we found a concrete place for our team to start growing. *flash* Many of the growing pains we had dissolved by the end of our first year as a community team. *double flash* Can you ask your raccoon buddy to stop doing that?
GM: (GM looks at the raccoon with the camera) Um, what do you think you’re doing? (raccoon noises) Well, I politely ask, can you do it without the flash? (raccoon noises) Please and thank you. (turns back to B) Now that is out of the way, what do you think were some of the big challenges of growing this team?
B: I think initially recruiting and outreach/fundraising were our biggest challenges. Since we were no longer based at a school, it wasn’t as easy to coordinate these events. We reached out to other parts of the community to organize fundraisers and recruiting events. We became regulars at our local Newk’s and Home Depot from the amount of fundraisers and workshops we organized.
GM: (gets bonked by a random raccoon swinging the mic knocking GM’s hat off) What in the name of…(pauses, then puts his hat back on his head) That just happened, and to the amazing me. (turns back to B) Speaking of, let’s talk about me. Why did you create me, a guy with a hat, glasses, and a handsome mustache as a mascot?
B: Well during our years as a community team, the original members agreed to incorporate a 70s mafia aesthetic as a part of our uniform during competitions and outreach events. Our outfits included a fedora and a ‘suit’ t-shirt. We created the mascot, you, to match this theme and added your mustache to give you a more complete look.
GM: (mumbles) I’m a mob boss… (clears his throat)
C: Well, Brandon mentioned the “70’s” gangster theme as a part of our uniform, sorry you are wrong. (Brandon looks confused) It was a “30’s” gangster theme with pinstripe suits and pencil thin mustaches. It wasn’t until later when someone else got a hold of the logo did you really come along.
GM: Aww, thank you whoever, for giving me such an amazing mustache. (winks at the raccoons) But who created me and my great personality?
B: I actually do not remember; you may have to ask Coach. (Looks at Coach)
C: If I remember correctly, we didn’t end up creating you till our second year as a FTC team.
GM: What gave you the inspiration to create, well, me? The glorious General Mayhem?
C: Mr. Lolo was the logo of the LowRider Magazine and was the inspiration I based it on. He was redesigned into the team logo.
GM: How…highly interesting. Well, I believe that is everything we have for you. You are now free from this interrogat-I mean, interview! Thank you all so much for being here.
Well, that is all, folks! That was our interview with Coach Cody Goss, Shelby, and Brandon about our team’s starting point into what it is to this day. Also did I mention this year is our 10th year as a team? That’s right! It’s our team’s 10th year! We’re so excited for the new season of robotics, challenges, and fun! *something crashed in the background* *Raccoon noises and running away from the scene of the crime* Oh dear… uh, well, from the greatest and only mascot of Trial and Error Robotics of all time, we hope to see your wonderful gears and parts real soon.
- General Mayhem
Trial and Error 10191 