October 2024: Trunk or Treat!

We participated in the school Trunk or Treat event for the first time this year. The activity started out a few years ago, when it was held outside. Then it started raining, so they moved it inside to the competition gym. However, it has now grown so much that they will hold it outside next year.

Since we had never participated we didn't know exactly what to expect. We purchased a bag of candy to hand out, and then decorated last year's robot in some creepy spiderweb ribbon. We got our little wagon full of materials - the candy, brochures, buttons to hand out, the paper mache jag head for the candy, etc. at Tuesday's meeting. Then we met after school on Wednesday to bring everything down to the gym. Our lab is on the 2nd floor, so everything had to go to the elevator on the opposite end of the school from the gym. Then once in the gym down another elevator to the floor level of the gym.

Only that elevator was broken. Not wanting the students to carry almost 100 pounds of robot down stairs we opted to only bring our small swerve chassis down. We set up our table and prepared to be scared by all the little goblins.

Click on the captions to see the photo.

The line to get in extended out to the parking lot.

The line to get in down the stairs.

The competition gym floor is filled with booths and trick-or-treaters.

Our table with drive computer, jag head with candy, brochures, and buttons.

One of our team members cleverly merged make up and a quinceañera dress for a Dia de los Muertos costume!

Our "booth" included a small area where we (very slowly for safety) drove our prototype swerve chassis around.

Once the event started we realized we were woefully underprepared with the quantity of candy we had. And the decoration of our booth. Stay tuned for next year's booth! Ideas are already being generated.