Helped out with this years Art In The Square in Belleville, IL. It was an interesting experience. Worked at the event three of the four days. The 12th, 13th, and 14th. The 12 was a Thursday and I helped set up canopies with windbreakers. Moved sandbags to weight them down, Set up flags for sponsor tents.
On the 13th, I moved more sandbags to weight down umbrella stands and umbrellas. Rearranged a few canopies and set up a few of the smaller stages. I also got to vote in the High School Art Fair that was being held at the event.
The last day of the event on the 14th we tore down all of the canopies, removed the covers, and loaded poles into trailers. We put the covers into the abandoned Meridith home to dry out.
Only bad part about the weekend was that it was raining and was cold. All of the artists and volunteers stuck it out. The event still hit it's target amount for the event.
Sound pretty dull but it is the nut shell of what I did at the event. I thought it was interesting. Got to work on several teams that hauled butt to get all of this done in the span of several hours.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Toastmasters 5 down, 5 to go for CC.
Not like the dropped buttered bread that lands butter side up kind of thing but the international organization that facilitates better communication and leadership.
Just wrapped up giving my 5th speech out of the Competent Communicator book for the local O'Fallon, Il Toastmasters club. It’s the “Your Body Speaks” speech, where body language is emphasized. The topic was about the F.I.R.S.T robotics organization, the championships that they held this past weekend (April 27-30), the various competition levels involved, and how I volunteered at the event on Saturday. Did get the best speech award but it’s just not as significant if you’re the only speaker. That’s the way it goes sometimes. As Toastmasters, you will learn to adapt in those situations.
For the most part, I just need to stop swaying. If I can get past that I think I could potentially be a great speaker. Any tips or video equipment would be helpful, probably. I do get kinda nervous but I do feel kinda comfortable. Mostly depends on what I am presenting. The swaying could just be an internal level of nervousness but could somehow also be subconscious.
Just pondering my next speech. Number 6 Vocal Variety. Don’t really have any initial idea. I have been reading though http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/ for inspiration and perspiration. Some good ideas their for inspiration and a place for advice from people that have already done it but are in the same ball park.
Toastmasters is a neat organization for anyone wanting to improve verbal communication and/or leadership skills.
Just wrapped up giving my 5th speech out of the Competent Communicator book for the local O'Fallon, Il Toastmasters club. It’s the “Your Body Speaks” speech, where body language is emphasized. The topic was about the F.I.R.S.T robotics organization, the championships that they held this past weekend (April 27-30), the various competition levels involved, and how I volunteered at the event on Saturday. Did get the best speech award but it’s just not as significant if you’re the only speaker. That’s the way it goes sometimes. As Toastmasters, you will learn to adapt in those situations.
For the most part, I just need to stop swaying. If I can get past that I think I could potentially be a great speaker. Any tips or video equipment would be helpful, probably. I do get kinda nervous but I do feel kinda comfortable. Mostly depends on what I am presenting. The swaying could just be an internal level of nervousness but could somehow also be subconscious.
Just pondering my next speech. Number 6 Vocal Variety. Don’t really have any initial idea. I have been reading though http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/ for inspiration and perspiration. Some good ideas their for inspiration and a place for advice from people that have already done it but are in the same ball park.
Toastmasters is a neat organization for anyone wanting to improve verbal communication and/or leadership skills.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Interesting Weekend @ F.I.R.S.T. Robitics Competition
April 29, 2011: USFirst.org Robotics Championships 2011 @ Edwards Jones Dome in St. Louis, MO.
Got to escort teams of kid and coaches (between first and third grade) between their presentation table to their review session at their designated times. Assisted in judging by running tallies between the main area and the judging area. Helped create award certificates for the final presentation. Kept things running smoothly to accomplish everything from sign in to awards within a 4 hour window. Also assisted with the presentation of the medals for all of the children that participated in the event. Their were 29 teams from 11 states that were involved in the events for JFLL.
Got to escort teams of kid and coaches (between first and third grade) between their presentation table to their review session at their designated times. Assisted in judging by running tallies between the main area and the judging area. Helped create award certificates for the final presentation. Kept things running smoothly to accomplish everything from sign in to awards within a 4 hour window. Also assisted with the presentation of the medals for all of the children that participated in the event. Their were 29 teams from 11 states that were involved in the events for JFLL.
It was interesting. Their are 4 levels of competition. JFLL, FLL, FTC, FRC.JFLL (Junior FIRST Lego League) involves kids in grades K - 3 and has kids do research on some chosen topic area. The teams then select some topic within that topic area, do research, and build a lego model. This year's topic was "Body Forward" All topics for JFLL and FLL were related to the body.
FLL (FIRST Lego League) is geared to grades 4-8. This team get to build robots out of lego robotics kits. All geared towards completing some basic missions relating to the topic. Some missions might include having a robot place a band aid on a patient or retrieving a syringe or mending a fake bone.
FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge) is geared towards kids in grades 9-12. These kids get to build robots that run though an obstacle course and complete some assigned tasks.
FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) is also geared to kids in grades 9-12. Here kids completed one of 2 possible types of robot competitions. One competition involves getting large inner tubes on hooks 12 feet in the air. Their is also a side mission of having to get a little robot up a pole the quickest. The other big competition is an areal act of building a flying robot that is controllable enough to land on various platforms. Ground robots will also try to gather and shoot balls into a box.
FLL (FIRST Lego League) is geared to grades 4-8. This team get to build robots out of lego robotics kits. All geared towards completing some basic missions relating to the topic. Some missions might include having a robot place a band aid on a patient or retrieving a syringe or mending a fake bone.
FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge) is geared towards kids in grades 9-12. These kids get to build robots that run though an obstacle course and complete some assigned tasks.
FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) is also geared to kids in grades 9-12. Here kids completed one of 2 possible types of robot competitions. One competition involves getting large inner tubes on hooks 12 feet in the air. Their is also a side mission of having to get a little robot up a pole the quickest. The other big competition is an areal act of building a flying robot that is controllable enough to land on various platforms. Ground robots will also try to gather and shoot balls into a box.
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