Rather than express an all-too-obvious opinion about the inexplicable behavior at this week’s Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors meeting — a circumstance that might be corrected in this year’s election by establishing a better male-female balance on that governing body — we are obligated to look elsewhere for an example of productive teamwork.
Nothing illustrates that better than the county’s robotics team, Titanium Wrecks — T-Wrecks for short — as this volunteer-guided group of local high school students prepares to head to district championships in College Park next week.
So, one might ask, exactly what does T-Wrecks do and what is this completion all about? The team is part of an effort created by the national nonprofit organization FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).
Each year, FIRST holds district competitions throughout the country in various disciplines that allow students to demonstrate their grasp of science, technology, engineering and teamwork. T-Wrecks does battle in the Robotics Division with a machine it designs, engineers and assembles from a parts kit issued by FIRST.
If the team does a good job at that and understands the strategies needed to be successful in whatever game FIRST selects for the competition — it’s a robotic version of “capture the flag” this year — it could find itself for the third time at the world championships in St. Louis in late April.
Before that, however, T-Wrecks needs to raise $4,000 to pay its way to the district championships in College Park next week. We encourage residents and businesses to help with that (see our story for details), as we are happy to do.
Supporting something that’s purely positive is a nice antidote to the negativity, bad behavior and unproductiveness that occurs all too frequently elsewhere.