By Emi Gruender and Mia Hanuska
Robotics Yay!! (Mia’s Opening)
Robotics is a unique extracurricular in that the learning opportunities available are endless. Students don’t need any previous experience to join, and it’s all taught to students, by students. The teachers that supervise robotics do just that: supervise. Team members gain invaluable experience working on a team, collaborating with others, and learning skills that can be applied in the real world and at real jobs—in other words, robotics prepares students for the future. Moreover, robotics students get to participate in a world-wide competition, meeting teams and making friends from countless cultures. They see how other teams approach the same problem, and improve their own skills at the same time. And hey, the multiple thousand dollar robotics-related scholarships are pretty nice too…
Theater, on the other hand, may be a fun pastime, but that’s it: a pastime. From what I’ve seen, the skills learned in theater aren’t applicable to future majors, and the reliance on individuality contrasts the inherent teamwork required in professional spaces. When someone forgets their line, it’s on them to not forget it the next time. However, when someone makes a mistake with the robot, the whole team works together to not only resolve the issue but also prevent it from happening again.
In addition, robotics encourages community support. Teams often host summer camps or after-school clubs at middle and elementary schools to facilitate the learning of STEAM—yes, including the arts—from a young age. Through these programs, robotics shows it’s the field for everyone, no matter age or skill level. At competitions, teams are heavily motivated to help out their fellow teams by lending parts to and assisting other teams. The emphasis on teamwork, not only within one’s team, but also throughout the robotics community, no matter where the team comes from or their abilities, plays a major role in creating the graciously professional® environment of robotics.
Well, Actually… (Emi’s Rebuttal)
Though Mia claims that theatre is an in applicable pastime, used only to waste away idle weekdays, she also claims that theatre is intrinsically individualistic, and when one person makes a mistake, it is only up to them to correct it.
This assumption stems from the incorrect assumption that theatre is nothing more than “memorizing a line.” Theatre, as an art form, is nothing if not teamwork upon teamwork upon teamwork. If one person “forgets their line” (to use an inane example), the scene may not progress as smoothly as needed: and therefore their fellow actors are forced to scramble to cover their mistake, often using their creative muscles to improvise their way out of a sticky situation. Behind each elaborate set, there lies piles upon piles of blueprints that an entire team of students dreamed up and made a reality, without labor from any adults but the sole supervising hand of the teacher. Behind each cue and each lighting cue, there lies hours upon hours of careful programming by a tireless team. Behind every show, beyond the faces you see onstage, there are technicians crouching up on the catwalks, up in the booth with their hands on their headsets, calling cues with expert timing, carpenters, designers, painters, mathematicians and scientists in every one of them. Even for the actors onstage, their task to create an entertaining show is no small feat: things go wrong in front of audiences all the time, and it is up to the team onstage to fix those mistakes before the mirage for the audience is broken.
Unfortunately, theatre and the arts in general as a viable career path are looked upon as “lesser,” or “dumber” than STEM majors, such as robotics. Mia claims that theatre as a pastime has no true applications to “real life,” when in fact, that is not the case. Beyond the intricate teamwork present in every facet of theatre, participants learn lifelong skills such as confidence, courage, and ease under pressure. In order to show up onstage and make yourself vulnerable before an audience of strangers, one needs to display confidence and courage in spades. Even if a student joins theatre with no prior experience on stage, theatre can help a student out of their shell, and be themselves, more genuinely.
Building a robot and working in a team may be fun, for sure. However, after high school, the skills that robotics students once needed to wire a robot or attach a gear become effectively null if a student does not decide to actively pursue a career adjacent to robotics. Conversely, the skills that theatre can teach through singing and dancing and acting and designing and building carry on through all avenues of life. The ability to access courage can help people when they give a presentation at work, or show up at a job interview, or take a chance at nearly anything in life. The ability to stay cool under pressure in the face of unprecedented mistakes ensures resilience in the former theatre kids. Even if participants don’t decide to pursue theatre, the impact on their life from their highschool years will be undeniable.
Theatre for the Win! (Emi’s Opening)
The theatre department will always have something for someone. Theatre is an outlet in which everyone can express themselves and discover a creative outlet: whether that be acting, singing, or dancing on stage, designing lights, choreographing dances, painting, building, and designing sets, managing sound, wiring electronics for onstage gadgets, designing costumes, guiding makeup and hair—and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Theatre can help a student grow both in their confidence and artistry, not to mention making life-long friendships along the way.
To my understanding, robotics simply consists of a couple people designing the entire thing on CAD (which no one appreciates anyway), and a bunch of other people cobbling everything together according to one person’s instructions. Where’s the individual creativity? Doesn’t seem like cooperative teamwork to me.
Well… Actually… (Mia’s Rebuttal)
Emi mentions how theater has something for everyone, but little does she know robotics offers all that—and more. Robotics is divided up into multiple divisions, each where students get to exercise their interests and mastery in a subject. Enjoy creating one-of-a-kind designs? Join the CAD team that meticulously digitally constructs the robot. Want a more hands-on, physical approach? Join mechanical or electrical, who work with machines to create each part individually in real life. More of the creative type? Join the media team and use those artistic skills to create beautiful merchandise, logos, social media posts, and more. I’d argue that if anything, robotics is more diverse than theater. Moreover, Emi stresses the importance of creativity and artistry in theater, yet neglects to recognize that both can be found in robotics. Robotics teaches students that creative solutions are often the best; hence the “Creativity Award” and “Excellence in Engineering” (often given to the most unique robot) awards at competitions.
Plus, it’s bold of theater to talk about “individual creativity,” when isn’t the fundamental idea of theater to be acting out one-person’s script? Sure, line-delivery and set-design can change things slightly, but in the end it’s a “bunch of other people cobbling” the show together. In robotics, although CAD does the actual creation of the designs, every member gets to contribute their ideas, irrespective of what division they may be a part of. Everyone gets a say in the final design, unlike theater, where actors have to stick to the lines given and the overall themes and storyline already created. Now that’s cooperative teamwork.
Furthermore, one of the slogans of robotics is “using robots to build students, not using students to build robots.” A large part of building robots is also building the confidence and skill sets of the students involved. Through intense competitions, members of robotics learn how to handle the stresses of last-minute robot fixes, controlling the robot in difficult situations, and working together with other teams to create a winning strategy. Emi argues that robotics skills are inapplicable to any career outside of STEM, however, the strengths of theater she lists, giving presentations and interviewing, are even more universal in robotics. Members regularly interview other teams about their strategies and robot designs, and when they’re working directly with the robot, are themselves interviewed about the robot. A panel of judges routinely rotate around the competition, analyzing each team. Being able to handle the quick yet complex questions judges ask at competitions directly pertains to job interviews. Presentations are also frequent in robotics; presentations to generous sponsors updating them on progress and even showing how much the team does for the community with the “Impact Award” at competitions are just a few out of many. The skills Emi believes are only nurtured in a theatrical setting are actually extremely prevalent in robotics.
Finally, those interested in more of the arts can also find spots in robotics. Digital Animation and Safety Animation, along with Team Spirit awards are perfect for those who want to create their own videos and props. Having the courage to put oneself out there and team for their team in a quiet gymnasium—whether they’re winning or not—is directly comparable to the confidence and vulnerability needed to put on a show in theatre. Many of the strengths Emi boasts theatre provides also exist within the realm of robotics—and more.
Who do you agree with?