The high school Robotics team finished 33rd out of 62 teams at their first competition of the year in the Vex Robotics Competition Jan. 27.
Robotics team adviser and computer science teacher Patrick Cummins said Vex Robotics creates a new competition each year in which teams can earn points for completing different challenges.
This year’s game is called “Over/Under,” and it consists of two teams and their robots collaborating to compete against two other teams, Cummins explained. The main component of the game is the robot launching triangular balls, “tri-balls,” to the other side of a 12-by-12 foot arena and into nets.
The team competed in six rounds of competition, of which they won three and lost three, Cummins said.
Senior and captain Alden Lippman explained his role as captain was created this year to improve the structure and organization of the team.
“There are different tasks worth different amounts of points, and you need to consolidate and decide which tasks are the most beneficial and come up with a strategy based on that,” Lippman explained.
Junior and vice captain Holden Gohs also said the increase in club organization has allowed the team to start building as early as September.
“This year we are much better set up for the competition,” Gohs said. “Last year, we were working on the robot the morning of the competition, and it broke down six times while we were at the actual competition.”
He added the club’s new leadership roles have contributed to the increased preparedness of the club by breaking down tasks and parts of the robot into different groups.
“My role is to kind of float around to the different parts of the robot that people are working on to understand what’s going on with each part of it and help any group that needs it,” Gohs said.
He said taking the Robotics class Cummins teaches helped him become more knowledgeable about the Vex system, but it is not required to participate.
“Every new perspective brings new ideas,” Gohs said. “If you know how to turn a screwdriver, you can help in some way.”
Junior and first year member Willow Crosson-Bush said they felt welcomed into the team after wanting to join since freshman year.
“It’s nice to be a part of a team where you don’t have to be scared to bring up an opinion or idea,” they said.
Cummins said he prides himself on the club being student-led, especially as the year progresses.
“I want to see leadership and responsibility,” he explained. “I want people to step up and take over from me.”
Cummins said he hopes to increase the number of competitions the team enters next year so they can be more spread out over the season, which would give the team more time to redevelop their competition strategy in between them.
“Every year we learn and improve,” he said. “We’ve consistently been creeping up in the rankings, and being in more competitions will help that to continue.”
