“Trial and Error,”<\/a> the first Juneau high school robotics team to reach the world championships in April. <\/p>\n“It was a really great experience. We saw so many teams and their robots — our robot was definitely out of their league,” Tingey said. “We didn’t come close to any of them.” <\/p>\n
The 15-year-old is competing again this season on “Trial and Error,” and played a big role in the construction of the team’s latest robot.<\/p>\n
Ashling Cruz, captain and programmer on “Genetic Advantage”<\/strong> <\/p>\nCruz said she’s been academically-driven ever since moving to the capital city from Nicaragua as a fifth-grader. She never thought about joining the robotics team until last year. <\/p>\n
“It really was an impulsive decision,” she said. <\/p>\n
She’s glad she pushed through the first season and stuck with the sport. <\/p>\n
“As the season progressed, I was learning so much and I didn’t even realize how cool it was,” she said. <\/p>\n
Cruz enrolled in an advanced computer science class this year. She hopes to create an app for Family Promise, a volunteer organization that provides housing for homeless families. <\/p>\n
“I think it’s something that’s really important to learn and know about,” she said of computer science. “There’s just so many cool things that you can do with computer science. Like computer science is just the root. You can go into medical (fields), you could do law, you could do some many things with it.” <\/p>\n
Teilhard Buzzell, main builder and captain on “Trial and Error”<\/strong> <\/p>\nBuzzell is another returner on “Trial and Error,” and likes the teamwork and problem-solving skills inherent to robotics. <\/p>\n
“That communication and teamwork can help build (robots) and that’s kind of what drives me, the interactions with people and getting to know other teams and stuff,” he said. <\/p>\n
He said it can get intense during competitions when two teams (or alliances) compete against two other teams in matches on a small enclosed arena or playing field. <\/p>\n
“There’s a lot of moving parts since there’s four robots on the field and you and your alliance already have a game plan figured out,” Buzzell said. “But when you actually start you have no idea what the other team is doing. So that plan is always being revised, so you’re always thinking about what can you do that can benefit your alliance the most without damaging them.”<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nainsworth@juneauempire.com.<\/b><\/p>\n
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