Masters robotics team triumphs in FIRST Tech Challenge

omously park at the requested spot.

Despite numerous setbacks, the Masters robotics team managed to present their robot at the FIRST Tech Challenge at East Fishkill, New York and even won third place in the Design category of the award ceremony. Out of all teams, the Masters team was the only one who hadn’t already competed this school year. In fact, this competition has been the frst in-person one for the team since the start of COVID-19 and has proven to be quite competitive with 28 teams competing for 12 hours.

The FIRST Tech Challenge consists of fve matches, each with an autonomous section in which a robot performs a pre-programmed mission on its own and a teleop section when a team operates the robot with remote controls. The main task for the teams was to build a robot that would be able to pick up the cones and put them on different level junctions. In addition to that, it should respond to specifc signals and auton-

For Ella Dundas ’23, the team’s oldest member, the most memorable part of the competition was the third match, when the team replaced their not-working batteries with the new ones that they borrowed from other participants. Dundas said she felt very excited to see the full potential of their robot when it had all working parts.

“Our autonomous code worked really well and got us to exactly where we needed to be. And we actually got more points than the robot before us,” Dundas said. “And what was really exciting about that game was there’s an element where, in the last 30 seconds, you can cap one of the polls with a specifc capping element that you design, and that will give you bonus points. Sam, the driver, capped it when it was like a millisecond to spare. We made it [in the very last seconds] and that was a really good moment.”

Besides Dundas, Sam Scheinbach ‘23, Rebecca Troy ‘25 and Leo Shatzoff ‘23 worked on the hardware of the robot, while Nataliia Kulishova ’23 and Nate Borwick ’23 wrote the code. Robotics Faculty Advisor Stone Yan said, “There’s a lot of collaboration [between the coding and building teams]. When some-

With a new year should come a fresh start, but instead the public is reminded of a tragedy our world continues to face: gun violence. It is March thing happens, it’s not just one team’s problem. Both teams can do things to fx the problem. As they’re working, they’re talking and bantering, and it’s generally a very positive environment.”

Since the start of the academic year, the team experienced several challenges. Many of the materials they needed were outdated. Moreover, with the ACR requirement not covering robotics, very few underclassmen were able to join the team this year or receive training in the years prior. Most of the older members, however, were only in their frst or second year of robotics and had not had much experience building robots before. Out of the six members, half were new to the team. The time restraints raised another concern.

“Another challenge is timewise, we can only spend about three and a half hours a week doing robotics, unless, sometimes closer to the competition, we will come in early during club time, too,” Dundas said. “But other teams are spending upwards of 10 hours a week on their robots. So we’re at a big disadvantage because we just have much less time that we’re capable of working on.”

Despite their many struggles, the students managed to get through all of of 2023 and there have been over 70 mass shootings in places including but not limited to gas stations, parades, colleges and schools. Normal life grinds to a halt for those who are scared for the competition requirements. Yan said that the team’s creativity helped them to compensate for their limited resources. For example, to minimize the robot’s weight, they wanted to get the least number of motors possible and decided to build the robot with a spring-loaded claw and triangular chassis (base frame). Several years before, the Masters robotics team had already tried to make a robot with such a chassis, but struggled to ft all the elements on top of a triangle. For three years, older members “left” it to Dundas in the yearbook Senior Will Statement. Now a senior herself, Dundas said she feels happy to fnally make a triangular-shaped robot. Although both the triangle chassis and spring-load- themselves or their loved ones. For a prospective college student, being far away can start to feel daunting as teenagers become afraid that they will become the unlucky victims of a gunman’s rage. Campus gun violence is rare in the United States, but gun violence itself is not. There have been nine mass college campus shootings since 1966, but this only takes into account where four or more people have been killed. As seniors start to mentally prepare to move away from their friends and families next year, they must continue to worry about their safety. This includes safety protocols that the colleges implement, as well as mental health resources for students. The recent shooting that took place at Michigan State University, which killed three people and injured fve others, is only one example.

It is unclear why the perpetrator targeted Michigan State because he took his own life right after the shooting.

The most deadly spree shooting that has occured since 1966 was in 2007 at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, where 32 people ranging in age from 18 to 76 were shot and killed. The school still holds annual remembrance rituals, such as three mile runs, a candle ceremony and a wreath laying to honor the lives that were taken.

Senior Claress Bahamundi, co-president of Mental Health at Mas- ed claw complicated the coding and building process, such a design made the end result even more rewarding.

“We really think outside the box,” Dundas said. “We tried to have a creative robot because we don’t have enough time to make it absolutely perfect like the other teams do. So we differentiate ourselves with our unique designs.” ters, talked about how daunting it is to go off to college in the state that our world is in. “When I go off to college it is something that is defnitely going to be on my mind. I always feel anxious in crowded spaces, and I know that being far away from home is going to exaggerate that fear,” she said. Bahamundi takes into consideration the college safety protocols in order to ensure that if an act of gun violence did occur, the university would be well prepared to protect its students and faculty.

“It’s important that colleges teach their students what to do in the worst-case scenario, as well as implementing new procedures that push for better student safety. Considering the fact that gun violence is a possibility means that it should be addressed the impact it can have emotionally on students as well,” Bahamundi said.

The perpetrators of the incidents on college campuses normally have a connection to the school, typically because they attended that university or they are a teacher. For example, a biology teacher, who previously had a history of violence, killed three people and injured three others after being rejected for tenure. The shooters also tend to be men who communicate that they are planning to attack, whether that be through social media or said directly to acquaintances.

This is why it is imperative to know the warning signs of violence, so if portrayed, friends or family can report that person. Some examples are always being alone, bullying, selfharm, access to weapons, and withdrawing from those around them. These signs can help save the lives of multiple people, as they are typically expressed before a tragic incident.

Ashleigh Woodruff, a senior who is committed to Stony Brook University, is vigilant about what can occur, and has talked to family about what to do in certain situations. “My family and friends always tell me to travel in pairs, but most of the advice about gun violence I receive from school systems, and the administration around me, is to stay hidden. ” she said.

Stony Brook sent an email inviting their future and current students to a webinar so they could learn their security systems, which help with safety and security on campus. For example, they have an SP alert broadcast system that tells the community of a potential threat and emergency situations. But even with the protective methods, it is still a scary thought for Woodruff. “A college is basically your home, and I’ll be staying on campus the whole time, so for anybody, having your home disrupted in such a violent way, is terrifying to think about. Especially, because of the aftermath and not feeling safe in your community,” she said.

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