Whitney High School Robotics Team Qualifies for World Championship

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an international organization founded by Dean Kamen that consists of four robotics programs including Jr. FIRST Lego League (Jr. FLL), First Lego League (FLL), FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), and First Robotics Competition (FRC) for students ages 6 to 18. The FTC program promotes competitions from the local city level all the way up to an international World’s Championship every year. To qualify for the World’s Championship, teams in the United States must pass through their region’s Super Regional Competition.
The West Super Regional took place from March 27th to March 29th at the Oakland Convention Center in Oakland, California. It was one of four Super Regional competitions (North, East, West, South) to be held the US, where teams advancing from regional competitions gathered to compete. Each Super Region is composed of multiple states; teams from 12 states and Mexico participated in the West Super Regional.
Robot performance at the super regional level is split into two divisions where teams play through qualifying matches and elimination matches within a division. After alliance selections for the final matches, teams who come out on top for each division play a final game.
WHS Robotics is a FIRST Tech Challenge team from Cerritos, CA, part of Whitney High School’s student-led robotics club, competing and promoting STEM in their school and community since 2001. The team consists of 15 members from grades 10 to 12 who are mentors of the club’s younger robotics program, FLL and VEX IQ and their robot Rex. Team 542 was able to advance to Super Regionals by earning the Inspire Award at the Los Angeles Regional, and the Think Award as well as the 1st pick in the Winning Alliance at the Las Vegas Regional.

“And in the right corner Red Alliance, we have Team 542 WHS Robotics!”
With the fanfare launching the match into action, all eyes now followed the robot. Click click ... The hoisting of Rex’s vertical conveyor belt ceased, cutting to the ineffectual whir of a motor. Again. The day’s earlier matches saw repeated mechanical unreliability, a death sentence for any robot.
WHS Robotics team members in the stands and field alike were straining to hear against the roar of the crowd, hoping that the robot would continue to produce the clicks indicative of mechanical soundness over the snap of a string that could only mean one thing: a crippled robot and at this stage in the game: a guaranteed loss. They heard neither. The blare of the match’s end brought not only referees scrambling across the field to tally the score, but a confused and tense relief.
Nothing was working. Everything the team had worked so hard for was falling apart, almost literally. While the robot had appeared to be fully functional during the practice round, the team was only met with disappointment and frustration as the matches progressed. It would be one thing, and then another, a series of unfortunate events. While the level of enthusiasm decreased as the competition progressed, the team never lost hope, placing their faith in their robot. Even as the drive train broke down, the build team, without a second to spare, hurriedly replaced a motor and motor hub, while thoroughly responding to curious judges. The predicament worsened, as strings snapped and the scoring system refused to rise, forcing the drivers to play defensively.
Not all robotics competitions were like this one for WHS Robotics. At the Los Angeles Qualifiers, Team 542 was able to acquire the Inspire Award and become Winning Alliance Captain along with Team 4512 West Torrance Robotics and Team 6325 The Aluminati after being undefeated 9-0 in the qualification matches. Now at the Super Regional competition, against tougher competition, 542 was finding it difficult to keep up.
But there was no time to waste. Hastily the team set to work, tapping into every ounce of determination left amidst the chaos. Frantic fingers warily fastened new strings to the custom linear slides (for the conveyor belt); cables were unleashed and laptops set on standby, ready to breathe new life into the wounded warrior. With five minutes left to queue for the next match, all hands frantically scrambled to test the mended machine. All eyes were nervously fixed upon the rising slides. Click click click…
There was only so much the team could do. Life was throwing a curveball, and the team’s frustration found no end as they saw the golden polos of the rapidly approaching judges. They knew the judges would soon stop by to ask questions about their team and robot, in this time of desperation and frustration.
The result was unexpected. Perhaps it was the possibility that they might not fix the robot; that all their countless hours would result to nothing; that they were possibly going insane. Suffice it to say the team continued to laugh and smile as they summarized the predicaments of their day, because WHS Robotics is a team never gives up. As their motto goes, “Cogito; ergo, condo. I think; therefore, I build.”
Hours later, the competition was over. The struggle after nine matches and division finals had taken its toll on the team, and they huddled wearily amongst screaming teams along the bleachers to await competition results.
“And now for the awards…” With these words, the team, dejected and disappointed, was on the verge of tears and with the expectation that they would return home empty handed, while a cloud of disparity hung about their heads. The team was soon called up to receive their Winning Alliance Finalist medals for their division. Demoralized by their inability to advance to the finals, they returned to their seats, resigning themselves to cheering on the other teams they had worked alongside with for the past three days.
“And the Second Place Think Award goes to...WHS Robotics!”
They had qualified for the World Championship! With a sigh of relief, the weariness settled down. And then, as the judges prepared to announce the winner of the first place inspire award winner, silence washed over the crowd

“The Inspire Award is given to the Team that the Judges felt truly embodied the ‘challenge’ of the FTC program. This Team serves as an inspiration to what this program, and the young minds involved, can accomplish. The Team that receives this Award has performed well in all Judging categories and was chosen by the Judges as a model FIRST Tech Challenge Team. The Judges use Match performance, observations made during interviews and in the pit area, the Team’s Engineering Notebook, and performance on the playing field in determining the winner.”

“And here’s what the judges have to say about the winner of this Award:

This team elevated their goals to new heights. While being dedicated to enhancing their communities with STEM and robotics, this team found a way to squeeze into the top by sharing what they built while building friendships that last a lifetime.

The First Place Inspire Award is presented to...
Team 542, WHS ROBOTICS!”

In a moment of stunned silence, the team scrambled to their feet rushing to the front to receive their award. Hearts racing and heads pounding, mighty roars of success filled the air as they screamed in exhilaration. No one had seen this coming. This would undoubtedly become the most unforgettable moment of the season.
At that moment, we realized the consistency of our robot performance was not a huge determinant of our success; it was the hard effort we put forth throughout the season that inspired us to never give up, our ability to maintain composure during high stress situations, and especially,
our close bond together with one another as not just a team but a family. And none of that would have been possible if it weren’t for the help of our supportive coaches (Ms. McSherry, Mrs.Bruesch, Mr. Domae), teacher advisors (Mr. England, Mrs. Breik), mentors (Proud H.), and sponsors (Brenner-Fiedler).
There was something especially rewarding about that competition, but it wasn’t from winning the Inspire Award. It was from the opportunity of being able to interact with with teams from all across the Western region of the US and the friendships that had blossomed within a mere three days and maybe even just the amazing realization that there were so many other students out there who shared the same spell bound passion for robotics and STEM unseen anywhere else. And we have the opportunity to experience this all over again at the World Championship next week (4/22-4/25) at St. Louis, Missouri.
FIRST is so much more than just building robots or programming them, it’s about embodying the essence of the program and Gracious Professionalism, honoring the spirit of friendly competition while still having fun, inflaming people’s ardor for robots, developing infatuations for STEM, and building friendships that last a lifetime, but above all else, inspiring others to reach for ever greater heights. FIRST robotics isn’t just an avocation, it’s a place to build new friendships, a home away from home, and a lifestyle unlike any other.