On Sunday, February 12th, the Two Harbors High School Robo Dweebs #5501 will head to St. Paul for the Boston Scientific State Championship. Since their regional competition in December, the team has been working hard to prepare for state. They’ve logged almost 60 hours of practice time, conducted four different experiments for their Innovation Project, added four new robot missions of coding and building to their Robot Game and Design presentation, and created fun learn- ing spaces of outreach to demonstrate their Core Values.
The Robo Dweebs have had the opportunity to connect virtually with international teams – the Flock from Quebec, Canada, and F no Shiro from Japan. Lead Coach Jenna Udenberg says, “Sharing our projects, presentations, and robot with teams from other countries has broadened our perspectives and has shown us how hard the English language can be to express ourselves without using local vernacular or sayings.” Robo Dweebs also hosted a scrimmage with a team from Duluth that is also headed for State.
When the team was asked why going to State was important to them, they had a variety of responses. “I think State will really let us shine as a team where we can really just calm down and show the judges what we really got,” Erik G. said.
Tryg B. says, “It’ll just be fun showing off what we’ve come up with. Whether we move on to Worlds, either of the two other competitions, or just get some free time for the team, I can’t wait to see where our team goes.”
“State is important to me and the team because we have worked so hard to get to this level and we think our dedication is worthy of the state competition,” Jonah P. explained.
Spencer O. looks forward to learning from others. “Going to state is important for me because I get to see the best ideas and robots in the state, so I can make better ideas and robots.”
“It’s cool to learn new skills and be challenged more,” Finn T. shared.
The team is the main emphasis of the competition for Michael E. and Eli T., who value time spent with teammates.
What are the Robo Dweebs most looking forward to? For Tryg B., it’s the state competition in general. Other members of the Robo Dweebs look forward to spending time with teammates and the team dinner. For Aiden S. and Michael E., this will be their first state competition. Aiden S. looks forward to the “robot runs and the skit.”
Spencer O. and Landon L. are looking forward to seeing the other teams’ robots, ideas, and presentations. Finn T. says he’s looking forward to “see how our project presentation and robot game goes.”
You can cheer on the Robo Dweebs Sunday, February 12th by tuning into https://www.twitch.tv/hightechkidstwitch.hightechkids between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. to see all the robot games. The award ceremony will be streamed live at 6:00 p.m. on the same channel. You can also visit the team’s Facebook page for updates.
Jenna Udenberg says, “Robotics is the sport of the mind, and the hardest fun you’ll ever have.”
