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Freeport Herald 04-13-2023

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_________________ FREEPORT _________________

HERALD High School Preview

Inside

VOL. 88 NO. 16

Students receive STEM advice

Open poetry night at the library

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Lacrosse

APRIL 13 - 19, 2023

$1.00

H.S. robotics team claims national title By MOHAMED FARGHALY mfarghaly@liherald.com

Courtesy Freeport Public Schools

FREEPORT HIGH SCHOOL Principal Gisselle Campbell-Ham, far left, math teacher and Robotics Club adviser Kevin Harrison, far right, and the victorious robotics team with their championship trophies and their award-winning robot.

The Freeport High School senior boys’ robotics team has taken the technology world by storm, winning the prestigious 2023 CREATE Open Robotics National Championship in Council Bluffs, Iowa. With their unbreakable spirit, hard work and sheer determination, the team’s victory is a testament to its exceptional talent and expertise in the field of robotics. The CREATE national championship is a highly anticipated event that brings together tech-

nology enthusiasts from various backgrounds and locations to put their skills on display and take part in fierce competition. It is known for showcasing the brightest student minds in the field of robotics. The competition, on April 1, tested contestants’ skills in programming, engineering and design. The team had qualified for the championship by being finalists in the VEX Robotics Competition at Adelphi University in February. Two weeks before the national championship, the team members took part in a remote CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Freeport-Merrick Rotary Club helps Cambodian villagers By MOHAMED FARGHALY mfarghaly@liherald.com

Rotarians from across the globe, including the FreeportMerrick Rotary Club, gathered in Cambodia in January and February with the mission of making a positive impact on smaller communities through various projects known collectively as Sustainable Cambodia. The program is intended to support rural families by helping them achieve a sustainable quality of life. It focuses on providing safe water and sanitation, promoting regular incomes, ensuring access to healthy food, and facilitating quality educa-

tion for children. Through a community-driven approach, village families are empowered to build schools, install wells, and learn alternative agricultural practices, and develop skills that will help them manage community projects. A unique “pass-on” model enables families to share their newfound knowledge with neighboring villages, building human resources and fostering self-reliance. Emily Margilus, co-president of Freeport-Merrick Rotary and a longtime volunteer, made the trip for the second time this year, five years after her first. “We go over there and we talk to the village leaders about what we can

do or what they need,” Margilus said. The club collaborates with the villagers to assess their needs and develop solutions to the challenges they face, along with other Rotarians from around the world. The villagers are encouraged to “pay it forward” in the interest of long-term sustainability. “This past trip, I visited a few of the families in Domrey Sor village, Koh Chom commune, Kandieng district and Pursat province,” Margilus said. “We were told to ask two questions: How are you thriving with the projects that are impacting you through Sustainable Cambodia.

And what else do you need?” The Rotarians overcome the language barrier by working with village project leaders who translate, as well as students the club sponsors from afar, who attend special Sustainable Cambodia schools where they not only perfect their native language, but also learn English, technology and public speaking.

Rotary International has a strong commitment to community development, which is reflected in its focus on seven core pillars: peace building and conflict prevention, disease prevention and treatment, water sanitation and hygiene, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, community economic develCONTINUED ON PAGE 12


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