MORE THAN JUST WIRES

LEADERSHIP IN THE ROBOTICS CLUB BUILDS BOTH ROBOTS AND COMMUNITY

by Jack Bentfield ‘23 photos by Lenny Osuna ‘24

Robots. They can be spotted spinning around Tradition Hall and assembled in the current STEM Center, but there is more to them than metal and wires. Team 3729 has been representing Regis Jesuit at the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (F.I.R.S.T.) competition for over ten years.

Each spring, the team is challenged to design and build a new robot that can overcome obstacles and challenges. Monkey bars and platforms are kept in mind throughout the designing process.

The student team is under the direction and leadership of cocaptains Oliver Howe ‘24 and Isabel Zuick ‘24.

As captains, they organizes meetings, manages the different sub-teams, and is the face of the Regis Jesuit team during competitions.

“Majority of [the robot] is made by students,” Zuick says. “We have a student leadership team who runs all of the separate parts of the team, like electrical, build, and programming.” Other members have roles who help to make the team functional. Members include Mechanism head Diego GutierrezRaghunath ‘24, Chassis head Arianna Morroni ‘24, CAD Quinn Pack ‘23, Electrical head EY Eason ‘24, and

Programming head Xander

Hung ‘24.

With the guidance of professional mentors, students gain skills that will help them when pursuing a career in engineering. “All of them are really willing to help and they take time out of their day and help us out every week,” said Zuick.

Students in the club design and cut aluminum mechanisms that can be incorporated into the final design of the robot. They are given the freedom to create a wide range of parts, including claws, panels, and arms.

The team participates in a competition hosted by the University of Denver. This past year they placed before the final round, the highest in Regis Jesuit history.

Currently, the team is housed in a space that can only accommodate seven people at once. The two most frequently used words to describe the space are “cramped” and “small.” The team is excited about the extra space coming with the new Science and Innovation Center being constructed. Sal Ramos ‘24 said that the current STEM Center is, “very cramped but the working conditions are relatively good.” The new space the Robotics Team will have will certainly be an improvement and bring new possibilities to their program.

“I’m most looking forward to an increase in space that I can use just for robotics and general work,” said Zuick.

No matter how ample the space, the team is optimistic for the future, with their sights set on Nationals in Texas in the near future.

Isabel Zuick ‘24 organizes the club and makes sure that the team stays on schedule preparing for their competitions. Photo by Lenny Osuna