ROBOTICS
Robotics teaches real-world skills
SHS robotics
team helps
students’ build
problem-solving
and teamwork
By Rebecca Herren
Seaside Signal
When robotic teams from
Oregon, Washington and
Alaska gathered in early
March, to compete in two ro-
botics tournaments hosted by
For Inspiration and Recogni-
tion of Science and Technolo-
gy, it was clear team members
needed technical engineering
and creative thinking skills to
advance through the games of
competition. But the Seaside
High School C.Y.B.O.R.G.
Seagulls learned much more.
Games are designed to
encourage students to think
critically, process information
and sharpen teamwork skills.
However, it’s not so much
about making the best vehicle,
but how the students deal with
complicated problems and
creating a robot to complete a
specific task.
The 2018 tournaments
took place in March at Oregon
City and Wilsonville. Out of
150 teams collectively from
both tournaments, the Gulls
came in about 71st, according
to team coach Doug Mitchell.
The 2018 team consisted
of five team players: team
captain Alexia Walgren, Ma-
son Reynolds, Daniel Con-
tier, Ana Rojas and Manuel
Stewart. Mitchell took over
as coach in 2016 after teacher
Mike Brown retired.
Working efficiently as a
REBECCA HERREN/SEASIDE SIGNAL
Seaside High School senior Daniel Contier readies himself
as him and Atlas play catch. Alexia Walgren, Ana Rojas and
Mason Reynolds look on.
group is a fundamental com-
ponent of the robotics team.
Successful teamwork is chal-
lenging, Mitchell said, feeling
proud of his team’s progress.
After Atlas was built, it
became known that the robot
was about 20 pounds over-
weight. The students came
together to solve which parts
could be removed without
hindering the robot’s mechan-
ical maneuvers necessary to
accomplish the task of games
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REBECCA HERREN/SEASIDE SIGNAL
Robotics team coach Doug Mitchell (left) with Alexia Wal-
gren, Ana Rojas, Daniel Contier, Mason Reynolds and Atlas
their robot. Not pictured is Manuel Stewart.
required by FIRST.
“They worked very well
together solving problems,”
Mitchell said. And though the
team was much smaller, he
felt they worked better. “We
were better focused and spent
our time refining rather than
trying out new things,” which
he said took up a lot of the
build time last year.
For Contier, being part of
the team was about how to de-
velop teamwork and problem
solving, “just a good train-
ing ground for ingenuity,” he
said. Having real-world prob-
lem-solving skills is part of
the progress, Mitchell added.
Mitchell said the fall serves
as the preseason followed by
the build season. The team
met once a week through De-
cember. After returning from
winter break, they met twice
a week for the next six weeks.
The cost of competing in
two tournaments is $10,000,
which includes the tourna-
ment theme provided by
FIRST and a kit of parts.
Additional costs are made up
through fundraisers and spon-
sorship. Mitchell said this
year’s theme revolved around
80s video games. Reynolds,
who chose the name Atlas,
said it came from a more re-
cent video game called “Por-
tal.”
The team is structured
into groups: computer pro-
gramming, engineering and
business, and though each
member specializes in one
capacity, each is encouraged
to understand the other com-
ponents.
Students join the team
with differing skills and look
forward to developing those
skills in college or at a trade
school. Walgren, for exam-
ple, brought her computer
programming skills to the
team and wants to get into
software development. Ro-
jas said she “really liked the
business side” of the team as
she helped with the books.
Both Reynolds and Contier
said they plan to enter into
the field of mechanical engi-
neering.
The team will continue to
meet during the rest of the
year, said Mitchell, saying he
looks forward to more student
involvement and new recruits
for next year. To finish out the
year, plans include an assem-
bly with Atlas, community
outreach, and taking Atlas to
the prom, the group said.