Congratulations to the Robotics Team as November’s Club of the Month!

As you already know, we’ve already selected the Advocates For Humanity (September 2006) and the Council For Unity (October 2006) as Club of the Month. This time, we decided to select a very different and unique club so the staff chose the Robotics Team. This club is really one-of-a-kind. The students have to be willing to devote all their time to build a robot in time for the competition. At the same time, their grades in school are not allowed to drop. There are three outstanding students whose devotion, enthusiasm, and hard work has earned them positions as captains of the team for 2006-2007. They are Shahrukh Sayeedi (senior), Shelly Louie (senior), and Kyle DiTieri (junior).

I had the pleasure of interviewing the captains on their own opinions about being on the Robotics Team:

Shahrukh Sayeedi

1) So far, what has been the biggest project the team has under taken?

Well, every year, our projects are pretty big, but last year’s robot was one that involved the most functionality and moving parts. It did the most out of all the robots we have ever made. Also, our Rookie year, we had to build a new robot in less than 10 hours because our first robot was shipped back to school from the National Competition by accident.



2) What was the most successful project?

Our most successful robot was a tie between our robot from two years ago and last year’s robot. Our robot from two years ago was the most stable robot we have made in 3 years. Last year’s took us the farthest in the NYC Regional Competition. We came in second place in the competition.

Shelly Louie

1) What do you think makes the Robotics Team different from the many clubs offered at THS?

Robotics is very different from many other clubs because it is not a club where you can just sit and chat. It is a club that requires lots of teamwork and ambition.

Kyle DiTieri



1) Out of so many clubs in the school, why did the Robotics Team appeal to you?

Robotics is the future of America. As we live out our lives going to the movies or hanging out with friends, our best scientists are exploring Mars with robots. In the military the use of robots continues to increase. On the microbiology home front, nanobots are one of its most exciting fields to be involved in.

2) Do you think being a captain on the Robotics Team has helped your self - esteem and confidence?

As team captain I am part of a team. Fortunately or unfortunately the success of the team will depend more on my decisions. While I am honored to be chosen as one of the team’s captains, I hope I can fulfill that obligation and help bring us to victory.

3) In your opinion, what do you think are the lessons learned from the students working together towards a common goal?

Because robotics depends more so on the design of the robot than the materials given to us, team work is more important before any construction occurs. The most essential factor that a team needs is cooperation and an understanding of the materials we must deal with. If we work as a team and help each other out, there is no chance that our team will not do well.



There you have it! These three students as well as the members of the Robotics Team just might be the engineers of tomorrow!

The Pirateer wishes you the best of luck in your upcoming competitions! Once again, congratulations on winning the Club of the Month award!