Winners: Southold/ Greenport Robotics Team At World Championships

Written By The Suffolk Times

NORTH FORK, NY — For the third time in three years, local students are making their hometown proud as they soar to success in the robotics realm, heading to the world championships.

Christine Schade, co-advisor to Southold/Greenport Team RICE 870 along with Bob Gammon, described the team's unprecedented success at the School-Business Partnership of Long Island's Regional FIRST Robotics competition, held at Hofstra University in Hempstead last weekend.

According to SBPLI's website, the organization was founded by Frederick Breithut in 1984, with a vision of creating partnerships between schools, businesses and community organizations to "embrace school curriculum that inspires students to pursue careers in technology, engineering and science."

To that end, in 1999, SBPLI partnered with FIRST – For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology — a national program that mentors students to become leaders in technology-related industries. The programs hosted on Long Island by SBPLI include the SBPLI Long Island Regional FIRST Robotics competition, the site said.

The Southold/Greenport team made history last weekend; this year marks the first time the team has won two regional competitions in one season — opening the door for the team to travel, during spring break, to the FIRST Robotics World Championships in Detroit, MI to compete with teams from around the United States — and the world.

The competition takes place from April 24 through April 27.

Last weekend, Team RICE 870's dedicated business team also received the entrepreneurship award for the business plan they wrote, another first. 

"This has been a wonderful year," said Schade. 

This year's robot, she said, was created to participate in a game called "Destination Deep Space;" the robot was designed to put hatch panels, or discs with velcro, and cargo, which are playground balls, into a rocket and cargo ship in the middle of a playing field.

"It is a space themed game that has a couple of different components," Schade said.

The students, she said, during the first 15 seconds of the game, experience a "sandstorm," where the driver's station is covered with a curtain so the kids cannot see the playing field. The robot either has to drive autonomously by computer control or by camera — and the kids can also drive, or control, the robot just by camera. After that, she said, kids take control of robot and perform the tasks that are needed fill the cargo shop and rocket, and complete all challenges.

Last weekend's regional win, the second of the season, followed another shining moment at the Finger Lakes Regional at the Rochester Institute of Technology a few weeks earlier, Schade said.

Being the first team to win two regionals, Schade said, was an extraordinary experience. "I can't even describe it," she said. "It was so gratifying. This is a fabulous group of kids. We had a feeling this year, right out of the chute in September or October, that if any year was going to be our year — it's going to be this one."

The 33 students who comprise the team, with 14 from Greenport and 19 from Southold, are a dedicated group of kids "who have sacrificed so much," working until late at night and on the weekends to build the robot, Schade said.

The team's business mentor Judi Fouchet, Schade added, also worked with the students to develop the business plan that helped them to take home the Entrepreneurship Award. The business plan is critical because it's an action plan to assure the sustainability of the team moving into the future from both the financial and human resources perspectives, Schade said.

Looking ahead to the World Championships, Schade said, "We are so ready." The team that drives the robot is the same team from last year and brings their experience onto the proverbial playing field, Schade said. "This year, everything is in place," she said.

Schade and Gammon also thanked the team's mentors, including Eddie Chilton of Beechwood Sand and Gravel, Dan Goodwin from Miller Environmental Group, Kim Chilton, and Fouchet.

Schade said the team has the full support of the Southold School District — with a new, dedicated space, a robotics room, created as part of the technology room — as well as the community.

While some teams have big name sponsors such as Boeing or NASA, Schade said, Southold's list of sponsors is one of the longest, dotted with dedicated local businesses that are unflagging in their support.

Of that outpouring of hometown pride, Schade said, "It's just incredible, and the kids feel it."

While some teams have their pieces milled out at a machine shop, the Southold team cuts every piece of aluminum, drills every hole, she said. "We are so proud," Schade said. 

This year, a new fundraising effort, "Shoot for the Stars," has commenced, to help carry the kids to the World Championships. The name was created to tie in with this year's space-themed robot, Schade said.

Individuals can purchase "stars," for $5 that they can inscribe, which will be displayed at schools and in the windows of local merchants, "so kids can see this visual sign of community support," Schade said.

Many of the team members also devote time to sports, theater, and other extra-curricular activities, and that's what makes their fierce dedication to the robotics program even more special, Schade said.

"We couldn't be more proud of this group. There's a lot of positive energy," Schade said. "Everyone has high hopes for this team — so we'll see where it takes us."

By Lisa Finn

April 2, 2019

Southold Robotics Team Wins Ticket to World Championships

Written By The Suffolk Times

NORTH FORK, NY - As the bus pulled up to Southold High School Saturday night, parents were clapping and cheering their returning heroes: The Southold robotics team has won a ticket to the 2016 FIRST Robotics World Championship.

According to Christine Schade, co-advisor along with Bob Gammon, Southold's Team RICE 870 competed Saturday in the School Business Partners of Long Island semi-finals event at Hofstra University, where they placed second.

The team was the runner up but won the Engineering Inspiration Award, which means "we have won our way to nationals" in St. Louis, she said. The team's registration will be paid for through NASA.

On Saturday, the team competed against 51 teams from across Long Island, as well as against a team from Brazil.

The road to Saturday's success has been paved with hard work and diligence. The team also competed at the Buckeye Regional event in Cleveland, Ohio on March 18 and 19, where they qualified 24th, made it to the playoffs, and finished eighth.

Team Rice's robot is named Killer Rabbit, due to a mechanism on the front shaped like bunny ears, an idea suggested by Ed Chilton, a mentor who also owns Beachwood Sand and Gravel.

This year's competition, Schade said, was based upon a medieval them where the team had to capture the opponents in a castle and the robot had to breach defenses to get to the castle.

According to Schade, the team learned what the task would be for this year's game on January 9 at Stony Brook and then had six weeks to design and build their robot.

"It's countless hours," she said, adding that the team met after school from 2:45 p.m. until 10 or 11 p.m. at night and on weekends.

This year, the Southold team has 34 members, with 24 kids competing Saturday.

Schade thanked the community, the school administration, the board of education, mentors, and area sponsors, such as Miller Environmental and other businesses, for working together to support the students. "We wouldn't be here without them," she said.

She, co-advisor Bob Gammon, and the mentors are "incredibly proud of this group of kids," Schade said. 

The drive team, along with a scout team, that helps find the other two teams with which to form an "alliance", all work diligently and use strategies to forge partnerships, she said.

The competition is based on science and engineering and helps instill lifetime skills, Schade said. "This is a sport for the mind," she said. "This program is amazing."

For the students, the chance to head to finals is cause for jubilation. "I'm pretty excited," said Jake McCarthy. "I love robotics and everyone in robotics. I think it's a great program. I have a lot of fun there."

The robot, he said, specialized in breaking down defenses, such as scaling rock walls and shooting balls in the top of the tower.

"I'm ecstatic," added student Joe Saporita.

Co-advisor Gammon said the win demonstrated a lesson he strives to instill in students: "E = R," he said. "Effort equals results."

By Lisa Finn

April 2, 2016

Southold Robotics earns invitation to world championships

Written By The Suffolk Times

At first glance Saturday, it appeared the Southold High School robotics team had come up just short of reaching the 2016 FIRST Robotics World Championship.

Despite possessing one of the top robots during the two-day regional competition at Hofstra University, the team lost in the third match of the best-of-three finals.

What the team and its supporters might not have recognized at first, however, is that sometimes it’s better to come in second. 

Southold Team Rice 870 was awarded the Engineering Inspiration Award at the end of the event, which brings with it an invitation to the world championships in St. Louis, Mo. and financial assistance from NASA covering the event’s $5,000 entry fee.

“The team was absolutely thrilled,” said team mentor Christine Schade, a math teacher at the school. “The team competed so hard and it was a little disappointing to fall in the finals. When we found out we won the Engineering Inspiration Award we were overjoyed.”

Southold now has the opportunity to join hundreds of teams from across the U.S. and the world in the finals April 27-30 at The Dome at America’s Center, which until recently was home to the NFL’s former St. Louis Rams franchise.

Southold Robotics, a team of about 30 students in grades nine through 12, has limited time to accept the invitation and would then need to raise funds for travel expenses, Ms. Schade said. An official decision is expected Monday, but Ms. Schade is optimistic the team will receive the support to compete in nationals.

“I can’t say enough about how supportive our administrators are,” she said. “We’re so incredibly lucky that our administration, including high school principal [William Galati] and superintendent [David Gamberg] believe in what we do, because that’s not always the case at other schools.”

That’s primarily because robotics is an expensive endeavor that requires a great deal of financial support from the community. Robotics programs typically spend about $40,000 a year just to get to regionals, Ms. Schade estimated.

Southold raises funds from parents and local businesses, including its primary corporate sponsor, Miller Environmental Group of Calverton.

“We were even fortunate enough to have one of their engineers help us with our build,” Ms. Schade said.

If money is one obstacle to succeed in robotics, time is the other. Teams are given just six weeks to create and practice with their robot, which is built to fit specific parameters that change each year before the regional competition.

Team members then dedicate about eight hours a night, seven days per week to prepare. Parents also help out every step of the way, including this year’s non-faculty mentor, Bob Gammon.

“There are many long nights for these students and parents,” Ms. Schade said.

On Saturday, the teens learned it was all worth it. Competing in a three-team alliance, Southold was paired with teams from Patchogue-Medford and Cold Spring Harbor high schools. In all, 51 teams competed in the event, mostly from Suffolk and Nassau counties.

The top team at regionals, however, was Marista Pio from Hamburgo, Brazil, which competed in an alliance with Sachem and William Floyd high schools.

This year’s challenge, First Stronghold, was based on a popular medieval castle-conquering and battle-strategy game. Robots gained points by incapacitating defenses and scoring boulders through goals in the opposition’s tower.

The Long Island regionals are organized by School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc., which was founded more than 30 years ago with the goal of developing partnerships between local high schools and businesses that would provide students with practical experience and curriculum development and help the business community develop its future workforce, according to the organization.

Check back Monday for official word on the world championships and more information on how to support the team.

Caption: Robotics team members prepare for regionals. (Credit: rice870.com)

By Grant Parpan

April 2, 2016

Video: Southold’s Team RICE 870 robot demonstration

Southold High School students gave a demonstration at Wednesday night’s school board meeting to show how their robot, Team RICE 870, competed at the annual robotics competition at Hofstra University.

Southold technology teacher Phil Caputo said his students started the project in January and had six weeks to complete it. Although the same kit was provided to each school, students had to create the robot on their own through “trial and error,” he said.

The school board also discussed creating a combined robotics team with Greenport High School, which currently doesn’t offer the program.

Scroll down to see a short video of the demonstration and pick up the May 1 issue of The Suffolk Times for more on this story.

By Jen Nuzzo

April 24, 2014

Southold High School students demonstrating their robotics club’s project, Team RICE 870, at Wednesday night’s school board meeting. (Credit: Jennifer Gustavson)

Robotics team wows Southold board of education with live demo

If if it takes a village to raise a child, It takes teamwork and cooperation to build a yoga-ball pitching robot — and a legion of dedicated volunteers who devoted hours to the project.

Southold’s Team Rice 870, a robotics club that scored big points in recent competitions this year, came before the Southold Union Free School District’s BOE on Wednesday night for a demonstation.

Phil Caputo, head robotics advisor, who leads the team with Jason Wesnofske, said the students not only came in third at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, or RPI, in Troy, but took  fifth place at a Hofstra competition — and at Hofstra, the team was in first place overall coming into the finals, with teammate Katie Krakowski winning the competition’s MVP award out of 2,000 entrants.

“This club and team has gone above and beyond my expectations,” said Caputo. “They learned hands on, everything from building robots to managing the budget given to our team by the school board — and they’ve passed these skills down to freshman and sophomores.”

Both students Michael Schade and Dylan Stromski discussed how the team has helped build the foundation for their futures.

“Sadly, this is my last year,” Schade said. “I started this in seventh grade and never knew I’d be where I am today. I’m going to RIT for engineering to learn to be a computer security major, all thanks to this club, which has taught me more than I could have ever imagined. It took all the math and things you think you’ll never use in the classroom and brought it all to life.”

The team, Stromksi said, has helped spark his dreams. “It’s about teaching life lessons and skills to whoever comes on the team. It’s gotten me and other seniors like myself who are pursuing futures in engineering, math or science inspired — we’re so into hands on design and building everything, and now, that’s what I want to do in the future.”

Stromski also thanked the board of education and the mentors that worked late into the night to help the team build their robot.

Southold Superintendent David Gamberg said the dedication shown by students was “incredible,” and said they also juggle other extracurricular activities and sports with schoolwork, volunteering and jobs. “It’s just incredible.”

BOE president Paulette Ofrias said the public also needed to know how much work went into building the robot, and that all the students receive is a kit — with dreams and perseverance needed to construct the actual robot. “It didn’t come like that,” she said. “They’re not giving themselves enough credit.”

Caputo said each year, the club begins with a kick-off event in January, and after that, students are given six weeks to build the robot. “Kids are meeting every day, prototyping — it’s trial and error. Ultimately, we come up with a final result.”

A parent in the audience noted that the team is about not only assembling their own robot, but about helping other teams in the pit, “trying to get them a functioning robot so they can essentially come and try to beat you.”

“It’s the most unique cooper-tition,” Gamberg said; the spirit of helping others, he said, is critical moving into the future.

By Lisa Finn

April 24, 2014

Southold robotics team honors Ronan Guyer

More than three dozen remote-controlled robots will navigate the arena floor at Hofstra University this weekend in a competition challenging high school students’ technology and communication skills.

GUYER FAMILY COURTESY PHOTO | Ronan Guyer was just 14 years old when he died.

The machines, each 100-plus pounds, are built from scratch and operated by students using funds they helped raise themselves.

Among this year’s crop of robots will be one designed by Southold High School students and named for the one robotics club member who won’t be able to attend the competition.

Its name is Ronan.

“Doesn’t that make the perfect name for a robot?” asked Lori Guyer, mother of the machine’s namesake. “Ronan the Robot. Just perfect.

“Ronan wanted to be in the club,” Ms. Guyer said. “He was in the Lego club in seventh and eighth grade, which sort of leads into it. He had a scheduling conflict while he was running cross country. He had one more race to go and then he was going to commit full-time to robotics.”

Ronan never did run in that final race. He died Nov. 14 after suffering cardiac arrest earlier that week during a practice for the state cross country championships outside Buffalo.

The high school freshman had been in a coma and on a ventilator in a Buffalo hospital for five days before he was taken off life support. He was 14 years old.

“I know other people who have lost their children,” Ms. Guyer said. “You always say, ‘I can never imagine what that would be like.’ I now know it’s a million times worse than I ever would have thought.”

But a funny thing has happened in the five months since Lori and Stephen Guyer said goodbye to the youngest of their three children. His unusual first name has taken on a life of its own.

The name Ronan has been printed on T-shirts for charity and iced onto cupcakes sold in a fundraiser. His name was also used to help raise money through a community race in the days after his death, a Thanksgiving turkey trot re-dubbed the “Run for Ronan.” His family has planned a similarly named event for May 19.

And how many folk can say they’ve had a robot named for them?

“The robot is a nice tribute to him,” said Southold technology teacher Phil Caputo. “It’s sad he isn’t here, but it’s a good thing we can carry on his name.”

Ronan the Robot arrives at Hofstra yesterday, Thursday, for a practice session before the two-day competition this weekend. The 24-x-30-inch robot can shoot four frisbees in less than five seconds, with the object of the game revolving around the discs accurately striking targets.

The machine is sturdy, fast and mechanical, much like the 6-foot-2 teenager it was named after.

From an early age, Ronan knew he wanted to be a naval architect, his mother says. A sailor with the Southold Yacht Club from the time he was 7, Ronan enjoyed being out on the water. And he loved to build. Joining robotics was his next step toward one day reaching his career goal.

“He would have flourished in the robotics club,” Ms. Guyer said.

Since their son’s passing, the Guyers have been overwhelmed by the number of neighbors, even strangers, who have come forward to tell them stories of how young Ronan touched their lives.

One afternoon, Ms. Guyer received a letter from another mother in the community, who shared how much it meant to her when Ronan helped her son, who was younger and whom the Guyers had never met, get acclimated when he first joined Boy Scouts.

Compassion is a trait Ronan developed at an early age, something Ms. Guyer believes grew from how he handled living with his special needs brother, Colin, who is autistic.

Ronan exhibited patience in teaching his older brother, who is now 18, how to throw a ball or how to build with Legos.

“He’d take his brother to the beach and they’d catch crabs,” Ms. Guyer said.

When Ronan was old enough to realize that Colin’s disability made it difficult for him to meet friends, he shared his own pals with his brother.

“In some ways he was the most mature of my children, even though he was the youngest,” Ms. Guyer said.

When Mr. Guyer, a detective in the Suffolk County Police Department, was out of town for training as Hurricane Sandy struck in October, Ronan sprang into action as the man of the house. He got the generator going and made sure the family had extra gasoline on hand. When his father called, Ronan assured him he was “running a tight ship.”

Just two weeks later, Mr. Guyer rushed up from training in Virginia to visit his son in the hospital. As Ronan’s condition failed to improve over several days, the Guyers were forced to make the difficult decision to take him off life support.

But even in death, there’s yet another way Ronan has lived on. His parents made the decision to donate his tissue.

“We couldn’t donate organs like his liver and his kidneys because we wouldn’t be able to be in the room with him,” Ms. Guyer said. “Because they bring them into the operating room, you don’t get to be with them that way. You don’t get to hold them.”

Today, two young children see through Ronan’s corneas. Another young man received one of Ronan’s heart valves.

“They all went to young people,” Ms. Guyer said. “Ronan would have liked it that way. That’s the kind of kid he was.”

Ronan would have turned 15 on April 24. To honor her caring son, his mother is collecting items to donate to Community Action Southold Town. She’s asking local residents to share food, clothing, good used blankets, bedding, towels and kitchen items.

“Anything clean and in good condition that can be used by families in need in our community,” she said.

She’ll be collecting the goods between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on April 20 and 21 at her business, White Flower Farmhouse, on Main Road in Southold. She’ll store the items in her garage and deliver them on Ronan’s birthday that Wednesday.

It’s just one small way she can honor a son she says was “too good to be true.”

Each day since his passing, Ms. Guyer said she is reminded of Ronan whenever she looks out the window at a tree she planted for him more than a decade ago. The Guyers had just built their home in Southold and she asked each of her children to pick out a tree to be planted in the garden. Ronan picked a weeping cherry.

“I thought it would be nice if I placed a bird feeder in Ronan’s tree [after his death],” she said. “I cannot believe how many birds visit that tree every day. Every time I look out the window there are so many birds. I fill up the feeder every day.”

By Grant Parpan

April 5, 2013

SOUTHOLD SCHOOLS COURTESY PHOTO | Southold technology teacher Phil Caputo (left) works with robotics club members Chris Reilly and Caroline Liegey on a robot they named for Ronan Guyer.

GUYER FAMILY COURTESY PHOTO | Ronan Guyer was just 14 years old when he died.

Southold robotics team losing its leader

Southold High School’s robotics team had a great year, taking first place in the Long Island Regional FIRST Robotics Competition in March and going on to place 28th in the World Championships in St. Louis, Mo., in April, competing against 400 teams from all over the world.

But it was a bittersweet year in some ways, as longtime technology teacher Tony Kryl, who started the robotics club 11 years ago, is retiring this month.

The Southold school board honored Mr. Kryl at its June 13 board meeting.

“I trust you will remain a part of this family,” said Superintendent David Gamberg of Mr. Kryl’s ongoing role in the school. “There aren’t enough words to express my appreciation for what you have done.”

Mr. Kryl said he plans to stay involved with the robotics program, helping new technology teachers and students work on their projects in years to come.

“I will be here. I’ll be coming back, making sure things are up to speed. It will work out,” he said. “We put Southold on the map at the World Championship. I get the comment ‘Who are you guys?’ all the time. We’re just a little school out in Southold, but we’re in the top 10 continuously.”

SPORTSMANSHIP HONORS

During Wednesday’s meeting the district also honored student athletes for the high number of Section XI sportsmanship awards received this year.

Athletic director Joe Braico told school board members that “a lot of the same kids are on the teams that won awards. It shows kids can lead by character and class.”

“We want to honor, recognize and acknowledge sportsmanship,” said Mr. Gamberg. “It’s just not taken lightly by the school district.”

“We appreciate these awards much more than the wins and losses,” said board president Paulette Ofrias. “It means a great deal to our school and your community.”

By Beth Young

06/23/2012

It’s been a good year for Southold robotics team

Southold High School’s celebrated robotics team has had a great year.

In an alliance with two other schools, the team won the Long Island Regional FIRST Robotics Competition in March and went on to place 28th in the World Championships in St. Louis, Mo., the last weekend in April competing against 400 teams from all over the world.

The 18 students were charged with building a robot that can play basketball and balance on an unstable platform.

“To build a robot and have it see a basket, maneuver, shoot, score and balance is one of the most difficult tasks thus far in the ten years the team has been participating in FIRST robotics,” said Mr. Kryl this week.

Southold technology teacher Tony Kryl said the school’s regional win was due in part to the team’s tactical decision to build a robot that was a strong defensive player.

Southold’s team has won the regional competition five times in the past ten years and has gone to the world championships three times. In 2002, the team won the Rookie All-Star award and in 2009 was a division finalist.

The team used the same robot for both the regional and the world championship competition and is now waiting for it to be shipped back from St. Louis in a Fed Ex crate.

“Southold is notorious for its strong drive train systems, this year incorporating an active suspension system to maintain power,” said Mr. Kryl.

At one point in the regional competition, the robot was pushed over and was standing on its side with its drive train exposed, but since it had been designed with a self-righting arm, it was able to push itself upright and continue the game.

Mr. Kryl said it remains to be seen what the team might do differently next year, since the FIRST Robotics competition involves a different challenge every year.

By Beth Young

May 20, 2012

SOUTHOLD PLACES IN TOP 10 AT HOFSTRA REGIONAL ROBOTICS COMPETITION

A group of high school students with green mohawks carefully carried a 6-foot-tall robot to an inspection area in Hofstra University’s stadium Saturday.

Some students dressed in blue body suits and skirts scrutinized their robots, ensuring they were in working order.

Others held onto their purple wizard hats while driving their robots with joystick controllers. Pop music blaring from a DJ’s speakers was drowned out at times only by the whooping of a crowd of fans in the stands.

One lively group of students held up posters with giant red letters spelling out SOUTHOLD.

Such was the scene of the Long Island Regional FIRST Robotics Competition, where students unleashed robots they built and programmed to battle it out on the stadium floor. Southold High School’s Team RICE — Respect, Impulse, Compassion and Equity — ranked eighth out of 50 schools.

“We were looking to be in the top 10,” adviser Tony Kryl said. “It was a lot of work. We pushed hard and we were able to do it.”

The Southold team is in a rebuilding year, Mr. Kryl said, explaining that he had about 15 new members and five seniors.
Another of their goals was to be able to assist other teams, and Southold did so by helping the freshman team from Hampton Bays. It worked: the Baymen took the highest score for a rookie team, Mr. Kryl said.

Southold competed in New York City two weeks ago as a warm-up to the regional competition at Hofstra. The team was seeded eighth out of 66 and reached the semi-finals in both competitions before being eliminated.

At the New York City competition, Southold took home an award for the quality of their robot, a machine Mr. Kryl described as “phenomenal.”

This year’s game involved placing symbols — a triangle, circle and square — on racks of various heights. The competition consisted of two-minute and 15-second matches.

Southold’s robot was the culmination of six weeks of designing, building and programming, with students often working from right after school until 11:30 p.m., Mr. Kryl said. They produced a robot with an excellent maneuvering ability, he said. Students installed a mechanum drive, a system that allows the robot to move in any direction without turning its wheels. They also equipped the robot with a double articulated claw designed to grab with speed and accuracy.

Robotics club students sitting in the stands played a crucial role in the team’s success, scouting other robots to identify their strengths and weaknesses, Mr. Kryl said. Reports from Southold students and parents help the team of four operators develop strategy.

Emma Romeo, 16, watched intently as her team’s robot made it to the quarterfinals and then semifinals, where they lost by a narrow margin.

“It can be really frustrating because you have no control over what your driver is doing,” she said.

Sam Kortchmar, 16, one of the operators, hoped to make it to the finals but was still happy with his team’s performance.
“We really did have one of the best robots out there,” he said.

Robotics club alumni Tyler Mehrman, 19, came to the competition to support his former teammates. The club steered him into majoring in aerospace engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he is currently studying.

Though the spirit of the competition mirrors sporting competitions, robotics is a unique entity, Mr. Mehrman said.
“It’s completely different than anything else in high school,” he said. “You get that kind of excitement, sportsmanship and ingenuity in technology, engineering and computer programming, which is the future of the world, which is what people really need to get excited about.”

By Samantha Brix

March 31, 2011

Southold students compete in FIRST robotics competition

Southold High School students unleashed robots they built and programmed in the annual FIRST Robotics Competition at Hofstra University on Saturday.

Fans cheered and music blasted as 6-foot tall robots built by students from across Long Island battled it out in this year’s event, lifting inflatable tubes onto hooks to earn points.

By Samantha Brix

March 27, 2011