One of the reasons I like my job is I get to see many new devices and concepts before they hit the market. This past weekend it branched into Hollywood/the movies, as I had the privilege of screening “Spare Parts” before it hit the theaters.
The movie focuses on FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team 842 – Falcon Robotics, from Carl Hayden Community High School in Phoenix, AZ, and their journey to building an underwater robot for the Marine Advanced Technology Education Center’s Remotely Operated Vehicle Competition (MATE) back in 2004.
The team consisted of four students, Cristian Arcega, Lorenzo Santillan, Oscar Vazquez, and Luis Arranda, and was led by FIRST Senior Mentor Faridodin Lajvardi and Allen Cameron, a retired computer science teacher.
Each student came from different backgrounds (the straight arrow, the math whiz, the mechanical genius, and the muscle) and had to learn how to cooperate with each other during the build. With limited time and resources, the students faced many challenges (personal and design), but were able to overcome them in time to enter their robot, Stinky, into the FRC competition.
What makes their story memorable is the fact that this band of high school misfits chose to compete against elite engineering universities, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) instead of their high school peers.
The movie is a testament to how competitions like FIRST and MATE are important for getting students of all ages involved in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). “’Spare Parts’ tells an impressive story of grit, determination, creativity, and leadership in engineering,” says FIRST President Donald E. Bossi in a statement. “The characters – who are modeled after talented, real-life leaders – show the world you can work hard and have fun in science and engineering while accomplishing your goals through teamwork and individual success.”
I couldn’t agree more with Bossi. It’s amazing to see how students take charge when given leadership opportunities and hands-on experience in areas like robotics engineering and invention challenges. I remember attending the FIRST competition in St. Louis, MO, and I was so proud of all the teams we met. Every student stepped up to play their part when designing their robots, and it was very refreshing to see them come together to solve certain obstacles and challenges they faced during the competition.
The creative problem-solving skills and collaborative teamwork displayed by the Carl Hayden Community High School students not only led them to an outstanding victory over MIT during the competition, but proves that when given the chance, students are capable of the most remarkable things; highlighting the importance of STEM and its importance in today’s academic curriculum.
What are your thoughts on competitions like FIRST and MATE? What other ways can we incorporate STEM into current academics to get more students invovled. Post your commets below, or email them to meaghan.ziemba@advantagemedia.com.
