HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALISM: A different game

Editor's note: Here is your chance to tell your story about your team, your school or your favorite player. If you'd like to join The Gazette's growing list of high school contributors, contact J.R. Ogden at jr.ogden@thegazette.com

By Scott Bullerman, East Buchanan junior

WINTHROP - We are the RoboBucs, Team 4839.

Our game is robotics.

We participate each year in the First Tech Challenge, or FTC as it is most commonly called. Each year we play in a new 'game.'

This year the game is called the 'FTC Block Party.' The objective will be to put blocks in, or under, a balance beam. Team receive three points for under the balance beam and five for on the beam. If, at the end of the game, the beam is balanced, a team gains 50 points.

Also, at the end of each game, you can hang your robot on a bar and get another 50. You also can raise a flag and get 30 points if you reach one marker, 60 if you do another.

All of this needs to be done in three minutes.Team 4389 is building our robot now to do these task. Our state qualifying match is Dec. 14. We plan to qualify for the state tournament in Iowa City. If we reach our goal, we then could be one of two teams in Iowa - there are 135 registered teams in the state - that qualifies for the world championship.