The Robotic Team is Gearing Up.

 A new robotics team is at GPA. These mechanical lions who go by the name of Phinedroids and Ferbots, based off the TV show “Phineas and Ferb” the characters built robots of themselves in one of their episodes, are competing in Vex robotic competition.

This year’s competition is Tower Takeover. The goal of the robots is to pick up most blocks that are worth the most points and to put them in a marked square goal in the corners of the playing field to score the most points in two minutes. There are seven towers located on the field, and there are colored blocks scattered across the field each worth one point, and if they put a block in the top of one of the towers every block of that same color is worth an additional point. The Phinedroids and Ferbots are gearing up and equipping not one but two robots for the districts competition.

The members of this team are Sophomore Cara Jones, Junior Benjamin Jones, and Junior Macy Steffens are working on one robot, while  Junior Sara Gunn, Sophomore Jonathan Marks, Seventh Grader Jack Chambers are working on the other bot. They are all leaded by Parent David Jones who has leaded other robotic teams.

The people who were trying out for the team took an aptitude test. The members were handpicked by Mr. Jones based on the results of the test.

“When I was picking the team members I was not looking if they were right, but I was looking for how long and hard they searched so I knew who was going to be committed to the team and who has the responsibility to learn what they don’t know in their own time,” said Mr. Jones.

These techno lions work hard and spend time not just while they meet to work on the bots but also time at home to do research and practice programing. It is not all fun and games they are working hard to make sure they are ready for the upcoming competitions.

 “The hardest part about Robotics is getting everyone to work together and not doddle or do nothing” said Jack Cambers, a 7^th grader who has been in robotics for three years.

Even with hardship there is always reward.

“If you get an reward after the competition it shows that all your accomplishments are paying off” said by Cara Jones who has been in robotic competition for five years

GPA can expecting big thing from these mechanical lions. They are letting the sparks fly and are willing to go all the way to the robotic top in the capitations that they are going to in about a month and a half. c