Viperbots robotics spent Saturday at Vandegrift working on their robots in preparation for the first competition on Dec. 1st in San Antonio. Some stayed the entire time, lasting almost 16.5 hours.
“It’s called the Cinderella Lock-in because we worked from 7:30 a.m. to midnight like in Cinderella and her party ended at midnight,” sophomore 6210 team manager Nelson Fesas said. “The fun ended at midnight.”
The morning started with hosting the First Lego League scrimmage for the elementary and middle school students. Team members took different shifts volunteering at the event, guiding people to their assigned areas, and meeting some of the members. Some of the First Lego League teams took a tour of the robotics room, led by adviser Rad Allen. The young members were able to see the high school robotics teams, the robotics room and arena, and the robots the Viperbots are still developing. As the First Lego League ended and the participants were leaving, the Viperbots began to focus on their tasks from hosting to building.
“Our goals are to finish the physical development of the robot and to bring the team closer,” sophomore 6209 team manager Seena Ounsinegad said.
Each of the five teams worked hard on creating a robot ready for competition, with what little time they have left. The day was not 16.5 hours of straight work. The Viperbots took breaks and played games to get energized and refresh their minds to get the maximum amount of work done.
“Saturday was an incredible experience,” adviser Rad Allen said. “It really gave the team members a chance to bond and make progress on their robots in a fun creative way.”
