Ad-Express and Daily Iowegian, Centerville, IA

Community News Network

March 11, 2013

OHS all-female robotics squad proves they can compete with the boys

OTTUMWA — Cookies, girls and robots.

That’s the phrase Jeff Henderson uses to describe one of the teams he coaches at Ottumwa High School. Robotics is the subject, and all of the team members are female.

The girls have the spotlight because they’re the only all-girl team in the state. They’re sponsored by the Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa and they received a Scale-Up Grant from the Governor’s STEM initiative.

Recently, the girls’ Team 4144 Engineer Imagineer won the Motivate Award and finished in 14th place in a recent statewide competition.

“All of us decided to take the challenge,” Henderson said Friday. “We brainstormed, made drawings and wrote stuff.”

The team designed the robot, built it and did the programming.

“It’s a male-dominated event and we all accepted the challenge,” said team member Kelsey Granneman.

Henderson said the team worked hard to be competitive.

They use “tele-op,” and that’s where the team can drive with joy sticks. Henderson said they’re “working with a box that’s 18 by 18 by 18” inches.

To be that size, there are certain materials they can’t use, and they have to buy pre-made parts, Granneman said.

Henderson said the Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa has been helpful to the team and so has John Deere.

The robots and the competitions are part of the First Tech Challenge, Henderson said.

“The purpose of the robotics is to get young people — who might not be in a sport at all — involved with a team,” he added.

Team members get a chance to learn how to run a wrench, how to cut plexiglass and other skills.

Granneman said she enjoyed going to state and was pleased the team could “stand out from the other 48,” she said. And, the team was “only” girls.

Henderson, however, said there was one thing that bothered him some,  and that’s when one of the girls spilled glitter on the robot.

The team is comprised of Granneman, Kassidi Henderson, Nicole Peyton, Mady Feather, Kenzie McCoy, Claire Carlson and Caroline Carlson.

Text Only
Community News Network
  • NUTRITION24.jpg Kebabs: Health kick on a stick

    Grilling is a simple way to feed your family well this summer. Start with a lean meat and a healthful marinade and then allow the grill to strip away additional fat for a heart-healthy and waist-friendly final result. Plus, grilling caramelizes the natural sugars in foods, which adds flavor without additional calories and fat.

    May 24, 2013 1 Photo

  • Boy Scouts: Yes to gay youths, no to adults

    The Boy Scouts of America on Thursday ended its ban on openly gay youths but maintained a prohibition on gay adult leaders, a decision framed as a compromise but one that could lead to litigation and thousands of defections from one of America's largest youth organizations.

    May 24, 2013

  • Oklahoma Tornado Expert: Schools need shelters

    Ninety-four percent of Oklahoma schools do not have tornado shelters, according to Gov. Mary Fallin, even though at least one weather expert says they should be standard. With two Moore schools destroyed in Monday’s EF-5 tornado — and ...

    May 24, 2013 1 Photo

  • Twitter.jpg Twitter introduces website security tool after AP account hacked

    Twitter is adding a new security tool to its website, making it harder for outsiders to gain access to accounts, a month after a false posting triggered a stock-market decline.

    May 23, 2013 1 Photo

  • chinese restaurant survivors.jpg Siblings withstand storm in fridge

    Brother and sister co-owners of a Chinese takeout restaurant huddled inside a refrigerator to survive Monday’s deadly tornado that claimed 24 lives.

    May 23, 2013 1 Photo

  • taylortornadofamily Mom delivered baby as tornado struck

    Shayla Taylor was so far along in labor that her nurses at Moore Medical Center decided not to move her when Monday's tornado hit. They waited out the storm in an operating room, where the wall disappeared as the tornado hit the building.

    May 23, 2013 1 Photo

  • preview4.jpg TIMELAPSE: Take a tour through the damage in Moore

    Take a driving tour of the damage in Moore caused by Monday's tornado.

    May 23, 2013 1 Photo

  • Mayor wants tornado shelters in new homes

    Moore Mayor Glenn Lewis wants tornado shelters in all new homes in his city, where an EF-5 tornado damaged or destroyed more than 12,500 homes Monday afternoon. A proposed ordi­nance would require a shelter inside or outside each new residence.

    May 23, 2013

  • import 1.jpg AUDIO: Residents share their tornado experiences

    Moore, Okla., residents talk about living through Monday's EF-5 tornado.

    May 23, 2013 1 Photo

  • computer.jpg In fan fiction, your favorite characters do what you want them to

    When J.J. Abrams took over the "Star Trek" franchise in 2009, he boldly went where the series hadn't gone before — romantically — pairing Uhura with Spock. Many fans disliked the change. Some loved it. Others didn't care, because they just wanted to see Kirk and Spock make out.

    May 22, 2013 1 Photo

  • screenshot fbi.jpg VIDEO: Orlando shootout tied to Boston bomb suspect

    The FBI says it was involved in a fatal shooting near Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla. CBS News senior correspondent John Miller reports that the victim was a friend of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older brother suspected in the Boston Marathon bombing.

    May 22, 2013 1 Photo

  • Moore Tornado rubble Okla. officials vow not to quit looking until everyone is found

    The tornado that killed 24 people and injured at least 100 others in the Moore and Oklahoma City area cut a 17-mile-long path that started in Newcastle and ended at Lake Stanley Draper. Nine of the dead are children.

    May 22, 2013 1 Photo 1 Slideshow

  • Norman-Tornado08.jpg Photos: Aftermath of massive tornado in Moore Storm victims were pulled from the rubble and residents began surveying the damage late Monday and early Tuesday in the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, where a powerful tornado destroyed entire neighborhoods and left dozens dead.

    May 21, 2013

  • money.jpg Where to get the best deal on beer, haircuts, movies

    Looking for a good deal on a six-pack of beer? Try Charlotte. A haircut that won't burn a hole in your wallet? Harlingen, Texas, is your best bet. A trip to the movies? Hilo, Hawaii, is supposed to be nice this time of year.

    May 21, 2013 1 Photo

  • dog-found.jpg VIDEO: Tornado survivor's missing dog found during TV interview

    Barbara Garcia was being interviewed by CBS News about how she survived the destruction of her home to Monday's massive tornado in Moore, when the dog she feared dead was suddenly discovered alive in the rubble of her home.

    May 21, 2013 1 Photo

Obituaries
Featured Ads
Poll

The Iowegian wants readers to think about Memorial Day services as a way to honor our fallen soldiers and loved ones. So, the question of the week is, "Memorial Day is Monday. Memorial Day services will be held across the country this weekend. Do you plan to attend one (vote leading up to Memorial Day services) or did you attend one (vote after Memorial Day services)?"

A. Yes
B. No
     View Results
Iowegian on Facebook