Robotics Team Reaches Regional Tournament
By John Payne
The Western Albemarle Robotics Team competed against 26 more experienced teams in the qualifying tournament of the FIRST Tech Challenge hosted by the University of Virginia School of Engineering Jan. 28.
In their first-ever competition, the fledging team scored high enough to advance to the Virginia Regional Championship in Richmond March 3.
The WAHS Robotics Team consists of tenth graders Andy Cohen, Alex Krasner, Nathan Nieburg, Cayden Ramberg, Ellie Weikle and ninth graders Dor Hananel and Lexy Payne.
The rules of the FIRST Tech Challenge require that a team design, fabricate, and program a robot from a specific materials kit. The robot must operate in both autonomous and human remote-piloted modes. The robot must collect and place racquet balls into crates, stack the crates, and move the crates into specific areas of the competition field to score more points than other teams. Rules also require that team captains negotiate with each other based on their results and capabilities to form alliances as the elimination rounds advanced toward the final event.
Poetry Out Loud
By Pete Barber
Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry competition that has existed for the past seven years, but 2011 was the first year that Western Albemarle students participated. More than 200 students competed through Ms. White’s and Mr. Hughes’ English classes. There was also an “At Large” competition that drew another nine brave students from the rest of the student body.
At the Western Albemarle Poetry Out Loud championship December 13, ten students earned the right to compete in this final. The students were instructed to memorize a poem and give the judges a copy of the chosen poem beforehand. The students were then judged on accuracy, flow, and difficulty of the poem. Aidan Barkley was crowned champion and plans to go to the regional competition in Richmond this month. The Poetry Out Loud competition was sponsored by the NEHS (National English Honor Society), the English Department, and the WAHS media center.
A Y-Ball Life
By Zach Mandell
Y-Ball, as the YMCA basketball league is known, has become a primary activity of winter for Western boys. High school Y-Ball is divided into 9th/10th grade and 11th/12th grade leagues. In each division there are two teams that hail from WAHS. The 9th/10th grade Red Team (also known as the Pinapple Warriors) consists of Michael DeSimone, Rob Nowlin, Andrew deJong, Zach Mandell, Ben Smith, Nate Smith, Sam Wheeler, Taylor Godine, John Mark Mastakas, Cy Webb, and Coach Mike Culp. It stands at 1-2. This rocky start for a historical powerhouse is especially painful since their archrivals, the White Team, are 4-0. The 9th/10th grade White Team, comprised of Ilo Zak, Dylan Curry, Joe Squillace, Michael Nafziger, Deven Barkley, Austin Gadient, Jeremy Pugh, Jonathan Dance, and Coach Curry, will face the Red Team in their last two games of the season. As far as either Coach Culp or Coach Curry is concerned, this super climactic double finale means everything.
In the 11th/12th grade division, the Orange Team of Riley Saunders, Adam Schiller, Ben Schiller, Grant Tolber, Brett Engle, Mike Lengel, Dallas Pugh, Preston Nowlin, and the legendary Coach Post are experiencing an uncharacteristically slow start with a record of 1-2. As one of the most storied programs in Y-Ball history, the Orange Team is not used to defeat. But have no fear. “The Crozet Criminals” are a wiry of group of warriors and will undoubtedly figure it out sooner or later. Their archrivals, the Green Team, are defending champions of the 9th/10th grade division. They are made up of Timmy O’Shea, Quinn Cross, Tommy Mullin, Patrick Greer, Kent Miller, Jeff Culp, and Daniel Kujzak and are also 1-2. One of their losses came in the form of a forfeit against the Orange team, giving Orange bragging rights over Green.
Scholastic Team Wins Districts
By Josh Epstein & Josh Mandell
The WAHS Scholastic Bowl Team secured a trip to Regionals by winning the Jefferson District regular season championship with a 19-1 record. Starters Josh Mandell, Connor Swank, Charles Bill, Angela Li, and Michael Patashnik built up early leads in most of their matches, allowing reserve players to close out the wins. Freshman Eric Xu and junior Foster Whitlock had impressive showings off the bench and many of the reserve players scored their first points for the team this season. Western won the Jefferson District Tournament January 25 and is headed for the Region II tournament on February 4.
Key Club Holiday Efforts a Success
by Maegan Carvajal
With Salvation Army bells still ringing in their ears, Key Club members are very happy with the outcomes of their holiday project. They worked with children during the Toy Drive and Breakfast with Santa. Tree Sales and Bell Ringing were also successes for the club. They are currently working on their ongoing project of Head Start at Brownsville Elementary School and reinstating their Mountainside Senior Living volunteering, while hoping to lead a blood drive in the spring. What senior Charlotte Roland really likes about Key Club is the opportunity to give back.
“We’re really fortunate to have what we do, and it’s easy to get wrapped up in that. As a teenager I can’t necessarily give a lot to the people in need, but what I can give is my time,” she said.
