By Sayellor Taylor-Blackstone

   Robotics is a club that, although not for the faint of heart, is extremely gratifying for its members.

   The team meets multiple times a week for several hours to accomplish their goals. Jay Nergard, a senior at Tempe Prep and coding captain of the club, comments that they meet “every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for two hours or more.”

   Although rigorous and demanding with many team meetings, this club also brings a lot of fulfillment in earning awards throughout the year. Jay comments that one of their best accomplishments was winning the creativity award in 2022. 

   Recent competitions include the First Robotics Competition West Regional, shortened to FRC, and a smaller competition held at ASU in October. Regarding FRC, captain of the Robotics Team and senior Jonah Gagliardi said that it was a fun experience but that the team “encountered a lot more issues than [they] expected.”

   One accomplishment from the season is having “built what I’d say is the best well-made robot in many years,” says Jonah, “we even managed to add some cool LED lights.”

   The highlight from the year for Jonah would be when the team “slammed so hard into another robot we accidentally shut it down.”

   Senior Azra Dedic comments that this year was extremely successful in acquiring more members and “working well as a team!” This growth has led the club to feeling more connected and competing better in tournaments.

   Azra comments that another exciting accomplishment from the year was having “a near perfect design for JS Robot.”

   Whether looking for a fun and engaging activity or a fulfilling and rewarding experience, consider the Robotics team next school year.