M’CHIGEENG—Both the Manitoulin Secondary School (MSS) Manitoulin Metal Robotics and Wiikwemkoong Warriors High School Robotics teams are gearing up for the season, with a kick-off event held on January 7.
“We took part in the kickoff event on Saturday (January 7), where the game challenge that they will take part in was released,” said Yana Bauer, one of the mentors of the MSS team. “It was cool because FIRST Robotics released this through livestream.”
“The challenge starts on the same date it is put out all around the world, on livestream,” said Chris Mara, mentor of the Wiikwemkoong High School team.
Ms. Bauer explained, “the 2023 FIRST Robotics competition season is about empowering young people to be leaders and innovators. During the kick-off event on January 7 the Manitoulin Metal team eagerly anticipated the details for this year’s game. The energy theme addresses global challenges related to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 7, focused on ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.”
“So, now the team is officially in the build season, the students have six weeks to build a robot, practice and take part in the competitions,” said Ms. Bauer. “Manitoulin Metal has six weeks to build a robot for the Charged Up competition to work with alliance partners to charge up their communities.”
“We’re in the process of trying to put together a game analysis, and concept development, with the first stage being strategizing how we are going to fit into the game,” said Mr. Mara of the Wiikwemkoong team. “We need to understand the game very well and our place in the game.”
“So, we are in design stages taking a look at all the possibilities in our robot,” said Mr. Mara. “We are still putting our team together to develop our robot and strategy and take part in the competition.”
The Wiikwemkoong Warriors High School Robotics team includes Riley Wemigwans, Grace Pitawanakwat, Jessica Wemigwans, Justice Manitowabi, Adrian Katt, Tristan Wemigwans, Zander Shawongonabe, Aiden Leedham, Samuel Kinoshameg, Ben Lewis, Pahquis Trudeau, Brianna Mishibinijima, Shawna Shigwadja, Stella Flamand, Mercedes Aibens, Ethan Mishibinijima, and mentors Jason Mishibinijima, Adrian Rampersad, Cathey Harley, Krista Ziemanis and Chris Mara.
Ms. Bauer explained the MSS robot’s components were picked up by the North Bay team, which brought it to Sudbury and the Wiikwemikong High School team brought it back to the Island.
“Our coding team is going to be able to get to do some new things with our robot with this year’s challenge, and team members and mentors as well as new community members who are assisting,” continued Ms. Bauer. “And the school tech division will be building some of our game elements, so that we will be able to test our robot before the competition.”
“We are hoping to build on the experience of last year’s team, we have five senior members on the team that have been with us since grade nine, through COVID and are now in Grade 12,” said Ms. Bauer.
The 2022-23 team includes co-captains Rhys Allison and Jocelyn Kuntsi, Carter Byers, Kyra Carpenter, Daphne Carr, Garrett Charbonneau, Hazon Corbett, Thomas Drummond, Tanner Graham, Addy Gray, Morgan Green, Nevaeh Harper, Ryan Kuntsi, Cameron Leeson, Xavi Mara, Patrick McCann, Alexis McVey, Ryann Moore, Faer O’Leary, Benjamin Pangowish, Samuel Pennings, Alan Wilkin, Ben Willis, Tom Willis, Alexandra Wilson-Zegil, Darwin Wood and Kyle Zembal.
Mentors for the MSS team include Yana Bauer, Caroline Black, Andrew Argall, Scott Willis, Paul Becks, Mike Zegil, and many parents and support staff.
The team is being sponsored by McMaster University, Manitoulin Transport, Ontario Power Generation, Township of Billings, 3M, RBC Wealth Management, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Argosy Foundation, Enbridge, McCann Concrete, Henderson Electric, Pat Noble Lumber, JA Rolston Ltd, Steele’s Home Hardware, Orr’s Valu-Mart, Foresters Insurance and Island Promotional products.
Ms. Bauer noted that for MSS, “Our goal is to build our robot by March, and by mid-February have the robot ready to go.”
Both MSS and Wiikwemkoong High School will take part in competitions in March.
