This does compute: Skilled robotics teams merit honor

Be it on the football field, the baseball diamond or the basketball court, the Mahoning Valley long has distinguished itself as a hotbed of competitive spirit and top-notch talent.

As the lights go out on the school year, another group of talented and highly spirited competitors from several Valley high schools have good reason to cheer.

They are members of the robotics teams from Girard, Warren Harding, Austintown Fitch and Champion high schools who rose to the best-of-the-best plateau by qualifying for and competing among the Top 24 robotics squads in Ohio for statewide laurels.

Our state-ranked teams certainly did not disappoint. The alliance of the Girard RoboCats and the Harding Delphi E.L.I.T.E. teams finished in grand style, taking second place statewide.

In so doing, they brought honor to themselves, their schools, their communities and the entire Mahoning Valley. For that, we heartily congratulate them.

TOP CATS IN GIRARD

In particular, the RoboCats distinguished themselves as a gifted and accomplished team to be reckoned with. It went into the statewide championship as the No. 1 seed. Earlier this spring, it placed 11th in the world championships in St. Louis and first in regionals.

In addition to the RoboCats, the Harding, Fitch and Hubbard FIRST [For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology] Robotics teams also met the grueling qualifications to compete for the world title.

Clearly, all of these teams and others in our region reach their goal of making others aware of and excited about the importance of science, technology, engineering and math. In so doing, they powerfully expunge the mythical moniker of “nerd” that for too long has unfairly defamed students who aspire toward STEM. Nerds, they definitely are not.

They are instead stellar ambassadors of the rewards of hard work in the hard sciences. They also are active advocates of the value of community service.

The RoboCats, for example, don’t isolate themselves within the confines of secluded robot-building laboratories. Membership in RoboCats requires a demonstrated commitment to community service. To that end, team members have volunteered at the OH WOW! children’s museum, Relay for Life, Special Olympics and myriad other compassionate community causes.

When you add up all of the time, energy and devotion these young people invest in planning, designing, building, programming and practicing with their robots, the result reveals a path to success for them in one of the most dynamic disciplines of the work world of today and the long-distance future. The result also brings a welcome dose of good old-fashioned community pride to the entire Mahoning Valley.