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Follow on Google News | The Label Printers Sponsors Geneva High School’s ROBOVIKES Team At FIRST Robotics Midwest TourThe Label Printers is a sponsor of Geneva High School’s FIRST Robotics Team. The “Robovikes” just participated in the Midwest Regional Tournament at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, advancing to the Final Round of the competition.
This year’s “game”, titled “Ultimate Ascent,” required the robots to shoot Frisbees into rectangular “slots” set at different heights in walls at each end of the game court. Robots could earn extra points if they climbed up a metal pyramid. In each 2 minute/15 second match, two “alliances” 2013 was the Robovikes 5th competition – and, as they have since their Rookie year – the team advanced to the Final Round of the competition. Bill Kane, Chief Executive of The Label Printers, came to watch the competition during the elimination matches. He was proud of the Robovike’s ‘bot Skadi (a Norse goddess) as it flung Frisbees into the “slots” with “robotic” precision – but he was even more pleased at the development of the program at Geneva. “Being a sponsor gives you a good feeling of being responsible for [supporting a team] whose camaraderie and enthusiasm have grown every year. It was great to see the team’s fans in Robovikes t-shirts, and to see their new mascot [team member Brad Snurka’s sister Robyn in full Viking regalia complete with a seashell that created the classic “Viking horn” sound]. The program grows larger every year, and we look forward to continuing our sponsorship of the team.” Down in the “pit” (an area set aside for working on the robots, on alliance strategies, etc.) between matches, were Senior Matt Fee – team spokesperson for pit visitors – ranging from other teams in the competitions to the judges’ visits. Sophomores Brad Snurka (2nd year Robovike) and Brandon Elizondo (1st year Robovike) were in the “pit” in their roles as programmers. Also in the pit was senior Will Camacho (4th year Robovike) – secondary driver, and junior Anna Green (3rd year Robovike) – safety captain. Senior Justin Mui (4th year Robovike) Programmer, highly skilled Driver and Team Captain, appeared relaxed and confident in the pit – as well he should, given the robot’s amazing speed and elusiveness around the court and percentage (nearly 90%) of “shots on goal”. When asked if he played video games a lot, Justin replied, “Not so much now. But yeah, I played a lot when I was younger.” In the stands was the rest of the team, who were there to scout and cheer. Junior Quade Spellman, Scout Captain and Captain on the Floor, spent hours taking information about the teams and their results from team scouts, and inputting it into the computer. Team supporters filmed the entire competition, and G.H.S. and Robovikes “grads” Josh Kilmer and Keane Hensley stopped by the competition to cheer the team on. Joe Kane, Director of R & D at The Label Printers, team mentor, felt that this year was one of great growth for the team. “This is the first time we’ve gone to two regionals – which are the big payoffs for the kids because of the environment and the excitement. We get a bit isolated during “build”, and playing the game is the reward for all of the hard work – it’s fun and entertaining and cool. But the first regional was a disaster – everything went wrong. So for the 2nd regional the team rewired, recoded, added features to Skadi – and the payoff was huge. Patience and perseverance took us from a team that was not picked for one of the final alliances [in the 1st regional], to being an Alliance Captain [in the 2nd regional]. The 2nd regional became a ‘life lesson’ for the team – that failure isn’t the end. You can make adjustments, and you can still succeed.” The Label Printers has been the Robovikes sponsor since their Rookie year, and in fact recruited Geneva H.S. to put together a FIRST robotics team. This year, the team’s other sponsors were Burgess Norton, Maytec, and Allstate – Dan Ross Agency. National finals, where about 10,000 students compete from countries around the world, will be held the weekend of April 25 in St Louis, Mo. The Robovikes are organized by G.H.S. teacher Mary Keyzer. Kevin Keyzer (a ceramics engineer) and his Dad are mentors, as is TLP's Director of R & D, Joe Kane. This year the Robovikes’ met in Fabyan Elementary School. In exchange for the use of the school, the Robovikes will demonstrate the robot, and have also organized a children’s safety meeting for the school's students, featuring safety videos developed by UL and the Walt Disney Company, featuring The Lion King’s Timon and Pumbaa. UL is the official Safety Alliance Partner for the FIRST program. About THE LABEL PRINTERS: (http://thelabelprinters.com/ The Label Printers, Aurora, IL, started in business in 1967, manufacturing simple label constructions in a 1,000 square foot space, with 1 employee, serving the local Chicago market. Today, the company has evolved into one of the 100 largest converters in the United States. The Label Printers owns and operates two facilities in Aurora, Illinois, manufacturing and distributing labels and packaging products to thousands of customers in 25 countries around the world. The company’s packaging products are certified to ISO 9001 standards, and their quality is backed up by their 99.6% Quality Acceptance Rating. About Geneva High School: Geneva Community High School is over 130 years old and has over 1,800 students, 150 faculty members, and offers more than 150 courses in eleven academic areas. Students may also enroll in one of thirty-seven academic courses in the Fox Valley Career Center curriculum. Advanced placement and honors courses are offered in all academic areas supported by the expansion of our Acceleration and Enrichment program. About the FIRST Robotics Competition: The FIRST Robotics Competition is an annual competition that helps students discover the excitement of science, engineering, and technology and the rewards a career in STEM can bring. Students get to: Learn from professional engineers Build and compete with a robot of their own design Learn and use sophisticated software and hardware Compete and cooperate in alliances and tournaments Qualify for nearly $14.8 million in college scholarships End
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