IHS Robotics Team Launches a New Season

Article by Jennifer Zhao, 10th grader at Ithaca High School

Code Red Robotics of Ithaca High School has kicked off a new school year!

As part of the worldwide organization, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), Code Red Robotics builds robots and participates in competitions. Typically, Code Red team members build a 125-pound robot during the course of two months every school year in accordance with that year’s theme and competition challenges.

This year, Code Red welcomed 49 new members, raising total membership to 85 student engineers.

Code Red Robotics is led by seven officers: Emerson Schryver, President; Annalise Thompson and Wali Afridi, Vice Presidents/Build Team Managers; Alex Elia, Community Outreach; Celene Sahoo, Treasurer; Shaine Wei, Team Administrator; and Jennifer Zhao, PR Officer. As a student-run club, the officers are anticipating a great year.

Code Red Robotics kicked off the year with volunteering and activities to connect with the community. On September 18, the team brought last year’s robot down to Streets Alive! in Ithaca, hosted by Bikewalk Tompkins. Engineers gave demonstrations on how the robot functions and were able to share a love of STEM with members of the community. One parent reported, “[Our son] has asked about seeing the ‘robot built by the kids in the red shirts’ since he saw y’all at the last Streets Alive! He was thrilled you all came out.”

On October 11, team members volunteered at Stewart Park to help Friends of Stewart Park pick up litter, trim down invasive plants, and clean up the playground to keep the local park clean and an enjoyable place for all. Connie Zheng, one of the volunteers during the event, said, “It was a really fulfilling experience and a lot of work, but I’m glad I could do my part!”

On October 22, members and mentors attended Ra Cha Cha Ruckus. Hosted by FIRST Team 1511, also known as “Rolling Thunder,” Ruckus is a small competition featuring last year’s robots. This competition allows for new members to learn about how FIRST works and to get a chance to see robots and team members in action.

“Ruckus was a really fun experience,” Maria Sun, a 9th grader, said. “Not only was it exciting to watch and be a part of, but a friend and I were even able to contribute to the spirit award for our team! I'm really excited for our next competition and the rest of the season.”

FIRST Team Code Red Robotics would like to continue to thank its sponsors: Rheonix, BorgWarner Morse TEC, BAE Systems, Cornell Institute for Computational Sustainability, Cornell Bowers College of Computing & Information Science, Cornell College of Engineering, Datapoint Labs, Duthie Orthodontics, Elwyn & Palmer Consulting Engineers, Incodema, Tompkins Trust Company, Vector Magnetics, ShipIndex.org, M&T Bank, ICSD, ICSD Board of Education, Ithaca High School, and IPEI. Their support makes it possible for the team to operate and to foster a love of STEM.

Code Red is an associate member of the IthacaSTEM Advocates, an affiliate of the Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI), a not-for-profit organization that believes the education of every student in the Ithaca City School District is enhanced through community connections and support.

For more information on Code Red Robotics, please email advisor Ian Krywe at ikrywe@icsd.k12.ny.us, or visit the team’s website. Click to learn more information about FIRST robotics.

Code Red Robotics Photos

Ruckus, Stewart Park, and Streets Alive

Click on thumbnails to enlarge