McQuaid Jesuit has two Lego Robotics teams, The Access Masters and The Pollution Solution, who competed on November 18 at McQuaid Jesuit. Team Access Masters won and will proceed to the finals on December 10.

The First Lego League is a worldwide competition. Competitors are trying to achieve a goal while keeping a set of core values. The set of values and skills they learn will not just help them now, but will affect the way they live their lives in the future.

Many values help them achieve success. They work well as a team to find solutions with guidance from their coaches and mentors. They understand their coaches and mentors don’t have all the answers, and learn together.

They honor the spirit of friendly competition, and what they discover is more important than what they win. They share their experiences with others and display Gracious Professionalism® and Coopertition® in everything they do, and always have fun while doing it. These values are a large piece to their puzzle of success.

Both teams are given different problems, and are asked to find a solution for that problem. Lego Robotics is open to grades six through eight and they compete to showcase their abilities on things like computer programming and engineering.

Team Pollution Solution will attempt to solve pollution in the Genesee River. The members that helped come up with their solution were Ethan Danielik, Alex Carpentier, AK Krotz, Tobias Sorensen-Fry, Johnathon Fox, Henry Compton, Ramon Gibson, Yogesh Pillai, Radu Petrescu, and Jaime Kosten.

Their solution is a water filter that works by creating an open tunnel next to the river, and adding a device that will filter the water. This creation will be in deep and shallow waters. A gate will then be added to the tunnels that is open and closable, making it able to be opened or closed at any given time, letting water through and making their idea work.

Team Access Masters’ problem is a bit different. In Flint, Michigan, lead pipes are contaminating faucets by chemicals flowing through the pipes as the pipes break down. These chemicals eventually turn to lead harming anyone on the opposite end, for illnesses, and even long term effects to the body. The team members responsible for coming up with a solution are Joe Piccolo, William Foggett, Alex Steele, Michael Herbowy, Brady Herrema, Fritz Jeff, Dylan Winters, and Tomas Riccio.

Their solution is to line the pipes with Carbon Fiber. If the pipes consist of non-corrosive material, then corrosion will not wear away at the pipes. Therefore, as long as the liners stay in place, the lead problem will be solved.

These solutions are ideas that could end up revolutionizing the problems they are answering. This club also helps the two teams to see the power in working as a whole. Team Pollution Solution member and sixth grader Jack Fox believes he has been taught teamwork and said, “You can’t always control everything, you have to work as a team.” He also said anyone interested should not hesitate, and join the team.

Team Access Masters member and seventh grader Joseph Piccolo shared some insight on what makes a team successful. “Patience and focus are what hold a team together,” he said.

Joining this club is a great way to learn technical skills for young students looking to make a change in the world. They gain a great sense of teamwork and sportsmanship. It broadens young minds to think outside of the box, and apply what they have learned to real world situations.