CLINTON, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — At South Vermillion School Corporation, students are getting the opportunity to take their passion for robotics to the next level.
The corporation has robotics teams at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, and one, known as the “Nerd Herd” is performing out of this world.
When you think of the word “nerd,” what do you think of?
Well, four seventh graders at South Vermillion Middle School say Steve Urkel comes to mind as the character that inspired the team’s name.
“Miss Sellers said that we were kind of like a herd, so we decided on The Nerd Herd,” Reed Taylor, who takes care of the team notebook and strategy and serves as a driver, said.”
Urkel also inspired the uniform.
“We typically stick out, with the bright colors,” Colten James said with a chuckle.
From their checkered pants worn sky high and secured with suspenders to masking tape holding their glasses together, the Nerd Herd is proving themselves in the world of robotics with the support of their teacher and coach.
“They’re one of those dream teams that, together with their skills, are doing some incredible things,” Maria Sellers, Computer Science Teacher and Robotics Coach at South Vermillion, said.
In March, the team competed at the state competition at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. There, they finished 24th in skills and 55th in teamwork out of 115 teams. While they didn’t place as high as they hoped, their persistence and dedication to problem-solving paid off, earning the team the “Innovate Award,” which recognizes their effective and well-documented design process.
“We look small, but we’re mighty,” Reed said.
This May, the herd will make its second trip to the Vex Robotics World Competition in Dallas, Texas.
“VEX robotics is a program meant to be student-centered, allowing students to solve problems through the world of robotics,” Sellers said. “And so, each year, they’re presented with a game riddled with various problems, and then students have to work together as a team to develop solutions, which, of course, involves building a robot. And each part of that robot solves a problem,” she added.
In preparation, the team got busy building their eighth bot and is in the process of developing a new game strategy.
“That takes a lot of time and thinking,” said Colton Robertson, a robot driver who also does strategy for the Nerd Herd. “We have to make a strategy to get everything done in a minute, as fast and efficient as we possibly can,” he added.
And while they love the competitions, bot builder, Jonah Foltz said, they are just thankful to be given the opportunity, “It’s really nice to be able to do that at school.”
“We have a school corporation and teacher who is willing to support us and what we love doing in robotics, Colton James said. “And is helping us set up our future.”
To fund the season, the team has been busy working extracurricular concession stands. With the Worlds competition just around the corner, the Nerd Herd is trying to raise $5,000 to offset the cost.
To help the South Vermillion Middle School Robotics team reach that goal you can send a check to the school showing support for the team. Donations can be mailed to SVMS at 950 W Wildcat Dr. Clinton, IN 47842.
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