Page 11 - The Wayne Dispatch

Bionic Zebras set goal to raise $15,000

By Carolyn Marnon members who helped build it written
Team 313: The Bionic Zebras of in various places.
Wayne Memorial High School have During the six-week building pe-
set what might seem like a lofty goal riod each team is allowed, Kaden
of raising $15,000 this year. This says the team works on the robot
would cover competition entrance from 2:00-8:00 p.m. every day after
fees, the costs associated with de- school.
signing, building and programming The team is looking for sponsors.
an industrial-sized robot to use in Kaden says they really want to have
competition, along with other costs community sponsors. They would
such as travel, food and team shirts. be especially grateful if a local busi-
Kaden Brown is a sophomore ness sponsor was in the STEM (Sci-
this year. He is the team’s Business ence, Technology, Engineering and
Captain. He has always been inter- Math) field. They have had bottle
ested in gadgets. He enjoyed taking drives to raise funds. They are cur-
broken toys apart and seeing how rently selling Zebra Stock. For $10,
they worked. He joined the Bionic you can own a Zebra Stock Certifi-
Zebras his freshman year for the op- A few of the the members of the robotics team show off last year’s robot at Concerts cate which signifies you as an in-
portunity to build things, make new vestor in the Wayne Memorial Bionic
friends and for the help with school- in Goudy Park. Zebras FIRST Robotics Team. You
work he could get through the robot- each week to show off their current would be entitled to investor-only
ics team. He says the team has had robot and talk robotics with inter- emails on team progress and impor-
a 100% graduation rate over the last ested concert-goers. “Spacer” has tant event information as well as in-
20 years. been rolling around this summer at vitations to team open house and
Two years ago, Wayne Rotary in- the park with Team President Dallas team build days.
vited the Bionic Zebras to set up a McIntosh, Safety Captain Sara Bella- The 2020 competition theme is
tent at the Wednesday night concerts vance, Kaden and Team Mentors J.J. Infinite Recharge. The FIRST (For In-
in Goudy Park. The team arrives Johnson and Eric Cleereman. spiration and Recognition of Science
and Technology) Robotics website in-
dicates Rise: The Force is Building,
powered by Star Wars: Force for
For $10, you can own Zebra Stock as an Change. There are sound files for
investor in the Wayne Memorial Bionic Star Wars ambient sounds, R2-D2
beeps and BB-8 noises. Star Wars
Zebras FIRST Robotics Team. fans should be interested in seeing
“Spacer” is the team’s 2019 competi- what transpires when these high
tion robot for Destination Deep school students get the specifics for
Space. It got its name because team the competition season and “rise” to
members kept losing spacers inside the occasion.
the robot. “A joke name,” says Kaden. If you would like to purchase
“Spacer” has an elevator system that “stock” in the Bionic Zebras, become
can go 8-feet up, a drive train that a sponsor or donate to the team,
can make 360 degree turns, an elec- please email Kaden at
tronic panel, can move 15 feet in a frcteam313@gmail.com. May the
second, and has the names of team force of Wayne be with them.

The Wayne Dispatch · September 2019 · 11