Culture | October 12th, 2016
By Ben Haugmo
benhaugmo@yahoo.com
The NDSU annual Bison BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology) Robotics competition was started to encourage middle school and high school students to become interested in engineering, science and technology careers.
Before the main competition kicks off, community members are invited to preview submissions during Mall Day this weekend.
Each Bison BEST competition has had a different theme, and this year, robots will be designed to perform agricultural tasks.
At Liberty Middle School in West Fargo, a team of 86 students is designing a robot that will harvest vegetables, plant seeds, and corral pigs. The aim is to complete as many tasks as possible within three minutes.
Michael Stecher is a science teacher at Liberty Middle School. Together with teachers of other subjects, he has helped to emphasize the interdisciplinary aspects of competing for Bison BEST.
“What we’re doing as teachers,” said Stecher, “is tying agriculture into all four of our classrooms, making this an interdisciplinary project. In my class, in science, they’re learning about growing lettuce and what plants need. In math, they looked at scale models of building a robot and conversions. In language arts, they’re working on the engineering notebook itself.”
The team at Liberty Middle School is organized as distinct departments. One team is working to build the robot, but there are many other processes involved in preparing for the competition. One team has to code the robot, another has to build the playing field that the robot performs its tasks on, and yet another team works on outreach and getting the word out to the public.
“The competition says ‘Hey here’s your task, do it,’” said Stecher, “so we figured the best way to do the task with 86 students is break them up into specific departments and have them each have their role. It’s kind of like a company, and I would say we’re bigger than most companies in Fargo.”
The main competition will be held in two weeks at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse at NDSU, but anyone interested in previewing the robots at work can come to West Acres this weekend.
YOU SHOULD KNOW
Bison BEST Mall Day
October 15
West Acres Mall
November 23rd 2024
October 17th 2024
October 16th 2024
October 10th 2024
September 19th 2024
__293px-wide.jpg)
By Winona LaDukewinona@winonaladuke.com The business of Indian Hating is a lucrative one. It’s historically been designed to dehumanize Native people so that it’s easier to take their land. ‘Kill the Indian, save the man,”…
By Winona LaDukewinona@winonaladuke.comThere’s not really a word for reconciliation, it's said in our language. There’s a word for making it right. To talk about reconciliation in terms of the relationship between Indigenous…
Thursday, December 5, 7-11:30 p.m.The Aquarium above Dempsey’s, 226 Broadway N., FargoLegendary post hardcore band Quicksand plays Fargo, with fellow New Yorkers Pilot to Gunner and local heroes Baltic to Boardwalk and Hevvy…
By Jim Fugliejimfuglie920@gmail.com Okay, so last month I promised you a woman President of the United States. So much for my predictability quotient. Lesson 1: Never promise something you can’t control. And nobody, not even…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comWith What is Happening in the World, Why not Artificial Intelligence? Since Lucy fell out of a tree and walked about four million years ago, she has been evolving to humans we call Homo sapiens. We…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com In this land of hotdish and ham, the knoephla soup of German-Russian heritage seems to reign supreme. In my opinion though, the French have the superior soup. With a cheesy top layer, toasted baguette…
__300x100.jpg)
By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.com Local band Zero Place has been making quite a name for itself locally and regionally in the last few years. Despite getting its start during a time it seemed the whole world was coming to…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Writer-director Nicole Riegel’s sophomore feature “Dandelion” is now playing in theaters following a world premiere at South by Southwest in March. The movie stars KiKi Layne as the…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comIn 1974, the Jamestown Arts Center started as a small space above a downtown drugstore. It has grown to host multiple classrooms, a gallery, performance studio, ceramic studio and outdoor art park.…
By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comHigh Plains Reader had the opportunity to interview two mysterious new game show hosts named Milt and Bradley Barker about an upcoming event they will be putting on at Brewhalla. What…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
By Josette Ciceronunapologeticallyanxiousme@gmail.com What does it mean to truly live in a community —or should I say, among community? It’s a question I have been wrestling with since I moved to Fargo-Moorhead in February 2022.…
Rynn WillgohsJanuary 25, 1972-October 8, 2024 Rynn Azerial Willgohs, age 52, of Vantaa, Finland, died by suicide on October 8, 2024. Rynn became her true-self March 31, 2020. She immediately became a vocal and involved activist…
By Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com My name is Faye Seidler and I’m a suicide prevention advocate and a champion of hope. I think it is fair to say that we’ve been living through difficult times and it may be especially…