The top Technology Education
students from Northern Cambria High School
competed at the 29TH Annual
STATE Technology Student
Association (TSA) leadership conference at Seven Springs Resort. Team members,
Joe Rocco, Andy Lieb, and John Shook competed in a competition titled SYSTEM
CONTROL TECHNOLOGY. This event uses LEGO MINDSTORMS to replicate industrial
manufacturing or replicate an industrial process. LEGO MINDSTORMS uses standard
LEGO building bricks in conjunction with a programmable brick to activate
motors and sensors. Students in this competition have no idea what the
challenge will be until it is presented to them. Participants plan the
construction and phases that are necessary then begin to build the structure or
device that meet the criteria given. Once the structure is built then
programming is necessary to control motors, or react to light or touch sensors,
or turn lights on or off. The other criteria were to provide a written
explanation of the problem and the team’s solution. This year the challenge
that was presented was to design a coin operated car wash that included a
washing station, a rinsing station and a drying station. Team members had two
and one-half hours to complete the all of the tasks. Northern Cambria’s TSA
team captured 1st place which entitles them to compete at the NATIONAL Level
which is held in June in Nashville,
Tennessee . “SYSTEM CONTROL
TECHNOLOGY is a “Qualifying event.” This means that only first place winners
are permitted to compete at the national level. Because this team placed first
they are the sole representative of the state of Pennsylvaniawhile
participating in SYSTEM CONTROL competition,” said TSA chapter advisor, Edward
Link, who teaches Drafting & Design, CADD (Computer Aided Drafting &
Design) Advanced CADD, Manufacturing and Automation.
In order to compete at the
STATE level students must first compete at a REGIONAL Conference. Northern
Cambria is in Region 8, which means that we competed against schools from
Chestnut Ridge, Bedford county, and State College, Lewistown, Bellefonte, Penns
Valley and Indian Valley of Center county. Here, chapters must rank first,
second or third to qualify for State Competition.
“ Northern
Cambria had a strong showing at STATES this year,” said Link. Four
of the five events that we participated resulted in placing in the top ten in
the state. Team members Jacque Link and Liz Thomas placed 8th in TECHNOLOGY
PROBLEM SOLVING. Team members Jacque Link and Andy Lieb placed 6th in
ARCHITECTURAL MODEL Competition. Jacque Link placed 4th in CADD-Architectural.
This is a great achievement since this year proved to be a record year for the Pennsylvania delegation.
There were twenty new chapters in the state resulting in an increase of over
300 members in attendance from last year. This increase resulted in making
PENNSYLVANIA TSA the 3rd largest TSA delegation in the nation. There were over
1,428 attendees at the conference.
“It would have been
interesting to take all these students to compete nationally identifying that
we have a strong technology program at Northern Cambria and in Pennsylvania . TSA is a
200,000-member association of elementary school, middle school, and high school
students who are or have been enrolled in technology education courses. Its
goal is technological leadership and personal growth through student
participation in challenging technological competitions that cover
problem-solving, decision making, and critical thinking skills as they relate
to communications, power, energy, transportation, engineering, and
manufacturing and construction. There are approximately 2000 TSA chapters in 48
states nationwide.
Check the Pennsylvania TSA
website for results by school districts.
Check the Northern
Cambria’s website for chapter results and past history search Activities-High
school / TSA.
