PHANTOM BOTZ IS BACK IN BUSINESS

On Dec. 4, the youth robotics team, Phantom Botz, qualified to compete at the state level of the First Lego League (FLL) robotics competition. The Phantom Botz is composed of 10 students from Ridgecrest Intermediate School and Palos Verdes Intermediate School and is mentored by Peninsula’s robotics team, Phantom Catz. FLL targets students from elementary and middle school by having teams build robots with Legos, making it easy and safe for younger participants. During a competition, teams use their robot to move and store energy units, cylindrical Lego pieces scattered throughout the course, that the robots must collect in order to complete certain tasks. Another significant aspect of FLL is the presentation where teams present their robot to the judges with a five minute speech and respond to the judges’ questions. It involves a combination of preparation and creativity to earn a high score in the presentation which makes up three-fourths of each team’s total score. At the regional competition held at West Ranch High School in Santa Clarita, they placed second in presentation and 10th in completing the missions, allowing them to qualify to the state championship as one of the top seven teams.

The Phantom Botz was founded five years ago, but during the coronavirus pandemic the team struggled to find a mentor, forcing them to take a break. This season was their first year back from retirement under the mentorship of the Phantom Catz. There are a total of seven mentors from the Phantom Catz, including four technical mentors and three research mentors. Currently, senior Charlotte Chung is the head of the Phantom Catz FIRST Alliance and the head research mentor who helps the teams prepare for the presentation process.

“Middle schoolers are in that stage between being an adult and a kid,” Chung said. “But they are also really determined to win, work and learn. Sometimes you might not think letting the kids do what they want is the best idea, but they know what they want, and when they put their mind to something, it usually turns out great.”

One of the biggest struggles the Phantom Botz faced was lack of time for preparation as they started to get ready a few weeks later than most teams and only had the chance to meet three times before the regional round. When they qualified for Regionals, many members did not expect to get to the state level. To help the team feel less nervous and to motivate them, the mentors promised they would dye their hair blue if they qualified for States. Junior Ricardo Escalante, one of the research mentors, was both delighted and surprised by the outcome.

“At first, I was in disbelief,” Escalante said. “It took me a few seconds to realize we had moved on. I was scared this would be the last time I could mentor the kids, but the fact that we could enjoy more moments with each other [preparing for the next competition] made me feel very excited.”

On Dec. 17, The Phantom Botz competed at the state championship that took place at University of California, Riverside, but failed to qualify for the world championship. Sophomore Ethan Legaspi, one of the technical mentors, explained what a joy it was to work with young engineers.

“It is fun to see their faces light up whenever they complete a mission,” Legaspi said. “Sometimes they can be a handful, but it is great for training myself to be more assertive. Overall, I like to prioritize the aspect of fun while we are working because it will allow them to find joy in engineering and pursue it.”