[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 49 (Wednesday, April 23, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E722]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




A TRIBUTE TO THE PIERSON HIGH SCHOOL ROBOTICS TEAM OF SAG HARBOR, LONG 
   ISLAND FOR ITS PARTICIPATION IN THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL ROBOTICS 
                              COMPETITION

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                         HON. MICHAEL P. FORBES

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 23, 1997

  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 30 
students and 4 teachers who comprise the Pierson High School robotics 
team, of Sag Harbor, Long Island, for their showing at the National 
High School Robotics competition, held between April 9-13 at the Epcot 
Center at Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL.
  Competing against 115 teams from across America, including several 
magnet high schools that specialize in science and technology, Pierson 
High School finished 15th at the national competition in Orlando. The 
competition's sponsor--U.S. For Inspiration, Recognition, Science and 
Technology [FIRST]--provided each of the 115 schools with the same 
materials and parts list and asked each to accomplish the same task: to 
construct a robot that would pick up a number of inner tubes and place 
them inside a hexagonal goal. Using radio transmitters and receivers, 
the students were scored on the number of inner tubes they safely 
maneuvered from a remote location into the goal.
  What makes the accomplishments of the Pierson High School team so 
remarkable is that they constructed a robot that outperformed machines 
built by teams from schools with much larger enrollments, many of whom 
enjoyed corporate sponsorship and assistance. To raise the $6,000 entry 
fee, travel, and lodging costs, the students from Pierson High School 
held garage sales, raised funds from local businesses, and were helped 
by their schools PTA, who held a fundraising brunch. Symbol 
Technologies, of Bohemia, Long Island, helped Pierson's with a small 
grant. Many of the students also came up with some of their own money 
to pay their way to Orlando, and to the regional competition at New 
Jersey's Rutgers University.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives 
to join me in saluting the 30 students on the Pierson High School 
Robotics team, for their performance at the national robotics 
competition. As America enters the new millennium, an era that will be 
dominated by microchips and robots, it is these young scientists who 
will create the new technologies that we can now only imagine. By their 
talent, hard work and ingenuity, America will remain the greatest force 
in the global marketplace. Congratulations, Pierson High School.

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