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Sartell robotics team heads to worlds after state-tournament win
“Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto” was the theme song for a Sartell Robotics team at the recent Minnesota State Robotics Tournament held in St. Cloud. It proved to be a great choice, as Team BeatBotz (Sartell Boy Scout Troop 211) is headed to the World Championship April 20-23 in Louisville, Ken.
BeatBotz is a group of friends from local Boy Scout Troop 211 that are recent newcomers to the sport. They work together designing, building and practicing the competitive strategy for the Robotics competition. To earn the trip to the World Championship, the BeatBotz won the Robot Skills Championship along with winning the Create and Sportsmanship Award. This is actually the second time the BeatBotz won the Create Award (awarded to creativity in robot design), as they captured the prize at the Granite City VEX Tournament Dec. 12 in Albany with a different design. “We are especially proud of multiple teams from Troop 211 winning the sportsmanship award this season,” said BeatBotz Head Coach Kevin Schatz.
Robotics is the branch of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science that deals with the design, construction, operation and application of robots as well as computer systems for their control, sensory feedback and information processing. The competitions were originally designed to draw career interests in this fast-growing field that is already touching our lives in many ways. Teams and competitions are sweeping the nation and some leaders in the field happen to be right here in Sartell.
The April 5 fundraising event at House of Pizza was very well attended by members of the Sartell community with generous donations.
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DECA student to compete in international conference
Kelsey Jones of Sartell is one of four Central Minnesotans who are part of the St. Cloud State University DECA team competing April 16-20 at the Collegiate DECA International Career Development Conference in Washington, D.C. As DECA president, she is leading a contingent of 13 students to the 55th national competition, which is expected to attract more than 1,300 competitors. Collegiate DECA has more than 5,400 chapters in the United States with about 215,000 members.
Students choose from among 24 competitive events. Jones is competing in human resources management. This spring, the senior earned a national Gold Leadership Passport Award: a top-level achievement that acknowledges competence, innovation, integrity and teamwork.
Collegiate DECA prepares students for careers by integrating classroom skills with real-world experiences. The student-driven organization puts an entrepreneurial focus on marketing and sales, arts, communications and technology, business management and administration, finance and accounting, and hospitality and tourism.
Advisor Craig H. Wilson, assistant professor of accounting, predicts St. Cloud State will earn top-three finishes.
St. Cloud State was the only Minnesota school to earn a national Community Service Award, which recognizes civic activities performed in the community.
The acronym “DECA” formerly stood for “Distributive Education Clubs of America.”
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Jessica Warzecka, a Sartell High School sophomore and daughter of Sandy and Keith Warzecka of St. Joseph, was among more than 300 Concordia students who presented their research April 13 as part of the all-day campus-wide Celebration of Student Scholarship at Concordia College, Moorhead. Warzecka’s research is entitled “The Effects of Gall Formation on Goldenrod.”