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JERSEY SHORE – The Technology Student Association (TSA) recently attended the 38th Annual Pennsylvania State Conference, held over four days at Seven Springs Resort in Champion, Pa.
After qualifying at the Regionals in Mifflinburg on Jan. 21, students from the Jersey Shore Chapter participated, competing with over 1,800 students from across the state in 90 individual and team competitions. Students from 89 high schools and 49 middle schools made up the largest group of contestants in the conference’s history.
TSA instructor Andrew Baker, along with several chaperones and program volunteers, accompanied the students to the event.
Avis Mayor Ernie Harter is one of those volunteers. Baker says the program would not have reached the level of accomplishment it has without Harter’s support. “Ernie gives freely of his time and expertise, donating countless hours of his personal time working with students on their projects, as well as participating in fundraising events to keep the chapter solvent,” says Baker.
Former Jersey Shore High School graduates Nick Harter and Mackenzie Bomboyalso pitch in frequently to the TSA program to help make it successful. Both are now students at Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport; Harter is majoring in Game Programming and Simulation; Bomboy in Web Design/Progamming, two subjects in which they got a valuable head start with the TSA program at JSHS.
Two of the current seniors who attended the state conference are confident that they have benefited from the TSA program immensely, as well.
Sam LeFever placed first in the Music Production category, said to be one of the most competitive events at the conference. Participants submit their own musical production that they create, using software that composes everything from instruments to the melody. “I was totally blown away when they called out my name,” says LeFever, “because I was the only solo participant in the event and went up against some very good teams. It was really exciting!” Of the program, LeFever says, “TSA has given me the ability to solve problems, and has opened up so many opportunities for me. It goes back to TSA’s motto ‘Learning to live in a technological world.’ Mr. Baker is an extremely talented teacher who puts in an unimaginable amount of time to make our chapter as successful as possible.” LeFever plans on majoring in Physics at Bloomsburg University in the fall.
Fellow senior Logan Rogers racked up admirable wins in three categories. Rogers came in third place in Technical Sketching/Application, which requires students to interpret 3D objects and turn them into 2D drawings. He says he’s been working on projects like that since ninth grade, and was really pleased, after competing in that category for the first time, to win an award in his senior year. He also placed fifth in Architectural Renovation, which involved designing a 3D version of a house on AutoCAD from start to finish, and ninth place in Flight Endurance, with a custom built balsa wood plane, powered by a rubber band motor. Rogers says, “TSA has made me want to pursue my engineering degree further, and has allowed me to expand and explore available options. Mr. Baker helped me extensively with AutoCAD, and I am now able to get things done a lot quicker.” He plans on attending Penn State University, and majoring in Civil or Mechanical Engineering, upon graduation.
Rogers’ teammate in Architectural Renovation, Brandon Ranck, completed the notebooks for the project, which is basically a blueprint for the judges to see the steps the students took to complete their design. Ranck, a junior, was surprised and thrilled that his team took fifth place, and gives his teacher a lot of credit. “Without Mr. Baker, the students wouldn’t be where we are today, and we would not be as prepared as we are for our future studies. TSA has connected me to other students who have the same interests, and want to take those interests to a higher level by competing in such a wonderful organization.”
Hannah Clark, a junior in the TSA club, was also involved in the Architectural Renovation project, which entailed building and renovating a model home to accommodate a handicapped individual. Clark feels the club is quite extraordinary, because there are few schools that offer the opportunity to be able to build a house, robot, or other creation, and compete with students from all over the country. “TSA has given me new socializing skills and a sense of independence, as I have learned to make decisions by myself. The wide range of diversity and intelligence of the students who attend these conferences is really amazing,” Clark says. Teammate Shaina Livermore agrees that the club has been helpful in many different ways. “TSA has given me a chance to explore new technologies and learn many new public speaking skills.”
Junior Alyssa Paulhamus came in first in Transportation Modeling, which required students to create a model featuring a riding lawnmower. Paulhamus took things up a notch by getting approval from John Deere to use its logo and colors, and installing lights on the tractor, house, and garage in her display.
Ryan Stratton, a sophomore, and Alyssa Paulhamus narrowly missed taking first place in the VEX robotics competition, trailing behind Downingtown by just two points, coming in a close second. Impressive, considering Downingtown has multiple teams, a two thousand square foot robotics facility with an abundance of VEX parts for the students to work with, as well as a practice court identical to the one used in competition. Jersey Shore has one team, and Ryan and Alyssa built their robot with a limited budget, practicing within masking taped lines in the school hallway and auditorium. The competition requires that the students build a robot that performs a function from scratch. Stratton also placed second in the Dragster Design category, in which his model had to exhibit particular aerodynamic qualities, speed, and visual appeal. Stratton says TSA has introduced him to new technologies, experiences, and ideas, and helped him adapt to his first year in a new school.
Also in his first year with TSA, Hunter Green, a freshman, placed third in Transportation Modeling. His futuristic riding lawn mower featured two mower decks operated by remote control, and a mower deck in the back to clean up leaves and debris. Hunter says he thinks his design placed in the top three because it was very appealing to the eye.
Freshman Dakota Dieter placed 10th in Photographic Technology, which involved composing a notebook of approximately fifteen photos of macrophotography, a close-up of objects found in nature. Those who qualify in the top ten must participate in an on-site event, which requires the students to take and submit twelve photos they take at the conference. Dieter, who tends to be on the quiet side, says TSA has not only taught her how to work under pressure, it’s also resulted in her becoming more social and confident.
Even students who didn’t place in the top 10 were glad they participated in the event, and learned some valuable lessons at the conference. Freshman Sanaa Cannady says the most important thing she took away from States was, “Procrastination is your worst enemy. Get your projects done early. Just put your head down and do it, so you can revise it later, if you need to.” Her teammate, Veronica Green, agrees. “Leave yourself a lot more time than you think you actually need,” she says. Cannady and Green say they also met a lot of people at the competition, and got important input they plan to utilize in the upcoming National Conference. Cannady adds, “Try to keep an open mind, which will help you stay creative.” Sophomore Tony Ramos has been involved with TSA for three years now, and says it has taught him to be more responsible, to get projects done on time, and to work on and improve small details that can make a big difference in your project.
“Learning and mastering time management is such an important aspect of this program,” says Baker. “There is much more to TSA than meets the eye – teamwork, designing, presentation, and motor, mental, and STEM skills.” Being able to convey your ideas to others is also vital, as each of the ten semi-finalists chosen in every category must also participate in an interview conducted by the judge in that particular competition. While the students’ projects account for half of the credit they receive, how they conduct themselves in that interview makes up the other 50%, as far as determining who the top three place winners will be. Baker is really pleased with the results from this year’s conference, and says, “I’m truly proud of all of my students who have worked hard throughout the year on the various projects they entered into the competition.” He has been teaching for 21 years, and has been Jersey Shore High School’s TSA instructor, teaching tech ed – architecture, robotics, drafting, and graphic design – since 2006. Always interested in involvement from the local community, Baker welcomes anyone working in engineering, architecture, or related fields, to come and speak with his students about their experiences. The Jersey Shore TSA Chapter is also looking for area businesses and corporations to mentor and support the students in their endeavors. Anyone interested can call Andrew Baker at 570-398-7170 or email him at ABaker@jsasd.org.
Eight students from the Jersey Shore TSA Chapter will now move on to the National Conference this summer, which will be held in Nashville, Tennessee.