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| High Tech |
| Robot event
builds teamwork, grows careers |
The goal of the FIRST robot wars
at Hofstra Arena last weekend
went well beyond simply building
robots. It starts with an expensive
box of parts and a few simple
instructions. Then anything can
happen.
For the 1,000 participants, students
and adults, it was a chance to
show off, solve problems and embrace
technology in a fun, yet competitive
outlet.
Under the guidance of mentoring
programs from major Long Island
technology companies, including
Festo , EDO and Northrop Grumman,
engineers and high school students
worked together over five weeks
to design and build their robots.
Then after a period of eliminations,
the big event arrived and their
creations were put to the test.
Dave Burghardt, head of the engineering
department at Hofstra, said that
the Long Island model of sponsorship
and mentorship is unique. Whereas
in other areas of the country
one title sponsor absorbs the
costs of the parts and provides
technical help, a real cross-section
of Long Island industry takes
part in the Hofstra event.
Burghardt also said that broad-based
community support contributes
significantly to get the project
going. Each team needs to raise
$5,000 for the parts kit that
this year consisted of 509 individual
components.
Eliza Lamin, a senior at Baldwin
High School, is the team captain
for finance and organization,
and has no plans to be an engineer.
Instead she crunches numbers and
project management sheets. ”There
is so much time and money that
goes into an event like this.
Leadership skills are so important,”
she said.
Hans Zobel, chief executive of
Festo one of the major sponsors
of the event was watching each
of the teams with excitement.
“This is the future of our
nation, kids embracing technology.
It’s terrific.”
If you have never seen a robot
war, it is nothing short of impressive.
Imagine a center arena on the
stadium floor with racecar style
“pits” for the 33
Long Island teams plus 6 visiting
teams circling the playing field.
There is a flurry of activity
as teams change cogs, belts and
repair wiring after each two-minute
match. At best it’s controlled
chaos.
George Feist, the president and
CEO of NOVUS management Services
Corporation who volunteers his
time to coordinate the event,
said, “You see grown-ups
acting like children and children
acting like grown-ups. These kids
are working with their heroes.
When they finish the program,
many know what they want to do
with their life. When they come
back to Long Island and work for
companies like Grumman, that is
perfect circle.”
Indeed getting students involved
with engineering is one goal of
the nationwide program started
by Dean Kamen, creator of the
Segway scooter. To that end, a
number of scholarships are made
available to the participants.
In the seven years the event has
been on Long Island, more than
$1 million in scholarships have
been granted to Long Islanders. |
| |
This year Hofstra
announced four $1,500-per-year
scholarships for participants
of FIRST who plan to attend Hofstra
to pursue an undergraduate degree
in engineering or computing.
Chris Sanders, a senior at Hauppauge
High School, is team captain and
driver for the school’s
robot. Describing how it felt
to work with seasoned engineers
on the project, Sanders said,
“It gives you a great start
into engineering. You solve simple
problems but working with real
engineers, you see what they would
have done in that situation.”
To operate a robot, you need a
driver, a gunner and a coach.
”It’s pretty much
like driving a tank.” Sanders
said.
This year’s contest called
on the robots to play a sort of
basketball, which is not as easy
as it sounds. As the robots shot
balls into a vertical hoop, they
also had to retrieve balls from
the floor. All this while other
robots attacked.
Baldwin Senior High School team
captain Greg Stoddard said, “We
may not have the most technically
capable robot, but we have a great
strategy. We looked at all the
other teams and developed a strategy
based on their strength and weaknesses.”
Unfortunately, their analysis
didn’t lead them to be the
tournament’s big winner.
They did win the Johnson and Johnson
Sportsmanship Award, however.
The School Business Partnership
of Long Island sponsored the March
24 and 25 event, which drew over
3,000 spectators.
Winning teams will compete nationally
in Georgia on April 27-29.
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| Jean Paul Vellotti
631.913.4225 |
| jp.vellotti@libn.com |
| |
| NOVUS
LAUNCHES INNOVATIVE BUSINESS
ALLIANCE |
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 22, 2005
September
2005 – Hauppauge,
New York - NOVUS Management
is an innovative alliance
of dozens of leading professionals
from many business sectors
who have joined together
to offer small and medium
size businesses the purchasing
power of large corporations....
“We
have been working for
several years to put the
infrastructure together
to allow us to bring this
unique concept to the
marketplace. It is our
mission to give our members
a competitive edge by
reducing costs without
compromising quality.
Along with our strategic
partners, we offer businesses
access to leading service
providers who have proven
track records,”
said NOVUS Management
President George Feist.
For years large corporations
with hundreds or thousands
of employees have had
the ability to purchase
products and services
at extremely discounted
rates. By using NOVUS
Management and its strategic
partners, small and medium
size businesses no longer
need to be at a competitive
disadvantage. NOVUS Management
offers clients access
to a global network of
highly skilled professionals
whose experience spans
most aspects of business.
These partners have agreed
to offer their industry-leading
products and services
through NOVUS Management
at discounted rates.
“The concept behind
NOVUS has evolved over
the past several years.
We have a sound model
and business plan in place
and many highly skilled
strategic partners. Business
has already started to
be transacted. We are
certain that when business
owners and managers start
hearing about us, we will
make an immediate and
significant impact in
the New York market and
eventually across the
country,” said Hans
Joerg Zobel, Novus Board
member.
NOVUS Management and its
partners have the ability
to provide businesses
with a wide array of services
and products. Product
and service offerings
are expanding each week
as new strategic partners
become part of the organization.
The following are only
a few of the areas of
service now being offered:
employee benefits, IT
services, staffing, equipment
leasing, marketing, professional
services, shipping, telecommunications,
office supplies, payroll
services, event planning
and merchant services.
“I signed up for
telecommunications services
through one of NOVUS’
strategic partners and
I have already seen savings.
We estimate that our monthly
telephone usage costs
have been cut by more
than 15 percent,”
said Denise Radzinsky,
President of RCR Capital
Leasing.
NOVUS and its strategic
partners are available
for free consultations
and informational sessions.
For additional information
about the organization,
strategic partners and
service offerings go to
www.novusmanagement.com
or
call Novus at
(631) 273 - 2084.
NOVUS TO HOST LAUNCH
EVENT
|
| On
October 19, 2005,
NOVUS Management
will host a special
event to introduce
its innovative business
model and concepts
for prospects and
the media. NOVUS
Management is an
alliance of dozens
of leading professionals
who have joined
together to offer
small and medium
size businesses
the purchasing power
of large corporations.
This
event will start
at 6:00 pm and
will be held
at NOVUS’
headquarters
located at 395
Moreland Road,
Hauppauge, New
York. Interested
parties from
the business
community and
the media must
register in
advance to attend.
For information
and to register
go to
www.novusmanagement.com
or
Call Novus Management
Services at
:
(631) 273 - 2084.
Additional
information
about NOVUS
Management,
its board members
and strategic
partners can
be found at
www.novusmanagement.com. |
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September
2005 - Hauppauge, New York - NOVUS Management
is an innovative alliance of dozens of leading
professionals from many business sectors who
have joined together to offer small and medium
size businesses the purchasing power of large
corporations..
Learn
More |
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