Music City BEST competition kicks off robotics program for middle and high school students

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Lipscomb University will host the kick off for the Music City BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology) robotics competition on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2006. The theme for this year’s game will be “Laundry Quandary” though the complete story line and robotics challenges will remain a secret until all teams have had a chance to pick up their competition packets.

BEST, a nonprofit volunteer-based organization, hosts an annual six-week competition designed for middle and high school students to encourage them to pursue careers in engineering, science and technology. Participation in the event is free for schools. Lipscomb University’s Raymond B. Jones School of Engineering is sponsoring the local competition this fall, establishing the first “hub” for BEST in Tennessee.

The robotics competition challenges each team to design and build a radio-controlled machine to accomplish certain tasks in a game-type setting. Teams will pick up their identical kits from Allen Arena which include motors, batteries and raw materials from which they can build their machines. They are also given a set of game rules to follow. The completed machines cannot weigh more than 24 pounds and must fit within a 24-inch cube. No other materials outside of what will be supplied can be used. One team per school can participate in the competition.

Teachers and students alike have been pleased with previous competitions held nationwide. The effort furthers scientific knowledge with the students, offers them hands-on experience in engineering and promotes teamwork. Last year’s BEST award went to Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia. This award goes to the team most embodying the concept of BEST through their project summary notebook, oral presentation, table display and sportsmanship. Davison High School from Davison, Michigan placed first in the robotics competition.