Robotic Response

By Sarah Thomas
The Newton South Lions and the Newton North Tigers are rivals when it comes to most team events. But what do you get when you cross a lion and a tiger? A liger, the favorite animal of members of the Ligerbots, the schools’ combined robotics team, who are gearing up to compete in the year’s first regional robotics tournament. “I’m very excited,” said Evan Nitkin, a freshman at Newton North. He and his older brother Benji, a junior, are team members; Benji takes care of the robot’s wiring and Evan will be on the pit crew. “We have only six weeks to machine the parts and build it ourselves, and I can’t wait to compete.” The unnamed robot will compete at the Agganis Arena in Boston March 25-27 against 52 other student-built bots. Successful robots will advance to the next level in competition, the World Championships in Atlanta. The Ligerbots attended last year, with their robot coming in 74th. The tournament is sponsored by FIRST, a New Hampshire-based nonprofit that promotes science and engineering in the classroom. Winning teams can qualify for over $12 million in college scholarships. For more information visit ligerbots.com.

Boston Globe, March 14th via http://www.boston.com/