46 FEBRUARY 2020 By Max Bechtoldt Robotics company VEX runs tournaments around the country with the goal of increasing access to STEM learning for middle and high school students. This year’s Arizona VEX State Qualifier was held January 18 at Madison Highland Prep. Students spent time after school building their robots in order to have a chance to potentially make their way to the VEX world championship. According to Madison Highland Prep VEX coach Terri Lake, competition day is stressful for students. They arrive first thing in the morning. Once teams find their table, they start by making sure batteries are charged and parts are working. Then they check in with judges to make sure their robot meets specifications, such as height, and if needed, they make adjustments. There are usually three fields used throughout the day; two for the competition and one for practice. Students will take the robot to the practice field to make sure the code and the controls are working. Lake explained that the day of the competition consists of making adjustments, talking with other teams, helping with other team’s robots and competing several times. The winners of the state qualifier will move on to the state championship competition in March. That winner will advance to the world competition, where the team will compete against 40 countries to determine the world champion. This year, Madison Park Middle School competed for the first time. Although they went up against high schoolers, eighth grader Savannah Bettancourt said her team used its younger age as a motivating factor. “There are a few high schoolers who come in and help us, but what we are doing now is stuff that they have never even tried before, so they are all pretty shocked by us. It’s given us the confidence to say, yeah, we’ve got this,” Bettancourt said. Bettancourt became interested in robotics at summer camp last year, and along with library associate and coach Benjamin Garduno, has helped establish the robotics program at the middle school. Bettancourt also recruited her friend Daisy Borrayo, who through this experience has developed a passion she had no idea was there. “I really do love it, and it’s a really good challenge for us at our age, to learn how to make and code a robot into moving,” Borrayo said. Madison Park’s group consisted of 20 students split into two teams. The teams were judged on how well their robots were programmed, and they received points when their robots were able to pick up and drop small pieces into different areas of the court. “I would say this was a good experience for students because it teaches them perseverance and how to communicate effectively. Part of the tournament requires the team members to talk to the judges and explain the process of how they came up with the robot design and the challenges along the way,” Lake said. This year’s competition presented Madison Highland Prep with the Excellence Award and Camelback High School with the Robot Skills Champion award. Madison Highland Prep hosts VEX Robotics Competition PHOTO COURTESY OF BEN GARDUNO Madison Park Middle School VEX practice area. NEW EATS TOCAYA ORGANICA Founded in Venice, CA in 2016, Tocaya Organica has made its way to the Valley and recently opened its third location at The Esplanade on 26th Street and Camelback Road. Tocaya’s menu offers salads, tacos, burritos, bowls and quesadillas “rooted in traditional Mexican recipes.” The dishes are made from locally sourced ingredients and can accommodate vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free preferences. For more: tocayaorganica.com. CREPE HOUSE CAFÉ Biltmore Fashion Park at 24th Street and Camelback recently welcomed the Crepe House Café to its lineup of dining options. This café offers authentic French crepes like the Nutella Chocolate Dream, plus French macarons, coffees and protein drinks, and lunch options like the Chipotle Chicken crepe. For more: visit the Crepe House Café Facebook page. BAMBOO SUSHI Biltmore Fashion Park also welcomed Bamboo Sushi to its roster. This is the first location in Arizona, with others based in Portland, Denver and Seattle. Bamboo Sushi offers signature sushi rolls, traditional nigiri and Japanese-inspired plates, as well as cocktails and sake. Chefs also create location-specific specials featuring “local, rare and hyper-seasonal ingredients” every night. For more: bamboosushi.com. ZINQUÉ Located in Fashion Square on Goldwater and Scottsdale Road, Zinqué offers French-inspired dishes and small plates, such as charcuterie boards, sandwiches, salads and a brunch menu. This is the first location in Arizona. Zinqué is also available to host private parties and offers catering. For more: lezinque.com. REVOLU TAQUERIA Revolu has expanded its business to include a new location in Uptown Phoenix on 7th Street near Missouri Ave. The name Revolu is an abbreviated name for a popular street in Tijuana, where the owner grew up. The restaurant specializes in Mexican street food as well as traditional items such as fajitas, burritos and tacos. For more: revolutaqueria.com. CREPE HOUSE CAFÉ Biltmore Fashion Park at 24th Street and Camelback recently welcomed the Crepe House Café to its lineup of dining options. This café offers authentic French crepes like the Nutella Chocolate Dream, plus French macarons, coffees and protein drinks, and lunch options like the Chipotle Chicken crepe. For more: visit the Crepe House Café Facebook page. ZINQUÉ Located in Fashion Square on Goldwater and Scottsdale Road, Zinqué offers French-inspired dishes and small plates, such as charcuterie boards, sandwiches, salads and a brunch menu. This is the first location in Arizona. Zinqué is also available to host private parties and offers catering. For more: lezinque.com. Serving the Arcadia area since 1958          Find us on Facebook! Member Since 1959      •  •    •   •    •          4855 E Thomas Rd, Phoenix AZ 85018 www.ingleside.com Our Website Now Has An Online Pharmacy! BRIAN A. SERBIN, DVM • LINDSAY BUSH, DVM KATHERINE HEWITT, DVM • SAMANTHA MIELKE, DVM HOSPITAL 602-840-3446 | GROOMING 602-952-1754 Grooming OPEN Tues - Sat

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