By By ANDY HAMILTON / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Access 9 missed competing in the 2005 First Lego League international competition by two one hundredths of a point.
At this year's state tournament at Purdue University on Saturday, Dec. 9, the Niles Area Christian Home School Group put their 2005 results behind them. Access 9 was crowned state champions out of 38 teams and will now move on to the international competition in Atlanta later this year.
"It is months of long hard work for these kids and coaches alike," said Lori Fritts, an Access 9 parent and coach.
Access 9 advanced to the state finals after placing first out of 40 teams at the regional tournament at the University of Notre Dame the weekend of Dec. 2. The team competes in the Indiana First Lego League region because the state hosts more tournaments than most others, Fritts said.
First Lego League tournaments are multi-challenge competitions in problem solving in areas of science, math and technology. But, teams are not only judged on their robot and its technical performance, but also on team spirit and a team project, Fritts said.
"It's not just building a robot and running it," she added.
Each competition, teams must present a solution to problem from a given category – at the state tournament at Purdue the category was nanotechnology. Access 9 chose to address the health risks of the tiny particles involved in nanotechnology.
The project began with team members searching through hundreds of articles about nanotechnology, Fritts said.
"What happened was every article kept saying great things about nanotechnology, but nothing about the unknown health risks," Fritts said.
As an example, Fritts said the team found the particles in nanotechnology were so tiny they could penetrate human cells, and even those cells found in the brain. And, she added the particles were used in cosmetic products such as sunscreen.
"They frankly don't know what these nano particles are doing," Fritts said.
The Access 9 solution came in the form of a skit that suggested writing a bill creating a new agency to test and regulate all engineered nanotechnology particles and products and require labeling on those products containing the particles.
The performance was a success, and the group of 10- to 15-year-olds is now in preparation for the international tournament in Georgia.