The DHS Robotics Team is at it again, hoping to keep its winning streak alive at the Southern New England Championship in March.

First formed in 2010, the team serves as an extension to the Honors Robotics Class, and aims to give students an opportunity to compete at a high technical level and put its skills to the test.

The team, which had begun with only six students, has now grown to 33 students, many of them juniors and seniors.

Eric Savoyksi, who is the adviser of the team and teaches the Robotics class as well, encourages anyone interested in majoring or having a career in engineering to either take the class, join the team, or both.

“It doesn’t get more hands on than this,” he says. “ It gives students who take the class an opportunity to compete at a high technical level and test the skills they have learned.”

Senior Kevin Krohomer seconds his adviser, saying, “The club is just the next step, with much more difficult challenges and a much greater amount of competition.”

Krohomer, who plans to pursue a career in engineering, credits the team for helping him develop several skills.

He says, “I’ve learned so much through my experiences in the robotics club. Some major developments to my character include collaboration and leadership skills.”

Julian Lanson, who is also a senior, joined the team this year after friends had talked to him about the benefits.

He says, “I knew a few people who began the club last year and had me sit in a few days to get an idea of what it was all about. Some of my good friends who planned to join the club this year did, and I wanted to be a part of it, too.”

Lanson also credits the team for helping him develop certain skills that will help him pursue a career in computer science.

“As a scout for my team, I have had to develop my ability to analyze performance and interact with strangers to form alliances,” he explains.

As part of the team, Lanson and Krohomer have spent extensive hours working on current projects.

Although the club typically meets two days a week for three hours, the team extends their preparation to long after school hours.

Lanson says, “On each Friday that precedes a Saturday competition, we have an additional late night from about 2pm after school to 10pm.”

Savoyski compares the commitment of this club to those involved in football or the annual musical.

He says, “These guys spend countless hours working, they’ve even stayed at school until 11 on a Friday just working on new robots.”    

The team competes in the Vex Platform, which is sponsored by the Robotic Education and Competition Foundation.

Each year, the foundation creates a game template and teams must create a robot to compete in the game.

“This year’s is called Nothing But Net,” Savoyski said. “Our team will focus on strategy and will need to scout the opponent’s at each competition in order to come out successful.”

The Southern New England Championship will take place in Worcester, Mass., in March as a two-day tournament.

The team will go through a series of qualifying rounds, eliminations, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals before finding out who will move on to the World Championship.

The DHS Robotics team has seemed to dominate past competitions, having made it to the Vex World Championship for the past five years in a row.

“We’ve been to Anaheim, California, three times, Orlando, Florida, and Louisville, Kentucky,” Savoyski says of host cities.

The determination among the team is contagious, as each year’s team seems to be more focused than the last.

“There’s a sense of motivation behind the winning streak. Each year, that new group of students wants to continue the legacy and be as good as the year before them,” Savoyski says. “It’s self-perpetuating.”

Krohomer says, “Ultimately, we hope to qualify for this year’s Vex Worlds Championship and perform better than we ever have.”