Local student shows that these are not your father's LEGOs
Warwick Ever hear of a Buckyball? How about a carbon allotrope? Arginine? Karina Magee knows all about those things and much more. The seventh grader, who attends St. Stephen’s St. Edward’s School in Warwick, participated in the Lower Hudson Valley FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Lego League tournament at Pace University in February. Magee’s team The Techno Girls placed second overall and first in Research Quality. What exactly is FIRST Lego League? According to the Web site www.firstlegoleague.org, it is a result of an alliance started nine years ago between FIRST and the LEGO Company. Guided by adult mentors and their own imaginations, students solve real-world engineering challenges, develop important life skills and learn to make positive contributions to society. It is an international program for children ages 9-14 that combines a hands-on, interactive robotics program with a sports-like atmosphere. Teams consist of up to 10 players with the focus on team building, problem solving, creativity and analytical thinking. Each September, a new challenge is unveiled. The teams strategize, design, build, program, test and refine a fully autonomous robot capable of completing the various missions of the International “Robot Game” using the LEGO MINDSTORMS technology. This year the theme was nano technology. The Techno Girls’ project was a safer drug delivery system using nano technology. Their targeted area: breast cancer. Their theory: a Buckyball, bound to an amino acid, could deliver an anti-cancer drug such as Arginine. It would have a ph indicator attached that would be able to locate the cancer cells, kill them, and not destroy the surrounding, healthy cells. “It was an experience of a lifetime,” according to Karina’s mom, Roseanne. “She is really excited about science now.” Roseanne’s cousin, AnnMarie Imbriale, recruited Karina for her team. A few years ago, Imbriale was approached by the organizers of the Hudson Valley competition in an effort to recruit more girls to this science and technology competition that had been dominated by boys. Imbriale is involved with the Girl Scouts of Westchester Putnam. Last year, her team went to the world competition. This year, they finished second overall among 28 teams in the area. Only two of the teams were made up of girls. The Techno Girls included Christina Paolicelli, Elizabeth Wellington, Shannon Garvey, Kayla Kerschus, Tara Anand, Maya Anand, Claire Diehl and Magee. Magee is the only member from Warwick. Each team had to come up with its own project using nano technology. When they have that, the research continues. “They worked on this for hundreds of hours,” said Roseanne. “They literally have to figure out how this robot will perform this task.” Then they build and program the robot to do it. And it is not just the project that counts. They presented their theory in a very creative way. “It was very House-like’,” said Roseanne, referring to the medical show on Fox. “It was very entertaining.” And enlightening. Karina and her teammates, all Girl Scouts from the Sarah Wells Girl Scout Council and the Girl Scouts of Westchester Putnam, learned more than even some of the doctor’s they consulted knew. And it has had an impact on at least Karina’s future plans. “She was fascinated with this and wants to get into genetics,” said Roseanne. “She is already looking toward next year’s project: alternative energy.”