Tag: 2023

Creating a Robot for Vex Dragster Race

November 2023

We were tasked to create a robot for the Vex Dragster Race.

Building the robot was difficult because you needed to balance low weight with structural stability. After testing me and my partner came up with the design of a small robot with two back wheels and only a single front one with the gears and motor connected to the back wheels from the outside of the robot. In the end we had a tough race for first that came down to tenths of a second which we unfortunately lost, but 2nd place out a full classroom is still good.

Head of the Fish 2023

October 2023

Last race of 2023! End of October.

We are back at Fish Creek, Saratoga. Coldest day of the fall, and right before the start of the race rain started and never stopped.

Unfortunately, racing means waking up very early in the morning and being on the bus by 6am. When you wake up that early it is not easy to be ready, cautious, and prepared. So, I didn’t prepare for rain having no spare clothes or even a rain jacket with me. Luckily, My teammates saved the day, as they shared their extras.

Results:

  • Category – Scholastic / Overall / Total Number of Entries
  • Boys U17 2x - 1/11/24
  • Boys Varsity 4x - 1/18/22

Head of the Charles 2023

October 2023

Everyone knows it is an honor to race at the Head of the Charles, as it is an iconic event. There were high schools from Europe and even South Africa in the competition this year.

2-weeks before the race, I injured my hand during PE class, which turned out to be a hairline fracture. I taped my fingers, never skipped practice, and luckily kept my seat in the Charles boat. But getting a seat in the boat was only half the battle. We were trying to get into the top half which would guarantee another invite next year. However, the teams we were racing against were very fast, the best of the best, and we had a freshman in our boat (a very fast freshman, but still a freshman nonetheless). When it came time we fought well and rowed a good race but didn’t manage to make it into the top half.

Result:

Mens Youth 8 Category – 76/90

Mohawk Fall Classic 2023

October 2023

Mohawk Fall Classic Regatta is a 3700 meter, fall, head race hosted by the Burnt Hills Rowing Association.  

Head racing means that boats start the race one at a time with spaced intervals.  Most fall races are head races. Honestly, these types of races are harder because it is difficult to know how well you are doing during the race. You usually try to keep your pre-race set strategy, and pacing, while trying to catch up and beat the boat that has started ahead of you.

Boys Junior 8 + - 3rd place

Head of the Hudson 2023

September 2023

This event is hosted by Albany Rowing Center and held on the Hudson River in Albany, bringing together hundreds of competitors from high schools, colleges, and clubs from the Capital Region as well as other areas of New York and surrounding states.

It is also the first event in the Fall Racing Season for our team.

Unfortunately, this year we have a very young team. Majority of the team is freshman and sophomores, including only 3 juniors – including me. This is going to be one hard year against many seniors.

Results:

Boys JR 8+ 2nd place

Boys JR 4x 3rd place

Summer Program at Sabanci University

June 2023

I attended the Summer Program at Sabanci University in Istanbul. The program was designed for High School students who would like to take college level courses and experience college life. The courses were in English, taught by actual college professors. They have shortened and condensed the actual introductory course to a 2-week curriculum, 10-hours total.

There were 700 high school students attending the Summer Program at the same time as me. Each student had selected their own 3 courses to follow. We stayed at the dorms, ate at the cafeterias, and had our own daily course program to follow. Each night after dinner time, they had some activities for kids to entertain like live music, DJs, cinemas, or sports events.

It was really a good experience. I made new friends, some from the US like me, some across other parts of the world, and some from Turkey.

I completed the following courses:

Psyschology
Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence
Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Summer Course Soccer Tournament

June 2023

Sabanci Summer Course Soccer Tournament.

This was a 4v4 tournament on a small field with no goalies. After hearing about the tournament hosted by the college with the prize of free Sabanci hoodies for first place me and my 3 friends instantly joined. While most of the people we were up against were older and much bigger than us we never gave up and managed to go the first match 7-3. This overwhelming win meant that we passed the semi-finals and went straight to the final match. However, this was a difficult match since not only were we facing people double our size, but the other team also had 6 players allowing them to sub out 2 at a time to rest. We tried our best and I had a lot of fun along the way but in the end we came second place.

Placement match score: 7-3
Final score: 8-12

Visiting Georgia Tech – Bee & Me

May 2023

This June while visiting Atlanta, I had a chance to stop by Georgia Tech. A family friend who is a recent graduate gave us a campus tour and answered my questions about studying engineering, internship options, and student life. Despite being a public school Georgia Tech had a very impressive campus and modern architecture. I especially loved the Georgia Tech Library, the view of the city from the top floor was amazing.

New York State High School Rowing Championships 2023

May 2023

The 2023 New York State Scholastic Champions was held in Saratoga Springs for 2-days during May. This competition is open to all high school rowing teams in New York. It is the most important event of the year, where each team competes to be the best in the State. 

My team practices and races in smaller boats. Quad, double and single categories (non-coaxed boats) are the categories that we race in.

I raced in all three of these categories from the bow position, steering and guiding my teammates.

Results:

NY STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS  May 13, 2023 – May 14, 2023

  • 3rd place in U17 / Boys Junior 4x
  • 6th place in Boys Junior 2x (in 34 entries)
  • 2nd place in Boys U17 / Junior 1x