Mark Morris grads finish second at national automated manufacturing contest


By Leila Summers | Posted: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 12:00 am | (0) Comments

The slightest miscalculation could have ruined a small gearbox created by three recent Mark Morris High School graduates at a national “Automated Technology” competition this summer.

For eight hours, the team designed and programed data to computers and machines that cut box and gear pieces.

The small wood-like box (actually made of a heavy-duty plastic) they created appears simple, but only seven out of 52 teams finished the assignment due to its difficulty, said team adviser Stuart Smith.

The National SkillsUSA Automated Manufacturing Contest was held in Kansas City, Mo., June 22-26. SkillsUSA is a national organization aimed at preparing youth to join the workforce.

Mark Morris earned second place overall — missing the gold by 16 points out of a 1,200 total, said team member Chris Melink, 18. Last year, the school earned third place with different students.

Despite the pressure of competing, Mark Morris students said they had fun this year.

Team member Masen Furer, 18, said the competition taught him to pay attention to details, in addition to “keeping a level head (under stress) and taking the time to sit back and allow others to share their ideas.”

Furer said he was in charge of initial designs for the box, which was a bit nerve-wracking because the slightest flaw on his part could have derailed the entire project, he said.

“Putting those little gears in there and seeing it turn was a sigh of relief for me anyway,” he said.

Team member Gavin Johnson begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting was in charge of inputting computer data, and Melink maneuvered the actual machines. Teams were also evaluated on teamwork and how efficiently students worked as a group.

To prepare for the competition, the three Mark Morris students signed up for the yearlong independent learning course. The teens buckled down in the few months before nationals and sometimes worked through their lunch breaks, Melink said.

Gaven Johnson credits the class for giving him valuable skills for the future

“I definitely think there will be elements of that in my future career of engineering … People are going to have to machine the parts you’re going to design,” he said.

Melink said his favorite part of the competition was the opportunity to hang out with two friends and their teacher Stuart Smith in Kansas City. Smith offers a particularly challenging, but fun class for students, Melink said.

“You’ll make something and think it’s absolutely perfect and he’ll give you suggestions for improvement. It puts you out of your comfort zone,” which Melink said helps students learn and become better.

Smith said he’s taken students to nationals seven times in the past decade, but the school has yet to place first. He said it takes a dedicated group of students to make the top three in the national competition and he’s proud of this year’s group.

“I’m just a cheerleader. They have a lot of talent, I keep it pointed in the right direction,” he said.

Posted in Local on Wednesday, July 15, 2009 12:00 am