Raceland Rambotics Team Eyes Next Step

Jarrod E. Stephens

The Ashland Beacon

There’s no doubt that the world around us is getting more digitally sophisticated every day. Jobs that were once labor intensive have been replaced by robotics and in some cases more work is accomplished in less time. While this can affect the workforce in a negative way, remember, there has to be a person to design, operate and update all those fancy machines.

The Raceland Rambotics team is a small group that has embraced the robotics world in a way that is giving students the chance to build robots, complete tasks and compete with other schools. The problem-solving skills that are needed to compete become life skills that can one day help these students compete in our technological workforce.

According to their coach Kristina Brown the experience gives the kids a skillset that prepares them for the future. “The students learn how to use tools when they build the robot, they use CAD software to design pieces for the robot, they learning coding which is what runs the robot. This is a STEAM program which is the future. Marathon, MarkWest, and Toyota have streamlined their business with automation and robots. The students also use design skills for their webpage and other projects for the team. Students leave the program with skills they can use in the future.”

Brown further explained the action that the kids have been part of. “This year as a state we have transitioned to League Play (KY Metro League) and there are currently 32 teams in the league. Teams from other states are also participating in the league (OH, AL, & TN). Teams are ranked based on their performance on the competition field only. You have to participate in 2 league meets to be eligible to compete in the state tournament on February 17^th at the University of Kentucky. From the state tournament, only two Kentucky teams will advance to Worlds in Houston, Texas in April.  This is new this season because in the past any team could advance, but they've changed the policies to have more equitable representation at the next level of competition.”

The team competed in the Louisville League meet on February 3rd. They finished 4^th at the meet which put them in 5^th for the league and 3^rd in the state as they go into state competition on February 17th.

This year’s team consists of team members: Caleb Hamilton, Charlotte Klinepeter, Tiffany Perry, Skyler Waugh, Noah Wright, and Jeremiah Young.

“Our team is still a rookie team, but we have expanded this year to include middle school students to try to garner interest and build this program,” Brown said. “We have a community mentor, Brennan Plummer, from Marathon this season. Mr. Plummer is a Raceland alumnus.

When asked why he wanted to be a mentor Plummer stated, “When I first saw that Raceland-Worthington had a robotics team I was jealous. I wish they had something like that when I was in school.” After learning more about the program Brennan became a mentor. “After seeing Mrs. Brown’s passion for the program and the potential it had to students I wanted to be part of the team as their mentor.”

The competitions are quite intense and require a lot of planning and on the spot thinking according the Plummer’s description. “The teams show up and have to set up the pit area, then get the robot inspections done. Teams compete in alliances. Two robots work together to get the highest score in a 2.5-minute match. Those alliances change each match. The team that you are trying to beat may be your ally next round. It encourages finding strengths of each team. Plus, you have to be a good winner and sore loser, you never know who you will have to work with. The team will usually have 4 matches during a meet. Students have to do repairs, plan battery charging, and swap roles. There is a Driver Coach, Driver, and Human Participant in each match. Those roles can change student assignments based on skill and interest. The meets are very quick paced.”

Coaches for the team are Kristina Brown and Mary Johnson. This is Mrs. Brown’s 6^th season participating in FIRST. During the two previous seasons, her team has been part of the winning alliance at the state competition.

With the final state competition on the horizon, the Raceland Rambotics team will continue perfecting their robot and its functionality in order to advance to Houston. Good luck to the Raceland Rambotics team!

Capturing that Special Day: Alyson Biggs Films

Gwen Akers

The Ashland Beacon

A lens, a light sensor, and sometimes a mirror are all it takes to create a camera, but nothing else can quite replace the moment-capturing power of a video or photograph. Wedding filmographer Alyson Biggs has found her passion in exactly this: capturing the most beautiful moments in life through her own lens.

Biggs, an Ashland native raised in Ohio, started her journey at the University of Kentucky as an elementary education student but quickly realized that her passion truly lied with the media arts. Inspired by the video work of Taylor Swift and wedding music videos, Biggs changed her major to media arts with a focus on video production. Engaged herself at the time, Biggs fell in love with modern wedding videography and has hit the ground running ever since her graduation.

“Once I graduated, I had a couple of friends that were getting married that summer, and I reached out to them and I said: ‘hey, I really want to get started doing some wedding videography until I can find a more stable job, I’ll do your wedding for free. That was 2013, and I haven't stopped since,” laughed Biggs.

Starting with her friends' weddings and moving out, Biggs’ work has since expanded–taking her across the community and around the nation, even traveling for several destination weddings each year. One trip even took her to Costa Rica!

Biggs is a storyteller who wants to capture beautiful moments for people to go back and remember for years and years. She can remember watching videos of other people’s weddings in the early years of her career and being moved by people she had never even met.

“I feel like I can not only take my passion for video but really make people feel things when they watch it. Almost always when I send their film off and they [her customers] get back to me they're like,’oh my gosh, this is incredible. I forgot all this happened and I'm crying.’ It’s just so nice and fulfilling to know that something that I did will be a part of their lives forever,” detailed Biggs.

Her work also has a personal connection to her own life as Biggs herself will forever be grateful for her own wedding video.

“I've gotten older, and I've been doing this for a little over 10 years now. I've realized how important it is to have these moments to reflect back on. I lost my mom in Jan. of 2022. She passed away from melanoma, and I look back on my wedding video all the time–of her getting me dressed and little things like that,” expressed Biggs.

Videography, according to Biggs, is all about these little details. About the moments shared, and sometimes forgotten, that are now available to people for the rest of their lives. During the pandemic when many were unable to invite all of their family and friends to their ceremonies, Biggs remembered feeling honored she got to be the method so many could be with the bride and groom on their special day.

Biggs hopes that in the future she can continue to reach more people with her videography as well as grow as a videographer herself. To find out more about Biggs’ story, you can check out her website at alysonbiggs.com as well as her Instagram under @alysonbiggsfilms.

Library Quest

 By Jonathan Joy

Gil got a library card, his very first.

He was so excited he could burst.

Impatiently, he set off on a walk.

“Hurry.”  Gil said.  “Only one more block.”

Gabby, the librarian, greeted Gil.

She said, “You are in for a thrill,

Cause we’ve got all kinds of books,

Big displays out front to secluded nooks.

We’ve got something for everyone, you know.

We’ll find one or two you love.  Let’s go!”

A sea of books awaited the youth.

Overwhelming, at first, to tell the truth.

From Dr. Seuss and Pete the Cat

To Corduroy and the Magic Hat.

The imaginative Where the Wild Things Are

And a story about that Lightning McQueen car.

Nancy Drew mysteries, Hardy Boys,

And one about Buzz and Woody toys.

Peanuts, Harry Potter, and Dog Man.

Classics Sleepy Hollow and Peter Pan.

Gabby suggested, “How about this one, look.

It’s about a monster at the end of this book.”

Gil interrupted, “For my sis, Goodnight Moon.

I’m sure she’ll be reading soon.

And for my brother, he’s older, you know.

He might enjoy Edgar Allen Poe.

Mom likes Star Trek.  Dad, Shakespeare.

But for me, you see, it’s not that clear.”

Gabby assured him, “There’s no hurry.

Take your time, and don’t you worry.” 

There are dozens of historical Who Was books,

And the Ninja Turtles display garnered lots of looks.

The librarian told him “You can check out twenty.”

Gil seemed relieved.  “Oh, that will be plenty.”

He grabbed Stellaluna, Garfield, and more.

Star Wars, Paw Patrol, and comics galore.

Gil was mesmerized, in the library zone,

With Robin Hood and The Sword in the Stone.

“I want even more!’ Gil would wail.

“Like this choose-your-own-adventure tale.”

Gil bounced around grabbing G.I. Joe and Spiderman,

WOW in the world, Goosebumps, fast as you can.

Treasure Island, for everyone likes a pirate story.

And Last Kids on Earth, in all its apocalyptic glory.

Add Giggle Giggle Quack and Yo Gabba Gabba to the pile.

And Sam, the Firehouse Cat.  This could take a while.

Gil thought he was done, then spotted Pumpkin Countdown.

“Oh, and this here, the one about a clown!”

Gil’s stack of books was near as tall as he,

And that brought a smile to the face of Gabby.

May the excitement of the library rub off on you, too.

Enjoy each one of those books through and through.

Libraries are truly an important place.

Everyone in the community, they embrace.

Libraries offer so much more insight.

Programs and services, try as they might.

Imagination, empathy, and critical thinking they grow.

And you don’t even have to spend any dough.

We all benefit when our libraries thrive,

So head to yours, into those stacks you should dive.

Lora Parsons

The Ashland Beacon

Coupons, discount codes, offers for free merchandise…all are the work of stretching the mighty dollar just a little bit further in order to buy more, save more, spend big without spending big! As much as anyone else, I love a code for free shipping when placing an online order. I don’t want to pay “something” and receive “nothing.” I want product for the money I put out into the world, not just the service of delivery. I want to take what I’m giving out and turn it into something useful, something I can put my hands on. I’d rather spend a few more dollars to get to the free shipping threshold and get an even half-way useful item in my hands than to just get the items I need and have to pay shipping. Our financial system has us programmed to give AND to receive. When I give money, it is supposed to get changed into something else. It should be--just one word--REDEEMED.

When I stop and think about this word, I have to look at the root word in the middle of the prefix and suffix that have been added to the front and back end of it (remember 1st-grade word skills?) This word breaks down into three parts: the prefix, re-; the root word, deem; and the suffix, -ed. To deem something means to label it, right? To give something an identity, to determine it to be for a particular purpose. If I deem the notebook lying here to the right of me to be my research notebook, then I’ve set it apart for the purpose of taking notes in it when preparing for an article that I might be writing or a lesson I might be looking to teach at school. I’ve determined it to be used for that particular reason. Adding the “re-” to the beginning of that word doesn’t exactly mean what the fullness of the word truly means, though. If the meaning of that prefix means “again” as we were taught in elementary school, then to re-deem something should mean to simply name it again or to determine it to be set apart for something else. And, I can do that. I can decide that this notebook is now going to be used for drawing sketches in, but that doesn’t mean I can undo the parts that have already been used for research. It’s now a notebook with multiple purposes. I can’t redeem things in the same sense that we use that word in the church. When we use it in that context, we talk about Jesus redeeming us, Him being our redemption. His death on the cross made it possible for the choices that I used to make to be changed into something else. He can take the old person that I used to be and turn me into someone with a different identity, a different purpose for living. He takes the research notebook that was my life and turns it into a sketchpad for His use. He re-names me, re-determines my purpose, re-deems me to be set aside for something else.

And, as beautiful as that is, He also goes one step further. In our earth-bound way of thinking, we can only relate to what we have the ability to experience. I can understand using one notebook for two different purposes. But, the Father’s love for us is such that He doesn’t just stop there with what we can relate to through our physical experience and our physical world. He always goes beyond that because He isn’t bound by time, space, or limited knowledge. When He redeems, He goes further than turning us over to a new page. He doesn’t just cross out “Research” on the front and rewrite in red sharpie “Sketchbook.” Somehow, in His love and mercy for us, He takes the very things we used to be and allows us an opportunity to use those in new ways for His greater purposes. He literally transforms our physical experiences into moments that we can use to share Him.

So often, we hear quips like: “From my test to His testimony” or “From my story to His glory.” Those are cute little plays on words that try to allow us to wrap our minds around the deeper transformation that happens when we allow God to take control of our lives. He transforms what was our bad decisions and our shortcomings into moments that we can share Him with others. And, that’s all possible because he doesn’t just turn the page of our book; he turned the wage of our heart. There was a cost involved in our transformation, our re-deem-ing: Jesus. When we ask Him to rule in our life, He doesn’t just turn the pages that we’ve lived. He changes the pages themselves. He allows the mom who’s struggled with addiction to use her experience and new life to share Jesus’ chain-breaking power with others who struggle similarly. He takes the money-focused young businessman whose life was about worldly possessions to use his prowess to stabilize struggling families and support job skills education through his local church body. Jesus allows the very things that used to be our old identity to be part of our new identity in Him. He’s had us “deemed” for His purposes all along. We’ve always had an identity given to us by Him. We just have to recognize our need for Him to re-deem who we are, to re-name us, so that we can get in line with the bigger picture He has for our life. If we’ll give Him all of who we are, He’ll take all those parts of us, transform them into a plan for growing His kingdom, and allow us to be a part of redeeming others. He can use the old broken parts of me to help restore the old broken parts of others through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Through Him, we are Re-named. Re-purposed. Re-deemed.