Students across the world find common ground

February 16, 2023

St. Albert Catholic School’s award-winning robotics team, Thunderstruck, took part in a unique experience Jan. 25 when team members shared a Zoom call with Starburst, the robotics team at the diocesan girls’ school in Hong Kong. 

Senior Abby French, who serves as the social media manager for Thunderstruck, said she occasionally receives direct messages from teams around the world via Instagram. Usually, she is skeptical.

“But I saw their message and I looked at their team and I was like, ‘This looks legit. Their team is around the same level as ours.’”

Messages were exchanged and hope for growing a connection rose, especially when Thunderstruck learned that Starburst’s team is fluent in English.

Next came the matter of navigating the time difference. Hong Kong is 14 hours ahead of Council Bluffs. Thunderstruck received special permission to be in the school at 8 p.m. Wednesday night, which was 10 a.m. Thursday in Hong Kong.
Conversation began slowly, French said, no different than any first conversation among strangers.

“We were all shy at the beginning, but they had a presentation for us, and after they presented that we warmed up to each other,” she said.

It was something special to witness, said Dr. Andrea Barnes, the co-head coach for Thunderstruck.

“I think they were just really excited to talk to a team from so far away,” she said. “It was just two groups of teenagers talking. Our kids were well informed and asked good questions. They have kind of the same problems, the same ways of thinking about things. Yet they are still having a lot of fun. Everybody was laughing and talking. I’m so proud of these kids.”

While Thunderstruck is nearing the end of its season, Starburst is just beginning its season. That allowed the Council Bluffs team to offer some words of wisdom to their counterparts.

“We were telling them problems we’ve had at matches so far, and what to look out for,” French said. “We were talking about ideas. One of their ideas was a turntable on a robot. Sammy (Horvath) said, ‘That was our idea, but we were told by one of our mentors that it probably wouldn’t be the best idea.’

“Sammy thought it was really cool that they had the same idea and that was exactly what their team was having struggles with,” French said.

The Zoom call proved that teenagers are teenagers, even if they’re thousands of miles apart and seemingly separated by numerous cultural and logistical barriers, French said. 

“I guess I hadn’t thought of a team from another country being so similar to us, having the same issues, the same strengths and even the same ideas,” she said. “I just thought it was interesting how similar we were.”