On Assignment: St. Charles High School Robotics

Back in February I had the opportunity to photograph St. Charles High School's first ever robotics team while they were working on their robot.

It was a pretty fun assignment to just hang out and be a fly on the wall while they went about their business building their robot, and it was cool watching them test different things out. The frisbee-throwing arm was probably my favorite.

The story and the photos finally ran in the paper, so I'm finally able to share my favorites here. The story ran in two parts: the first part, which was the part I photographed, of them building the robot, and the second part, which I didn't photograph, focused on the competition. The stories can be read here and here.  A larger gallery of my photos can be found here. Thanks for looking. 

All photos ©Joe Ahlquist/Winona Daily News

From left, Buck Mueller (cosest to camera), 17, Cole Sanders, 17, Daniel Dahl (in the distance), 16, and Brett Strand, 14, test the frisbee throwing arm of a robot that they are working on with other St. Charles High School students as a part of the school's first robotics team Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at St. Charles High School. (Joe Ahlquist/Winona Daily News)

From left, Erik Nielsen, 17, Daniel Dahl, 16, and St. Charles High School teacher and robotics coach Chuck Koestler work on a robot that they and other St. Charles High School students are working on as a part of the school's first robotics team Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at St. Charles High School. (Joe Ahlquist/Winona Daily News)

Brett Strand, 14, uses a marker to mark where he needs to drill holes for brackets to hold a bumper for a robot that he and other St. Charles High School students are working on as a part of the school's first robotics team Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at St. Charles High School. (Joe Ahlquist/Winona Daily News)

Levi Kittleson is helped by his dad Rod Kittleson, a software engineer at Benchmark Electronics who is helping mentor St. Charles High School Students, with some programming for a robot he and other St. Charles High School students are working on as a part of the school's first robotics team Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at St. Charles High School. (Joe Ahlquist/Winona Daily News)

Brady Jones, 18, works on a robot that he and other St. Charles High School students are working on as a part of the school's first robotics team Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at St. Charles High School. (Joe Ahlquist/Winona Daily News)

Kameron Bailey tests the frisbee throwing arm of a robot that him and other St. Charles High School students are working on as a part of the school's first robotics team Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at St. Charles High School. (Joe Ahlquist/Winona Daily News)

Jayden Snitker, 18, works on some programming for a robot she and other St. Charles High School students are working on as a part of the school's first robotics team Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at St. Charles High School. (Joe Ahlquist/Winona Daily News)

Brett Strand (right), 14, works on a robot that he and other St. Charles High School students are working on as a part of the school's first robotics team while other students stand by Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at St. Charles High School. (Joe Ahlquist/Winona Daily News)

St. Charles High School teacher and robotics coach Chuck Koestler, right, looks at a part that Brady Jones, left, had been working on for a robot that Jones and other St. Charles High School students are working on as a part of the school's first robotics team Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at St. Charles High School. Jones was using a tap to make threads on the inside of the part when the tap broke off on the inside. (Joe Ahlquist/Winona Daily News)

From left, St. Charles High School teacher and robotics coach Chuck Koestler, Daniel Dahl, 16, and Brett Strand, 14, examine a robot that they and other St. Charles High School students are working on as a part of the school's first robotics team Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at St. Charles High School. (Joe Ahlquist/Winona Daily News)

St. Charles High School students gather around as Levi Kittleson (orange shirt), 15, drives a robot they have all been working on as a part of the school's first robotics team Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at St. Charles High School. (Joe Ahlquist/Winona Daily News)