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SAKONNET AREA — For thoseoutside the Roger Williams Universitygymnasium on Saturday,the thundering music, the playby-playannouncer and the roar ofthe cheering crowd gave everyimpression there was a championshipgame on the line inside.While the winner of the tournamentwould advance to competeagainst teams from over 30 countries,the day’s event was notabout athleticism. Rather, it wasabout innovation, engineering,creativity and teamwork.The FIRST Lego League RhodeIsland State Championshipsbrought nearly 40 teams fromRhode Island and SoutheasternMassachusetts together, all whomade it through qualifying eventsover the past months. The competitionwas based on the theme“senior solutions,” requiring thatthe students develop original andinnovative ideas aimed at helpingimprove the quality of life for theaging population.The afternoon was spent cheeringon the teams’ robots, whichwere made out of Lego buildingblocks, mechanical features and acomputer “brain.”Among the prototypes presentedwere a dishwasher that raisesits racks so elderly users don’t haveto bend down; a recumbent-stylebike that can be pedaled or operatedby motor, allowing those withlimited physical mobility theopportunity to enjoy the outdoors;and a board game withquestions that stimulate each ofthe lobes in your brain, providingthe aging population with a funway to exercise the brain.This year’s Champions Award,the tournament’s top performer inall categories, was team MindstormsMayhem from All SaintsAcademy in Middletown. For theirefforts, the team members earneda spot in the First World Festivalheld in St. Louis, as well as $5,000scholarships (renewable for fouryears) to Roger Williams Universityfor each team member.Other local winners were Team0007 from St. Philomena School inPortsmouth, which won the CoreValues Award for Inspiration.Mindstorms Mayhem, thereigning state champions, repeatedtheir winning performancewith Xcelerite, a chalk-sized widgetthat senses unusual pressureapplied to a car’s accelerator. Thedevice is designed to help preventaccidents caused by accidentallyusing the gas pedal instead of thebrake, a frequent cause of motorvehicle accidents among seniors.To win, the team excelled in allthree area of the competition, corevalues, research, robot design andcompetition.Sakonnet Times January 24, 2013 Page 13Robots rule the day and All Saints Academy defends its state titleMindstorms Mayhem team members are (from left to right) Charlie Silveria, Regan McEnroe, Daniel Pantini,Alex Pratt, Alden Pratt and Xavier Lora dressed in royal blue coveralls to promote the automotive device theycreated for the research component of the competition.At the World Invitational lastyear, the All Saints team finishedin the top 10 in a field of 66.AT THE SCHOOLSPortsmouth sets K andnew student registrationPORTSMOUTH — Registrationfor the 2013-14 school year is nowthrough Feb. 22 by appointmentonly for students entering kindergartenand grades 1 to 5 who willbe new to the Portsmouth SchoolDistrict.Registration packets are onlineat www.portsmouthschoolsri.comor pick one up at the PortsmouthSchool Department, 29 MiddleRoad. Appointments can be madeonline. Click on Kindergarten Registrationfor full instructions orcall Pat Massarotti at 683-1282,ext. 0. In accordance with RhodeIsland law, children registering forkindergarten must be 5 years oldby Sept. 1, 2013.Open house Fridayat The Pennfield SchoolPORTSMOUTH — An openhouse is from 8 to 10 a.m. Friday,Jan. 25, at The Pennfield School,110 Sandy Point Ave. To RSVP, e-mail kemory@pennfield.org orcall 849-4646. Listen to an upperschool assembly speech, meet thehead of school, tour classroomswith a parent and meet the facultyand students.The school is from nursery toGrade 8. Scholarships and financialaid are available. For moredetails, visit www.pennfield.org.Raffle by Friends of PHSArts & Athletic ComplexPORTSMOUTH — Friends ofthe PHS Arts & Athletic Complex isa group of parents who supportathletics, music, youth sports andextracurricular activities atPortsmouth High School. Thegroup has organized a $1.6 millionfund-raising campaign to replacethe 25-year-old running track andthe overused central athletic field.They have raised $617,450 so far.They are currently running a“Win your Dream Car” raffle! Wina car worth up to $25,000 by buyinga ticket for $100. No more than750 tickets will be sold. Winnermay choose a model/make fromany of the premier companies,which include Toyota, Scion, Nissan,Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, BMW,Volvo and RAM. The drawing willbe held on Feb. 10 at 4 p.m. at PremierToyota of Newport.Tickets can be purchased at thePHS main office, PHS varsity basketballgames, Clements’ Marketplace,West Main Pizza, Agway,Valley Inn Restaurant, Green ValleyCountry Club, and Bridge toFitness in Middletown. For moreinformation, visit www.fphsaac.org or www.facebook.com/FPH-SAAC.R.I. Press Associationoffering a scholarshipSAKONNET AREA — The R.I.Press Association is seeking applicationsfor its annual $1,000scholarship, which is awarded toan outstanding college studentwho is preparing for a career inprint journalism. Applicationsmust be received by Friday, April12.Students need not be majoringin journalism to be eligible.Instead, judges are looking foracademic achievement and ademonstrated interest in printjournalism, such as work onschool or community newspapers.Nominees must be residents ofRhode Island attending any fouryearcollege or university or nonresidentsenrolled at a RhodeIsland college or university whoare entering the 2013-14 academicyear as juniors, seniors or fulltimegraduate students. Thescholarship money is paid directlyto the student.Interested students should senda letter of nomination from a collegeofficial or instructor detailingthe student’s accomplishments,cover letter, résumé and samplesof work, including newspaper stories,classroom assignments orany other supporting material, toLiz Boardman, managing editor,Independent Newspapers, P.O.Box 5679, Wakefield, RI 02880.A panel of editors and journalistswill judge the nominations.The R.I. Press Association willaward the scholarship at its annualbanquet May 3.