By Jonice Sylvester Staff Writer
On almost any afternoon, the Michigan Engineering Zone (MEZ) is crowded and full of sawing, drilling, planning, team work, and all-around getting-your-hands-dirty. The main room is filled with students and mentors working on their robots. Students saw wood and steel parts in the machine room. Others program on computers in the next room. You can get caught between the smells of freshly cut wood and freshly delivered pizza. Your ears fill up with the sounds of sawing, laughter, and learning.
On Feb. 11, the crowd tripled as the MEZ opened its doors to friends, parents, and teachers. The MEZ held an open house to let parents see what their children were doing and for everyone else to check up on the status of the robots in progress.
The MEZ is in midtown at the University of Michigan’s Detroit Center, and it has been around for 10 years. It’s a place where students come to participate in robotics, but it also becomes a community for students, mentors, parents, friends, and sponsors.
Several people spoke at the open house, and they all talked about the support and cooperation they find in the MEZ community.
After a welcome from U-M dean of engineering David Munson, Jr., Denby High School principal Tracie McKissic expressed her gratitude to the mentors and instructors for making her team feel welcome from the start.
“They didn’t care what we knew; they only cared that we wanted to learn,” McKissic said.
Cody DIT math teacher Carrie Russell is in her third year as DIT’s robotics coach. She shared her excitement at the way teams from 18 different schools — from DPS, EAA and charters — all work and learn together.
“We come here every day, not to compete against each other,” Russell said, “we come here to work together and to dream big.”
Jayvon Bullock, Denby High school robotics team captain, also talked about the way the teams help each other. He thanked Russell for helping his team and said DIT student Haider Almaleki taught him how to program.
“I’ve gotten so much recognition from robotics.” Bullock said. “At first I knew nothing about robotics, but now I teach people about it.”
