Winning the competition was a triumph for the students, whose faculty advisor had entered the competition not knowing it was a college-level contest. The four teenagers who built it are all undocumented Mexican immigrants who came to this country through tunnels or hidden in the backseats of cars. Carl Hayden Community High School doesn't have a swimming pool, so one weekend in May, after about six weeks of work in the classroom, the team took Stinky to a scuba training pool in downtown Phoenix for its baptism. In 2015, a movie by the same title, starring George Lopez and Carlos PenaVega, was also released. "What's a PWM cable?" The films are putting the spotlight back on an underdog tale from 2004: How the Carl Hayden students entered the Marine Advanced Technology Education competition on a whim. "Pulse width modulation. Of the four, only one, Vazquez, has a job in an engineering-related field. And they would either have to fix the leak or find something absorbent to keep moisture away from the onboard circuitry. They also served as technical advisers on the film. But he couldn't find a job. But it has not resulted in a flood of sponsors offering money and equipment. They powered it up. That's our show for tonight. Oscar said triumphantly when they hung up. It's free! He started taking classes in mechanical engineering and design at Maricopa Skill Center and Gateway Community College. "Dios mo," Oscar whispered, not fully believing what he saw. Carl Hayden's enrollment is 2,209 students, over 93 percent of whom are Hispanic. Szwankowski was impressed by Oscar. Many Americans carry around old stereotypes about people who we see as different, about people from low-income neighborhoods, and so on. Bill Murray and more 'Saturday Night Live' stars of the '70s: Where are they now? Fredi Lajvadri: Well, the director and producer contacted us right about when the story happened, but we had already signed with Warner Brothers, so she kept checking every year to see if the contract was up and if we were free to sign a contract with her. People need to know that there are good people who happen to be undocumented, said Lorenzo Santillan, one of the four students from the 2004 Carl Hayden High School robotics team in Phoenix, Arizona. What does this mean? Instead, there was a mostly barren parking lot. "It's all about capacity and ability and not having old stereotypes about where you find innovation and capability and really smart, aspirational kids.". But life after high school has not been easy for the members of the 2004 Carl Hayden robotics team, mainly because of their lack of legal status. The teachers wanted to give their kids hope. Every inch of PVC had a clear purpose. Jos Crdenas: So Fredi, did that make it hard? We get an update on where they are now and what's changed since the show. He became a citizen after basic training. It wouldn't be until a year later that a reporter for Wired magazine told the story of the win. "It's heartbreaking," she said. July 6: StandardBred Canada Huge Win for "The Hydrators" June 2017: June 24: . But Lorenzo didn't have much else to do after school. "Excuse me, madam," he began. Their nerves had calmed. Aranda said that happened sometime during high school, though he doesn't exactly remember when. Carl Hayden's Falcon Robotics team returned to the underwater robot competition in 2005 and 2006. He says it will put citizens and legal immigrants in direct competition for the limited number of seats at state colleges. It also allowed him to work. Three are involved in underwater robotics, with one headed to a project in Antarctica. You can now save articles. Santillan and Lajvardi were at a youth convention of the League of United Latin American Citizens in New Jersey. It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation. >> Be a computer engineer. "Sure," Ledge said with a dismissive laugh. Ira Mehlman, the Los Angeles-based media director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, successfully lobbied against the legislation last year. They had just won two of the most important awards. It didn't give him a good feeling. Santillan received deferred action in 2012. They began by sending Luis to Home Depot to buy PVC pipe. >> Make them go faster. Oscar backed Stinky out of the sub. Cristian Arcega, 26, received a presidential scholarship to ASU, awarded to students at the top of their class. The MIT students shifted in their seats and stretched their legs. Jos Crdenas: And we're showing some of them on the screen as we're talking. I think it opened the door for all the students after them, as well. Vazquez met Chelsea Clinton before a screening at a Clinton Global Initiative event in Colorado. "Could you help me buy the most best tampons?". Jos Crdenas: Cristian, it's gotten great reviews. Maybe, he thought, engineering could offer him a future. It signaled to them that they'd missed it. "This is good, this is good," Oscar kept repeating, buying himself a few seconds to come up with a positive spin. There certainly isn't a lot of pride on the outside. >> Prosthetics for kids. This summer, his team was preparing a robot to compete in an underwater competition. Because he was undocumentedhis parents had brought him to the US from Mexico when he was 12he couldn't join, wouldn't get any scholarships, and had to start figuring out what else to do with his life. All four of the team members could have gained citizenship through the Dream Act, which died in Congress in 2010. Whether they are documented or not, its a waste of human capital to educate these kids and prevent them from contributing to society, she said at a screening of the film in New York City. strengths to the Carl Hayden robotics team. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. He wonders what formulas define a vortex. Posted on July 3, 2022 Author July 3, 2022 Author While other teams machined and welded metal frames, the guys broke out the rubber glue and began assembling the PVC pipe. Following the publication of this story in 2005, WIRED readers contributed more than $90,000 in scholarships for Vazquez, Arcega, Aranda, and Santillan. Luis stood at the pool's edge, paying out the tether cable. We estimate that the number of people who simply won't be able to afford their energy bills will double. We will talk to two of the students and one of the coaches featured in the documentary, but first, watch what "Underwater Dreams" is about. What was it like going through the movie making process? She has always been interested in marine biology. They're shown on the screen. On the other side of the neighborhood, Cristian lies on his bed and tries to picture the moisture in the clouds above. Hey, the next Einstein could be among us, he could be an undocumented kid, Santillan added. When Stinky entered the water, it careened wildly as it dived toward the bottom. Now we know that that's going to be unsustainable for very many people. >> Who are these punks from nowhere that had no business doing what they do? He wanted to soak up the water with tampons but didn't know which ones to buy. You have these kids who've accomplished so much. He also said numbers sometimes appeared out of order to him. The article, headlined "La Vida Robot," resulted in readers offering to donate money to help the students with college. Powered by obsessed film buffs, its a crowdsourced juggernaut thats older than Google and Wikipedia. Now AI is threatening to steal the starring role. Lisa Bonet Now. Cristian knew that they were faced with two serious problems: bad wiring and a leak. "I'm not hustling for a new job or promotion. Cristian Arcega and Lorenzo Santillan, two members of the 2004 Carl Hayden High School robotics team and Fredi Lajvardi, Carl Hayden robotics team coach talk about the documentary. Fredi grew up as an Iranian immigrant and was often made fun of and even beaten up in high school, particularly during the Iranian read analysis of Fredi Lajvardi Allan Cameron Another teacher at Carl Hayden who helps Fredi with the robotics club. NEW YORK, NY -- It's the stuff of movies - four undocumented Mexican-American high school students enter a NASA-sponsored robotics contest and beat MIT and other prestigious universities. He graduated from Carl Hayden last spring, and this is the best work he can find. They stunned the nation when Stinky kicked MIT's lame robot . "The best thing that they can have credit for," he said, sitting at his desk, students in front of him programming an autonomous robot, "is opening the doors for all the kids that followed after them. Lisa Bonet Then. Approximately 60,000 undocumented students graduate from US high schools every year. It will cost him approximately $50,000 as an out-of-state student. The robot competition (sponsored in part by the Office of Naval Research and NASA) required students to build a bot that could survey a sunken mock-up of a submarinenot easy stuff. By 2 in the morning, Oscar's eyesight was blurring, but he kept at it. They had practiced dozen of times at the scuba pool in Phoenix, and it had taken them, on average, 10 minutes to stab the proboscis into the narrow tube. Sam Escobar Contributor Sam's enthusiasm for makeup is only rivaled by their love of all things . then realized that they had achieved their goal: girls were now actively involved . "We used a helium neon laser, captured its phase shift with a photo sensor, and manually corrected by 30 percent to account for the index of refraction," Cristian answered rapidly, keyed up on adrenaline. Jos Crdenas: So, a lot of memories for you guys. He didn't want to go to jail. Mario Perez/Walt Disney Television via Getty; Craig Sjodin/Walt Disney Television via Getty. So he ate lunch in the storage room the teachers had commandeered for the underwater ROV club. Two years ago, he applied for temporary resident status under the new federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Even though Lorenzo had never heard of MIT, the team from Cambridge scared him, too. ROTC had trained Oscar well: He knew how to motivate people. So we had to put that in the contract that she would be able to still be able to make the documentary and everything worked out right. As I understand it, there's going to be, for lack of a better description, a commercial version of this. (End of tape) They had learned that the team placed third out of 11 in the seven underwater exercises. He started his own catering business, Dragonfly Catering, since his legal status prevented him from being an employee, but allowed him to create his own company. He liked it there. The task was to withdraw 500 milliliters of fluid from the container 12 feet below the surface. Just getting them to the Santa Barbara contest in June with a robot would be an accomplishment, Cameron thought. The Out-of-Control Spread of Crowd-Control Tech. Rain isn't predicted anytime soon. What do you want to be deported as? Together with his fellow science teacher Fredi Lajvardi, Cameron had put up flyers around the school a few months earlier, offering to sponsor anyone interested in competing in the third annual Marine Advanced Technology Education Center's Remotely Operated Vehicle Competition. Cristian Arcega was a geeky brainiac who found few outlets for his smarts in gang-torn West Phoenix. >> We looked like the carnival had arrived. This morning we joined about 350 other high school teams for the International FIRST robotics championship. This button displays the currently selected search type. "PowerPoint is a distraction," Cristian replied. The group was from Carl Hayden High School in Phoenix. One of the things I think that we use, if I could say anything, was, you know, you end up -- you could get deported any time. He needs to get all the opportunity he deserves.. The teacher and advisor for the robotics club at Carl Hayden. Jos Crdenas: With us tonight to talk about the Carl Hayden robotics documentary "Underwater Dreams" are one of the coaches Fredi Lajvardi, and two of the team members Cristian Arcega and Lorenzo Santillan. It allows him to see how a kitchen operates and gains him experience with a wide variety of dishes. Stinky now buzzed through the water, dodging all obstacles. Now it just looked clownish. The documentary "Underwater Dreams" is out now; a movie starring George Lopez comes out in January. We've spent some time brainstorming and reflecting on last year's competition, and came to several conclusions that greatly aided in the construction of this year's robot. His mother had been fired from her job as a hotel maid, and his father had trouble paying the rent as a gardener. Screen Printing and Embroidery for clothing and accessories, as well as Technical Screenprinting, Overlays, and Labels for industrial and commercial applications Vazquez, 28, took a risk to not be in the country illegally anymore. But Aranda now says he had residency papers by the time of the 2004 competition. It demonstrated what our Robotics Competition, which combines the excitement of sport with science and technology. Turns his back on a gang to join the robotics team, feeling a sense of true belonging for the first time in his life Learns the importance of creativity by watching his cousins repair cars in the drivewaytheir impromptu auto shop Nicknames the team's underwater ROV "Stinky" Luis They run the machine through a series of obstacles, including using a one-way valve to extract fluid from a container, all underwater, all by remote control. New! >> Discover, like, alien life. On three test runs in Boston, the system worked fast and flawlessly. "Congratulations, guys," Cameron said. MIT had admitted earlier that a laser would have been the most accurate way to measure distance underwater, but they'd concluded that it would have been difficult to implement. Carl Hayden Robotics Team Documentary July 17, 2014 More from this show Underwater Dreams is a new documentary that follows four undocumented students who entered an underwater robotics competition in 2004 and beat MIT and other colleges. "Absorbent?" They placed fourth behind Carl Hayden in the underwater trials. >> Make a difference in my community. They took their robot and headed west, to a sophisticated underwater robotics competition up against the likes of MIT. Most of the other teams wouldn't even consider putting their power supplies in the water. They tried a different angle but still couldn't reach the drum. For three of the four, their legal status has been an obstacle to entering college or finding employment. Esto controls analog circuits with digital output.". They did the whole thing in one night, got high on the pungent fumes, and dubbed their new creation Stinky. 1:06 For a time Wednesday evening, a robot named Stinky, created 13 years ago by a team of immigrant Phoenix high-school students, shared the same storied Washington, D.C., building that houses. An image from television flashed through Lorenzo's mind. That's something that I learned when I was young, and we try to teach the kids. This was a do-or-die situation. But his comprehension was bad. Cameron glanced nervously at Ledge. It was his own space. Although he entered illegally at age 5, Aranda said, his father, a legal resident, filed for his wife and son to gain residency. "You officially don't suck.". ultra-absorbency. The leader of the 2004 team, Oscar Vazquez, graduated from Arizona State University (ASU), which he paid for by working construction jobs and through private scholarships. The wires were slightly thicker than a human hair, and there were 50 of them. The results counted for more than half of the total possible points in the contest. Oscar felt aimless until he heard about the robot club from Ledge, who was teaching his senior biology seminar. He thinks it'll keep him sharp until he can save up enough money to study engineering at Arizona State University. In turn, immigrants would pay taxes and be able to contribute their talents to the US. That little clip we heard, you used an expletive because you were surprised at what was happening. WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. To mark those occasions, WIRED republished the original piece.2. The team arrived at the Olympic-size UC Santa Barbara pool on a sunny Thursday afternoon. Jos Crdenas: It was an eye opener for you, too. The largest corporation in the US had kicked in $5,000. He had tried thathe'd been a member of WBP 8th Street, a westside gang. Lorenzo Santillan: Well, it's going to be on Friday in the AMC center downtown at 7:30, and we're excited because well, it's Arizona and it's where we originated from. But, he said, it stands to reason that MIT students would all become engineers, while his high school kids from widely different backgrounds would take divergent paths. The control tent was silent. Filmmaker Mary Mazzio hopes her film will challenge audiences to rethink their preconceptions. The group was from Carl Hayden High School in Phoenix. "Did you see how hard it hit the wall? Swean nodded. They hope to see all four kids go to college before they quit teaching, which means they're likely to keep working for a long time. Santillan said he and his robotics team were not the only high school students in that situation. "What you really want," he confided, "is a thermocouple with a cold junction compensator." >> These boys laid a foundation. >> What the robotics did to me was to show me, even though I don't know where to start, I can solve the problem. In 2004, four Latino teenagers arrived at the Marine Advanced Technology Education Robotics Competition at the University of California, Santa Barbara. I joined the robotics team because I found a place where I could work with tools and, you know, play with them and break stuff and do all that good stuff. They still had four more tasks. It seemed obvious that this was a condescending pat on the back, as if to say, "A for effort!" And don't forget, if you want to watch previous episodes or find out what's coming up on the show just go our website azpbs.org and click on "Horizonte." And as I understand it, from talking to you earlier, this movie has been in the works for about that same period of time. There was nothing they could dothey had to move on to the next assignment. She broke the law when she broke into the adult business. Jos Crdenas: And this week in Phoenix on Friday. After Hernandez is introduced, the film starts to focus on the legendary Carl Hayden underwater robotics team, which at this point has been featured in both a documentary and a feature film because it's such a great David vs. Goliath story. >> Kids at Carl Hayden high school become leaders. He was probably the smartest 16-year-old in West Phoenixwithout even trying, he had one of the highest GPAs in the school district. As have their teachers, Faridodin Lajvardi and Allan Cameron. Joshua Davis has also written a book about the team (due out in September) entitled Spare Parts.. Fredi Lajvardi: Yeah, Lions Gate jumped on afterwards. After The Cosby Show Lisa . The movie is called "Spare Parts" and it. "And Dr. Cameron and I will retire, too.". These kids are incredible people, said Underwater Dreams filmmaker Mary Mazzio, who first learned of the story from an article in Wired Magazine. These teenage underdogs from the mean streets of Phoenix challenged the best underwater engineering students in the countryand took the top prize. Stinky had a bent copper proboscis, a bilge pump, and a dime-store balloon. The four students Oscar Vazquez, Cristian Arcega, Luis Aranda and Lorenzo Santillan have been making the publicity rounds. "You did well. . He has since taken a job as a line cook at St. Francis, an upscale restaurant in uptown Phoenix.