Oakton TSA places first at regionals
Technology is all they can tech about
On March 4, Oakton Technology Student Association, TSA, competed School in the Northern Virginia Regional Competition at Briar Woods High School. The club competed in a wide array of categories, covering many topics on the STEM spectrum, such as digital video production, systems control technology, music production, engineering design, and dragster design. While engineering design and dragster design are both individual events, TSA members had to work together to compete in the other categories.
Oakton TSA President Shannen Prindle competed in both of the individual events. While engineering design required no preparation, she spent about a week preparing for dragster design. “It took me about a week to like come up with a design and then cut it out and then sand it down and paint,” said Prindle. She also competed in digital video production, which required more preparation. Prindle said, “I filmed back in the end of February because that took a whole weekend and then I have been editing it ever since.” All the time and effort payed off because Oakton’s video came in first place at the regional competition.
Prindle has been apart of TSA since freshman year. Currently, Oakton TSA has 37 registered members. Prindle said, “I have been learning a lot from the past years.” One issue Prindle has with TSA is that they do not provide rubrics, so the best way to improve in each event is by listening to the judges critiques, and applying their recommendations. Prindle said, “I do one where you have to make a video about a science topic and they really like 3D animations so like every year I learn a little bit…so I guess really just taking those tiny things that are specifically about the event to change”
Oakton TSA will compete again at the state competition. Since their digital video placed first at the regional competition, they are able to submit the same video for the state competition. After the state competition, there is a national TSA competition during the summer that Oakton students do not attend. However, Oakton TSA did have one student submit a few projects last year.
