You may have heard of the SeaPerch Club on the morning announcements and wondered what it’s really about. The advisor of the SeaPerch club is biology teacher Mr. Legaspe. “Well it is a club centered around teamwork, mechanical skills, and problem solving, but this club could help you get these skills or further advance them,” stated Mr. Legaspe. This is only what you gain from being part of this club, you also get to compete in the LA & SOCAL regional competition. In the competition you go against other high schools to see who’s Remote Controlled Vehicle (ROV) can surpass the others and make it to the International SeaPerch competition in Maryland.

In the SeaPerch Club you will be making a ROV that will need to be able to traverse through the water successfully and complete varying objectives. If you decide to join the club you will be learning how to make your own ROV. In order to make your ROV you will get a ROV kit and construct it with the help of others. You will be making everything in the ROV including the engine, and steering mechanisms for the ROV. 

The SeaPerch club does require funding to be able to purchase everything needed like a soldering kit, ROV kits, transportation costs, and team tee-shirts. They will be able to get the funding with the help of the Swap-Meet that takes place at SEMHS on Sundays. They worked the parking duty and make half the money that they earn for funding. They also afford all this through the process of recycling cans and bottles taken from other teachers.

The competition will include very tough participants from many different parts of LA & SOCAL. The competition participants will be judged based on several categories. There are four categories in total. The categories consist of a 5 minute team video, a technical design report of the ROV’s they’re using, an obstacle course, and a special mission that simulates sonar on the ocean floor. The objective of the mission is to retrieve “marine life” and relocate them to a specific area for safekeeping. This competition took place at Troy High School in Fullerton CA. The obstacle course for the ROV’s will require them to submerge and traverse underwater through hula hoops and other obstacles. The event also requires the ROV’s to be able to move the “marine life” to a specific area.

The SeaPerch Club has been working hard since school started, and it was shown at the competition. The competition took place on Saturday March 11th. Although we know the Eagles tried their best, unfortunately they didn’t make it to the international competition placing 2nd overall. If they had won they would’ve gone to Maryland to compete in the international competition against all the other schools in the country that also won their competitions. The Eagles had already gone to the national competition before, however this would’ve been South’s 3rd appearance since 2015.

Although the SeaPerch Club will not be starting up until the start of the next year, this gives you time to freshen up your skills, or work on new skills to be able to help the club out. If you have any questions regarding the club contact Mr. Legaspe who is in room 174.