![Sophomore Lily Bell posing as a player in the senior assassin game. Seniors participating in the game eliminate others by squirting them with a water gun, and can wear goggles for immunity against others. “People did have to go out and buy [water] guns, but most people have the googles at home, but you don’t even have to use a gun, you can use water of any sort,” senior Gwyn Christensen said.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/unnamed-1-1-900x1200.jpg)
![The shadows against a captivating blue are a nod to the “Catch Me If You Can” musical poster, both for this performance and the blue from the Broadway show. The detectives in this scene are at shooting practice, in preparation for when they finally encounter Frank Abagnale Jr. “We always say our motto is ‘theater is a team sport,’ and really just emphasizing to our students that everyone is welcome in the drama department. There's always a role for you, whether or not, on stage or behind the scenes, in the costume shop, in the scene shop. [There are] all sorts of different things that go into bringing a show to life. So we love our drama hawks and welcome everyone to drama,” Drama Director Mollie Jo Blahunka said.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/cmiyc-1200x800.jpg)
![Henry, Emily (2021). People we meet on vacation [Book cover]. Berkley Books. Image used under fair use for purposes of commentary and review. Haley, Brett (2026). People we meet on vacation [Movie poster]. Movie poster courtesy of 3000 Pictures and Temple Hill Entertainment. Made by Adilyn Hoop using Canva.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/vacay1.png)
![Lockhart, E. (2025). We fell apart [Book cover]. Delacorte Press. Image used under fair use for purposes of commentary and review. The newest book in the “We were liars” collection was released Nov. 4.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/wefell1.png)
![A Group of PEOPEL PE students and helpers set up an obstacle course during class. The “Amazing Race” unit had started in PEOPEL PE where the students and helpers got to compete in a variety of different activities and games. “We try our best to make [inclusion] a school-wide event, but it's just so much more different when you actually engage with the students hands-on and actually get to know them as people.” Sophomore Bree Christensen said. Photo Taken by Ada McNulty.](https://ahstalonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/unnamed-12-1200x900.jpg)
Gears grind and wires buzz as robot 5126 rolls into place. Hours of programming, designing, building, and hard work have gone into this moment. The driver makes one last adjustment, then, with a whirr of motors, it shoots. And it scores. For many, this would be a feat worth grand applause, yet for team DICE, this is just another Saturday.
Team DICE has gone all the way to the state competition for the past five years, and this year, one member shines particularly bright. Robotics is a team effort, and every team needs a leader. For DICE, this leader brings life not only to the machine he helped build, but to the team he joined just last year.
“My friend, Lucas, he kind of just kept talking about it and trying to get me to come [to robotics]. So I just came one day, and I kind of just stayed,” senior and robotics member Ella Fortman said.
Zea joined Ankeny robotics team 5126 DICE in his junior year, having been interested ever since he entered high school. His proficiency and passion for all things robotics quickly became clear, and he shared this passion with others.
“He’s taught me a lot of the stuff I’ve learned this year when it comes to building and getting more into the refined CAD, which I really appreciate. He’s just a great leader and a great person overall,” junior and robotics project manager Clarissa Masters said.
Zea took this role in stride and has shown the dedication and skill to justify his position. Not only does he do his best, but he also helps others achieve their best.
“I am the team lead and mechanical lead, so I make sure that everyone’s doing stuff and that our robot functions from a mechanical perspective,” Zea said. “I try [to] do what I can to be successful and help out,and they’ve chosen me to be [team lead]. I don’t entirely get the reasoning behind it. I just try [to] do what I love to do.”
“They call them artifacts, but they look like a wiffle ball, basically. And we have to intake them, either by a human player dropping it into the robot, or a mechanical aspect, like funneling it into the robot itself,” Fortman said. “Then you have to shoot them into a goal that’s in the corner in a specific color order to get points.”
Ankeny Robotics is open to all students, and there are lots of ways to contribute. Some members design, others code, and some students operate the robot. No matter what interests you, leaders like Zea ensure that all participants are productive while also enjoying their time.
“One of our subgroups is outreach, which can help you learn a lot of communication skills, because with that group, you’ll need to reach out to businesses and other people to hopefully get funding or get others interested in robotics as a whole,” Fortman said.
Nothing in life is free, and that fact is emphasized when designing and building robots with the goal of implementing as many ideas as possible. Outreach allows students to raise the funding they need to make their designs come to life, but it also gives students a way to network and give back to their community.
“Everyone does outreach. Outreach is probably the most important part, because that makes sure that people know who we are and that we’re doing good in the community,” Zea said.
Outreach also helps ensure the future of the Ankeny robotics program, a program that has been around since before the split between Ankeny’s two high schools.
“We have done STEM nights at elementary schools, like Crocker, Prairie Trail, ones like that. So we just go and then we show off robots,” Zea said.
Robots are cold and lifeless, just bits of metal and plastic held together with nuts and bolts and duct tape. It’s the code that helps them move, but it’s the team that constructed the machine that gives it its heart, and the AHS team DICE has put everything into their robot. For DICE, thanks to Zea, there’s no bad idea. This dedication to bringing every idea to life has resulted in a robot with a character and heart to match that of its team.
“I’ve had a lot of ideas. I know Lucas had a lot of ideas. The new kids have had ideas.He always makes sure that either we get heard or that if we do want to add it to the robot. It’s added in such a way where it is helpful for everyone,” Masters said. “Lucas is honestly such an icon.”
