An Engineering Club is being created at Benton High by a group of seventeen students and their sponsor, Math Teacher Marvin Nelson.  The group has elected officers and completed a club charter.  BHS Club officers for the 2005-2006 school year are: Lead Engineer, Colin Key; Co-Lead Engineer, Justin Price; Finance Manager, Brandon Misenheimer; Research Manager, Rex Harris; and Material Manager, Matt Taylor. 

The Engineering Club will explore all aspects of engineering, with a focus on robotics and computer programming. Club members are currently evaluating robotic design systems and software to determine what direction to take club activities and competitions.  The students are also looking into grants and other sources of funding.

Ultimately, the club hopes to compete with others schools and organizations in competitions such as the FIRST Robotics Competition.   FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is the world’s leading high school robotics program, with competitions ranging from the FIRST Lego League, for ages 9-14, to the FIRST Vex and FIRST Robotics Competitions.  Mr. Nelson is currently coaching a group of Benton Middle School students in the 2005 FIRST Lego League challenge.  The students have built a robot and are working to complete the computer program that will guide the robot through the challenge course and complete a set of predetermined missions. The students plan to compete at a regional event in December.  Engineering Club members are also working to identify contacts in engineering / robotics programs at Louisiana Tech and LSU, to learn more about these programs