Computer science students convene at MSU for âhackathonâ to show creativity with technology solutions
Contact: Allison Matthews
STARKVILLE, Miss.âThe student chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery at ´ķĪķAPP will host an inaugural âhackathonâ this weekend [Sept. 23-24] for students to apply technologies in new and creative ways.
More than 200 students from 25 colleges â with MSU students comprising about half of the group â will work around the clock during the 24-hour event taking place in the Colvard Student Union. Students will develop an original project on Saturday [Sept. 23] and work through Sunday [Sept. 24] before presenting to judges that afternoon. Participants may bring their ideas but may not begin work on their technology project before the competition.
Called âHack´ķĪķAPP,â the event is âa sprint-like innovation and coding competition during which student teams will design and build incredible new computer-oriented projects, such as web and mobile applications or hardware integrationsâ according to student organizers. The competition is the first hackathon in Mississippi sanctioned by the official student hackathon league, Major League Hacking.
Charles Boyd, a senior MSU software engineering major from Madison, Alabama, said he hopes to see students âcombine multiple technologies in a way thatâs never been done before to create something totally new.â
Competition judges will include computer science faculty and sponsor representatives.
Boyd is part of a student leadership team organizing the hackathon that includes the eventâs executive director and founder Natalie Larkin, a computer science major from Gaithersburg, Maryland; Kourtney Atwell, a computer science major from Hazel Green, Alabama, serving as operations and sponsorship director; and Amy Frances Farrar, an art/graphic design major from Amory serving as marketing director.
Donna Reese, MSU professor of computer science and engineering and ACM adviser, said hackathon participants will polish their computing skills with the goal of developing something innovative.
âThis is an opportunity for them to really be creative with their skills and passions for computing,â Reese said. She added that the student organizers who have prepared for the event also have developed valuable communication and leadership skills.
âAll of those things theyâve demonstrated in pulling off an event of this magnitude will serve them well as they go into the workforce,â Reese said.
For complete event details, visit .
MSU is Mississippiâs leading university, available online at .