Story and photo by Matthew Giffin / Contributing Writer
After 36 hours of almost no sleep and lots of coding, 60 computer science students sat with their respective teams in anticipation, waiting to see if their project earned a top-three spot from the judges.
Some teams were content with their experience and the skills they had learned over the past two days. Others were there to showcase their expertise to professionals and win Middle Tennessee State University’s seventh annual hackathon, HackMT.
“Don’t ask me how much sleep I’ve gotten,” said Sam Thomas, a junior MTSU computer science student, while the teams were presenting their projects. “I don’t even know if I’m tired right now. I’ve lost that mental capacity.” Thomas and his team, the Bees Knees, had developed a “task bot that allows you to crowdsource your tasks together.”
He said it was made so that companies and students could assign tasks and schedule due dates for each other. Not only that, but over time, the task bot could assign tasks on its own by predicting which student or coworker is best suited to a specific task, Thomas said.
One team, composed of MTSU’s Data Science Club, had created a way for people to search for nonprofit organizations across the United States based on categories like location and what services they provide. Another team had built a unique and complex strategy game where players must gather resources and defend themselves from enemies. One team had even made a virtual reality horror simulation where players can wander around a dark, abandoned hospital.
Last year, HackMT took place virtually due to the pandemic. “Being on the ground gives us a chance to really talk and visit with each other,” said Joshua Phillips, the event’s organizer. “We liked the ability to be virtual, but being back on the ground is beyond that. It’s an experience that really sets everything apart.” Some students who had previously been to virtual hackathons agreed with Phillips.
Students were also competing for the attention of the event’s sponsors, among them Asurion, Bondware, CAT Financial and L3 Harris. Not only does HackMT serve as a competition, but also as a window into the professional world of computer science. Industry professionals scout for talent, and students attempt to get recognized for their work. Asurion raised the stakes by offering four scholarships, $1,000 each, to four students who distinguished themselves in the competition.
During the closing ceremonies, Phillips announced the winners, chosen by the judges: First place went to the MTSU Data Science Club for their nonprofit finder. Sole Match, a website and database for people with two different shoe sizes, won second place, and the Bees Knees won third place for their taskbot.
The Bees Knees also left with the Hacker’s Choice Award, which was decided by a student vote.
“It feels insane, man! We got it,” Andrew Johnson said for the Bees Knees. Two Bees Knees team members, Sam Thomas and Stephanie Zhang, each received one of the $1,000 scholarships from Asurion.
“There were some really great projects showing out,” said John Boyd, for the MTSU Data Science Club. “We didn’t know what to expect…At the end of the day, win or lose, we had a lot of fun and made a good product.”
To contact News Editor Toriana Williams, email newseditor@mtsusidelines.com.
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