On Saturday, March 24, students in the Software Engineering Department will present Stevens’ third annual DuckHacks. This annual event was Stevens’ first hackathon. A hackathon is a gathering of creative minds with a focus on problem-solving through programming and design. Participants are provided a theme, and are given 24 hours to create a novel idea and impress judges at the event. While projects can be developed solo, most are produced by groups of up to four. Those who would like to work with a group but whose coding buddies are all unavailable during the hackathon will have the option of the DuckHacks staff to place them into a group during registration.
The event will begin at 12 p.m. on Saturday, and will proceed until the ending ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. All workshops and activities will take place in the Edwin A. Stevens Building, including breaks for meals, all provided in the event. Throughout the weekend, contestants have the opportunity to not only develop their ideas, but also to attend a networking event and various technical workshops. It’s a long and packed day, resulting in a lot of the programming done throughout the night. The day finishes with the ending ceremony when winners are announced and awarded prizes.
Anybody visiting Stevens would have trouble finding a student who doesn’t know a thing or two about programming. Many students can be found working on personal projects throughout the day, whether in Hayden’s quiet lounge or in the dining hall. Started three years ago, DuckHacks was started by students in the Computer Science and Software Engineering departments since hackathons can be a vital part of developing a coder’s skillset. Zin Tun, Marketing Director of Stevens DuckHacks, commented, “We hope that by competing in DuckHacks, students get to have the full experience of a 24-hour hackathon while being in a familiar environment.” Different from its inception, DuckHacks has the backing of Stevens’ engineering departments and more sponsors than in the past. This year’s DuckHacks is sponsored by JP Morgan, Chase & Co., Google, and ClassLink.
Interested students should pre-register online at duckhacks.com. “If anyone is interested in joining [the] DuckHacks [team],” added Tun, “Please let me know! We are always looking for new talent!” Registration for this weekend’s event is from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 24.
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