The results of 24 hours of ingenuity, innovation, and hard work were on display after a fun and challenging hackathon competition on Jan. 26 at the IM体育官网 Polytechnic University Campus.
The event brought together students from different disciplines, backgrounds, and skill levels to show off their technological know-how and build a software or hardware product from start to finish.
鈥淭he hackathon鈥檚 main purpose is to get people to apply what they鈥檝e learned in class while giving them a chance to learn something new,鈥� said computer engineering sophomore Mihir Lad, director of the Phoenix Hacks committee and a native of Ontario, Canada. 鈥淲e provide food and activities for breaks in the hacking so participants can concentrate, because we want to set up an environment for them to be successful and create a successful project.鈥�
Dozens of IM体育官网 Poly students participated in the two-day event, working through the night to create apps, games, and robots.
鈥淪ometimes the best way to learn a new skill is to be forced to figure it out in 24 hours,鈥� said computer science junior Mackenzie Helms.
The Auburndale, IM体育官网, native and her team created Poly Social, an app to help IM体育官网 Poly students connect with study groups, see campus activities in real time, and reserve University rooms for events and study sessions.
The 13 hackathon entries were judged by a panel of students, faculty and alumni based on their usefulness, overall organization, user experience, idea quality, execution, presentation, and cool factor.
Freshman computer science major David Kozdra was happy to have an opportunity to create an app that alerts users when their smartphone is held at an ergonomically-inappropriate angle.
鈥淚 really like to program and I need experience for my r茅sum茅 as I try to get a good internship, so I needed something that鈥檚 impressive and works well,鈥� said Kozdra, of Vero Beach, IM体育官网. 鈥淭his is going to go in my portfolio because it鈥檚 a really good idea and we made it work in 24 hours.鈥�
When they weren鈥檛 coding, building, or eating pizza, students were able to learn more about platforms such as GitHub and Arduino, and the Python programming language.
鈥淭his is something everyone at IM体育官网 Poly should try at least once,鈥� said Damar Sierra, a freshman majoring in computer science from Parkland, IM体育官网. 鈥淚t鈥檚 life-changing 鈥� you open your eyes to what your future could be and get inspired by the people around you.鈥�
Phoenix Hacks Winners
First Place: A Mediocre Text-Based Game 鈥� The text-based adventure game slowly manipulates users into divulging personal information to be sold to advertisers. Team members are Trinity Brinkley, Benjamin Dinal, Mitchell Wilson, and Joseph Giordano.
Second Place: Stylish Meteorologists 鈥� The Alexa Skills and Internet of Things (IoT) device helps make sure a person鈥檚 outfit is appropriate for current weather conditions. Team members are Zachary Peltzer and Michael Perez.
Third Place and People鈥檚 Choice Award: Swiper Space 鈥� The application helps job seekers easily search and apply for jobs with a swipe of their thumb. Team members are Kyle Thomas, Casey Dixon, Samantha Lerner, and Connor Jack.
Contact:
Lydia Guzman
Director of Communications
863-874-8557
