Sixteen computer science students participated in the ACCA Programming Contest held at Elmhurst College on February 17, 2018.
Professor James Vanderhyde, an assistant computer science professor, accompanied the students to Elmhurst College.
“The competition was a good success!” Vanderhyde stated.
Four teams of four students were sent to Elmhurst. The Saint Xavier novice teams ranked fourth and eleventh, and one of the advanced teams ranked seventh.
The fourth-place team was given a plaque for their win. Professor Vanderhyde said this plaque will be displayed in the S-104 computer lab.
James Healy, John Gaylord, Ivan Diaz, and Arturo Hernandez were all on the fourth-place team.
When asked about his experience at this event, sophomore John Gaylord had this to say:
“This was my first time ever going to a programming competition. It was a lot of fun.”
John credits his teammates for their victory.
“It was only thanks to the help of my teammates that we were lucky enough to place fourth. There were a lot of talented teams who attended the competition.”
When asked the same question, sophomore Eric Perez said he had an amazing experience.
“I had only been to one other coding competition in the past, but considering that was a twenty-four-hour competition, the four hours that the event at Elmhurst would take place over seemed like a cake walk.”
Eric’s team, which came in at eleventh place at the novice level, consisted of his friends Justin Grochowski, Matthew Dykas, and Gabrielle Agustin.
“We all had different experiences when it came to coding,” Eric said about his teammates, “so it felt great coming together as a group of friends and showing what we could accomplish.”
Eric also stated that, at these events, computer science students will be able to get a glimpse at what the professional world of programming looks like.
“Events like these give you a more accurate look at the kind of work you’ll be expected to pull off that a classroom’s requirements just can’t replicate.”
When asked if this was an event he would recommend to other computer science majors, Eric said, “One-hundred percent!”
“Coding competitions are such a beautiful event to watch unfold,” Eric continued, “To watch a room full of computer scientists tap away at their computers for hours on end just to show their drive and passion is something that I don’t think can be replicated. You just have to see it to believe it.”
John Gaylord also urged fellow computer science majors to attend this event or others like this one.
“If you ever have the chance, as a computer science student, to attend a competition, I would recommend it. I personally learned a lot about how I work with people under pressure and was able to learn a few neat programming tricks during it all.”
Professor Vanderhyde is offering a course during the fall to help students prepare for events like this.
“In the Fall semester I will once again offer CMPSC 160, which is a one-credit course in which we prepare and learn strategies for competing in programming contests. Students can register if interested. Some knowledge of programming will be necessary, or concurrently enrolling in a programming course.”
Ceasar Torres
Deputy Editor in Chief