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YSU plans hackathon
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
The word “hacker” probably conjures visions of some sinister computer geek, sitting in a dark room, trying to steal your identity — or someone with a bad cough.
HackYSU is nothing like that.
It’s a 36-hour hackathon where students get together to learn and network — both with each other and with professionals — while creating.
“The focus this year is on software and hardware projects,” said Joseph Duncko, a Youngstown State University sophomore computer-information-systems major from Canfield who is one of the event’s organizers. “For example, someone might come and come up with an app for an iPhone or Android or a website.”
It’s not just for those majoring in computer fields, either. Any college or high-school student who is at least 18 can participate, and it’s free. Even meals are provided. HackYSU begins Friday night and runs through Sunday afternoon at the university.
Register at hackysu.com.
Duncko said novices are encouraged to participate.
“I would say if you’re interested, you have nothing to lose by coming down,” he said. “You can leave at any time, but you probably won’t want to. We’ll have mentors here and teams to help you get started, and you’ll leave with something.”
Prizes will be awarded for best overall hacks as well as entries deemed best in certain categories, but Duncko said competition isn’t the main thrust of the event.
It’s a 36-hour event because that’s nearly as long as a work week. It allows participants to break away from normal routines and refine their craft.
Because “hack” carries a negative connotation, organizers talked about not including it in the name of the event but decided to keep it.
“There’s a very large and growing community based around hackathon events,” Duncko said.
HackYSU is sanctioned by Major League Hacking, the official student hackathon league.
Mentors come from technology and entrepreneurial businesses to help participating students.
Several sponsors also stepped up to lend support to the event, footing the bill for food. Turning Technologies, Delphi and Drund are main sponsors.
This is the first HackYSU, and at least 100 students are expected.
Duncko and some of the other organizers wanted to bring the event to YSU after participating in hackathons at other universities including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California at Berkeley, Georgia Tech and Yale.
“Those events are all Major League Hacking events, just like we’re a Major League Hacking event,” he said. “We’re on the short list of giants, I like to say.”
After participating in those events and seeing how much the hackers learned and how much fun they had, they wanted to bring it back to YSU.
“When I first started going to hackathons, I was not that good of a programmer,” Duncko said.
That was his freshman year.
He and his best friend got teamed with a mentor, and at the end of the 24-hour event, Duncko had used tools he never had before in a computer language he’d never used before to create a program.
“Overall, it was a really awesome experience,” Duncko said. “It shows what you can do when you sit down and focus and try your best. It really was a life-changing and perspective-changing experience.”