November marks start-up of computer programming competitions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 4, 2008
Written by: Roslyn Ayers, Communications Assistant
Contact: roslyn.ayers2@maryvillecollege.edu

The students have been practicing for months, and now teams are officially “in season.”

Nine MC computer science students competed Saturday in a regional qualifier competition as part of the 33rd Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) held at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville.

Maryville College competes in the Mid-Central region, which encompasses Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois and part of Indiana. More than 130 teams from 60 universities in the Mid-Central region competed at nine different locations on Saturday.

Regional competitions include tens of thousands of students from universities in 83 countries, all competing for a spot at the World Finals. One hundred finalists were chosen to go on to the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, April 18-22, for a chance to win awards, prizes, scholarships and the coveted “world’s smartest trophy.”

One of MC’s three teams finished near the top quarter in regional competition, and Dr. Barbara Plaut, associate professor of computer science and coach of the computing teams, is expecting an even bigger finish at the Southeast Division Conference for the Consortium for Computer Science in Colleges, scheduled for Nov. 8 in Augusta, Ga.

The group has practiced throughout the year, meeting once a week for two hours and also engaging in private practice. The contests challenge students to use programming skills, creativity, and business sense to solve complex, real-world problems within a five-hour time deadline.

MC teams usually do well in regional contests, often placing in the top 10. Last spring, an MC team took fifth place at the regional competition Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), competing against numerous students of big universities (some graduate students), explained Plaut. The team placed just behind Duke University but ahead of the University of Miami.

“Programming competition benefits students in so many ways: it reinforces the concepts they are learning in the classroom; it gives them an opportunity to interact and compete with their peers at other institutions; it is intellectually extremely challenging,” Plaut said. “As employers and graduate institutions recognize the merits of these kinds of activities, computer programming competitions can also lead to professional opportunities. One of our students recently landed a prestigious internship based in part by his performance on the programming team.”

The MC teams are registered to compete in two competitions during the spring 2009 semester.

The teams and their members include: Team Scots: Brandon Aaby, Chelsey Johnson, and Xiang Liu; Team Orange: Houston Miller, Cameron Presley, and Cody Rodefer; and Team Garnet: Katie Bolus, Allison Higginbotham, and Elliott Sylvester.

For more information, contact Dr. Plaut at barbara.plaut@maryvillecollege.edu or (865) 981-8165.

Maryville College is ideally situated in Maryville, Tenn., between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state's third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Known for its academic rigor and its focus on the liberal arts, Maryville is where students come to stretch their minds, stretch themselves and learn how to make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2009 semester is 1,103.