Third Place Programming Winners

I'm almost as excited as these guys were. They had about ninety minutes to build a game in Scratch based on the theme of fire. They knew their program was good. I only wish they were able to keep a copy of the game.

The two in the back finished in third place. Both guys received a water bottle, a t-shirt, and a can of silly putty. Official Press release from IUPUI detailing a couple of my students' 3rd place finish in the game programming competition:

INDIANAPOLIS— More than a dozen high school students from Central Indiana and Michigan place at the top among 127 competitors in the 2014 Computer Science Day at Indiana University—Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). The event held Friday, March 21, was organized by the Department of Computer and Information Science in the School of Science. Students competed in one of three tracks:  game programming, intermediate programming + problem solving, and advanced programming + problem solving. 

The 2014 winners are:Game Programming

• First: Aaron Claussen and Jenner Wile, Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center
• Second: Bryan Keefe, Min Park and Colin Burke, Fishers High School
• Third: Andrew Warrick and Justin Keathley, Bethesda Christian School

Intermediate Programming

• First: Michael Orwin and Matoska Waltz, Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center
• Second: Skylar Rizzolo and Zach Mills, Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center
• Third: Benjamin Maddux and Evan Batsell, Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center

Advanced Programming

• First: Dan Fu and Nathan Mytelka, Park Tudor
• Second: Josh Zaugg and Caleb Flynn, Fishers High School
• Third: Jason Zhao and Chris Hsu, Park Tudor

“These young students are the future of the field, and events like Computer Science Day at IUPUI are significant in developing a deeper understanding of the complexities and delights of the industry,” said Shiaofen Fang, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Computer and Information Science Department at IUPUI.
Through tests involving programming and problem solving, students in grades 9-12 came away from the competition with a deeper understanding of teamwork, software tools and deadlines associated with today’s computer science industry. The keynote presentation was delivered by Mike Gagle, Ph.D., Chief Scientist at Interactive Intelligence. An industry panel included professional from Interactive Intelligence, GyanSys, ExactTarget, DataXstream, SEP and Right On Interactive. High school teachers also participated in training workshops during the student competition.
“Occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree in computer science are growing at more than 20 percent annually. It is a constant challenge to match the pace of the job creation in the field. It’s estimated there are three computer science jobs available for every one new graduate,” Fang said. “It’s important that programs like ours at IUPUI continue to train and educate people to fill these high-paying, high-demand positions.”
The 2014 Computer Science Day was sponsored by Interactive Intelligence and GyanSys. For more information, visit the Department of Computer and Information Science.
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The IUPUI Computer Science Club and Department of Computer & Information Science are the primary sponsors of this event as part of the School of Science’s commitment to advancing scientific minds, and fostering community interest in the sciences. Through this event, the department is committed to educating students, teachers and parents about all the career paths possible through computer science.The School of Science at IUPUI is committed to excellence in teaching, research and service in the biological, physical, behavioral and mathematical sciences. The school is dedicated to being a leading resource for interdisciplinary research and science education in support of Indiana's effort to expand and diversify its economy. For more information, visit science.iupui.edu.