Math club to showcase talent at Intel

Students from the Contra Costa College computer science department will be participating in an event called  the Hackathon, hosted by Intel, at the Intel Developer Forum today at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

Participants will be solving mathematical problems and will use computer coding to create basic algebra-based game applications for students from middle school to the college level.

“I want to represent all the community colleges in the nation,” CCC Hackathon leader Ferissa Lagasca said, “and put CCC on par with the UCs and CSUs and show that females still hold a place in a technological society.”

KQED, NPR and ABC news staffs will all be broadcasting segments of the event.

By participating in the event,  it will highlight the talents of CCC students among students from four-year colleges and universities.

Computer sciences professor Thomas Murphy said that he and his students are overjoyed to be involved in the second academic Hackathon.

 “CCC has a really cool relationship with Intel corporation,” computer science professor Murphy said.

“It’s so exciting to see people literally banging down the door at CCC for help with their projects.”

The college held its own hackathon on campus this past summer.

Computer sciences major Alejandro Ramirez Escanellas, who participated in the hackathon at CCC, stayed awake for 32 straight hours to finish developing a math game.

“I had so much fun and excitement last time that I couldn’t turn it down,” Escanellas said.

“(Aside from being) at the Intel Developer’s Forum, you get to be on TV.”

Francia Garcia, president of the Confrontational Math Club, said she hopes this event will aid anyone who needs assistance with algebra by creating games that cover the topic to make it seem less like work.

“It is also a wonderful experience to create further corporate connections and possibilities for not only ourselves, who are participating in the Hackathon, but all CCC students,” Garcia said.

The students from the Confrontational Math Club seem prepared  for the event because of Murphy’s teaching methods.

Murphy said that he works together “hand-in-hand” with his students instead of just teaching them how to do things.

“Working together, as mentors and pupils, is more productive toward teaching better problem-solving skills,” Murphy said.