Trey Emery
temery1@uwsuper.edu
After a two-year break, the UW-Superior Math and Computer Science Club (MCS) brought back their annual Programming Competition. The competition had been an annual event since 2009.
The competition took place on April 20, 2024 from 11:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Swenson Hall 3011. Students had the chance to show off their programming knowledge and problem-solving skills by tackling challenging algorithmic, mathematical, or coding problems.
Participants could compete alone or on a two-person team. Dr. Steven Rosenberg, faculty advisor for the MCS explained, “There will be a short list of problems to solve within a 3-hour time window. There is only one round.”
Problems were worth 1, 2, or 3 points. Participants will earn points based on how accurate their solution to a coding problem is. Submitted problems that fail the test case will incur a 20-minute time penalty.
When sharing how scoring works, Dr. Rosenberg said, “Participants can submit any number of attempts for a given problem. Each submitted problem is automatically graded against a prepared set of test cases. To score on a problem, all test cases must pass; that is, the program output must match the expected output exactly.”
The problems require creative thinking to solve, with little outside help. Dr. Rosenberg shared that those competing are only allowed to use the official Java documentation that is provided in the lab. There will be no internet access or other resources allowed. The competition is a great opportunity to gain valuable experience, and provided a social atmosphere with a chance to network after. The contest was followed by pizza and social time to share solutions.
Mikaela Matias, president of the MCS, acknowledges that the computer science courses at UWS are more theoretical than hands on, but shared that the competition give students opportunities to show off their skill. “Through the programming competition, students are able to apply what they learned in class and get tested on it in a fun competitive way,” said Matias.
Any UWS student was allowed to compete, as long as they have experience with Java or have taken CSCI 201 (Introduction to Programming).
To keep things fair there were two divisions based on skill level. Matias stated, “Those who took CSCI 201 will have foundational knowledge on Java which can help with problems. Those who have taken CSCI 303 will be in a different division since they have a higher advantage.”
A total of 16 students competed across 11 teams. The Division 1 competition was won by Jinah Yoo and Edomiyas Asmerom. The Division 2 competition was won by Junior Smith and Ricky Matlock.
