OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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At this time, Hackathon 5 is cancelled. Please see below for more information.
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have decided to cancel Hackathon 5 — at least for the time being. We also feel that hosting the Hackathon in a virtual atmosphere takes away from the fun, teamwork and camaraderie aspects we have cultivated and grown to appreciate. We do still hope to hold it in-person at some point this year, once we are cleared to host a large event and bring everyone together on campus again.
At a hackathon, small teams build something new to solve a problem, and then share it with the community. It’s a contest in which the best ideas win. Although hacking has a reputation for being a criminal activity, that’s not what a hackathon is about at all. Instead, a hackathon gets to the original roots of hacking — solving a problem through “playful cleverness” or overcoming challenges by exploring new limits and boundaries.
We think that participants in the event will enjoy the chance to meet new people, share their wild ideas and have an opportunity to impact the OSU community in a positive, innovative way. From OSU’s perspective, this is a chance to foster innovation and collaboration, create and strengthen cross-organizational relationships and have fun.
In order to leave time for presentations at the end, we ask that you be finished and ready to present at 3:30pm on the day of the event. In the interest of good sportsmanship, it is important that you also not begin work on your project in earnest until hacking begins at about 9am.
Participants can join the Hackathon solo, or with a group. We are pretty flexible on team size, but generally recommend 3-6 people. However, your project may have unique needs!
The Hackathon enables you to work on projects that you wouldn't normally get to work on. Projects should be close to you and your work, but could affect many people at OSU. Still struggling to find the perfect project for your team? Check out the winners from last year's Hackathon.
Save the date! Talk to your supervisor about the event and get their permission to participate. Start planning your efforts. Brainstorm ideas. Come to our Hackathon mixer on April 8. Talk to others and form a team. And don't forget to register.
Work with people you don’t usually work with. Build something. Solve a problem. Share it with the room. It’s a lot of work, but also a lot of fun.
You must be employed at Oregon State University. Student employees are eligible, but we ask that every team has at least one full-time employee. You are responsible for securing permission to attend from your supervisor.
Cheer on and support your team members and the other teams. Everyone is here to do something awesome. While not everything created today may be something you’ll ever use, everyone is working to improve OSU. We all rock.
A hackathon is all about creative collaboration. Work with your team of 3-6 to bring your big idea to life.
Everyone will start working on their projects at the hackathon when we announce it’s time to begin. However, it’s a good idea to have an idea for your project and have already thought about how you want to carry it out. Your team can meet and discuss the project before the hackathon, but the actual work needs to wait until we give the go-ahead.
At the end of the day, each team will present what they’ve worked on to the panel of judges and the rest of the teams. These presentations are meant to be quick, so keep yours to five minutes or less. Presentations that go over may be cut off.
This is an all day event that could get pretty intense. Make sure you stay hydrated, take breaks as needed, remember to eat and generally take care of yourself.
Whether it’s something that will affect just a small group, or something that touches everyone who works and studies here, the projects in this hackathon are intended to improve some aspect of being at OSU. All submissions remain the intellectual property of the university.
Only use content and code you have the right to use. Avoid harmful code of any sort.
