Imagine solving a problem in just under 48 hours— that’s precisely what ten teams in this year’s first annual Gatorverse Hackathon sought to do.
The challenge, hosted by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), welcomed students from any technical background to enter the Gatorverse Hackathon. Teams of three banded together to produce a technology-based project from scratch (examples include applications, games, or websites).
Chair of ACM, Daniel Bekele ’25, a software engineering major and economics minor, says that the idea originated when the student organization’s board conceptualized an event that would be both fast-paced and collaborative, keeping in mind an interdisciplinary focus.
“We saw the hackathon as a perfect way to energize our campus around innovation, while also giving participants a chance to learn outside the classroom,” reflects Bekele. “One of the most memorable moments was during the midpoint check-in, when a team that had been struggling suddenly had a breakthrough idea and presented it with so much excitement and energy—it reminded me why we organized the event in the first place. Watching participants come alive with creative momentum was incredibly rewarding.”
The teams also attended workshops that helped guide them and were assigned an alum mentor.
“They (students) were very self-sufficient and had very high-level questions. The hackathon was a great opportunity to practice real-world problem-solving in a time-boxed environment,” says Jacob Sutter ’20, a software engineer for GitHub who majored in music and computer science. “It was truly rewarding to come back to campus and work with the students. Allegheny gave me a lot, and I’m happy that there is something I can do to give back.”
The two days brought together students from art, business, computer science, and environmental science. The following student teams showed distinction:
- 1st Place: On the Plane — Vivian Potts ’27, Prince Dwamena ’28, George Asante ’28
- 2nd Place: Chompers — Darius Googe ’25, Samuel Roque ’27, Riian Brown ’28
- 3rd Place: F.L.O.W — Willem Bennett ’27, Prakash Chalagulla ’27
- Best Design/Product: Archives of Aetheria — Charlie Schwartz ’25, Aria Zong ’25
- Best Beginner Team: Skill-Bridge — Anupraj Guragain ’27, Ritesh Ojha ’28, Abishek Dhakal ’28
The Gatorverse Hackathon left a lasting impression on mentors and students alike.
Mentor Hannah Schultz ’22, email and web specialist at Geneva College, who majored in political and computer science notes, “Students can take away improved communication skills as they learned to formulate ideas with each other, innovate, and come out the other side with a working, finished product. I was impressed by how quickly students formulated ideas with an interdisciplinary focus.”
Bekele remarks that the event was a glimpse into the impact he wants to make in the future.
“Organizing the hackathon helped solidify my interest in fostering inclusive, innovation-driven communities—something I hope to continue pursuing after graduation, says Bekele. “It also reinforced the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, and the kind of leadership, communication, and logistical skills I developed through planning the event are ones I know will serve me in any professional setting.”
