First, we need to explain what a hackathon is! (Because that’s what HackGSU is):
A hackathon is a 24-36 hour sprint where student developers and designers come together to create an application through software or through robotics. And are the best way student developers and designers can learn outside of the classroom. At hackathons, participants are exposed to any language they have a use case for and mentors are on standby to provide assistance with anything from industry standard tools like illustrator and git to more nuanced languages and frameworks like the Google Maps SDK or coffee script.
So, HackGSU is a semesterly hackathon at Georgia State! This past fall, we had 400 people come from across the South East to Adherhold where we hosted the event! A lot of companies in the area came out to sponsor the event, including GE, Coca Cola, and Cox among others!
We aren't the only hackathon in the South East. Other popular hackathons include HackFSU and HackGT, and most are MLH sponsored events. MLH stands for Major League Hacking, the official hackathon league. Being an MLH sponsored event means we have to abide by the Code of Conduct and other rules that ensure the safety of our participants.
There are 3 divisions, Marketing, Technology and Administration. Each division is lead by two Co-Heads who organize and manage the different teams within their division. Each team is made of a single Team Leader and as many Team Members as the team needs.
Marketing is by far the biggest and the most important. There are two different forms of marketing that this team is responsible for, marketing to students and marketing to companies. Hackathons are expensive, and we want our students to get internships and jobs so marketing to companies is absolutely key. Without company sponsorships, the hackathon won’t happen, simply put.
Marketing to students would mostly involve design. Designers in teams under this flag have the freedom to create the logo for HackGSU Spring 2017, the flyers for the event, the t-shirts that we’ll be remembered by, and collaborate with the Technology teams so that the UI across all tech platforms match and compliment the designs of the logo and t-shirt.
Technology is responsible for all the, surprise surprise, tech at HackGSU. HackGSU is on three platforms: iOS, Android, and the web. The tech that is put out is how the other schools will view HackGSU. When the integration between the iOS app, the Android app, and the website is flawlessly consistent while fun and unique, people take notice. GSU solidifies it’s place among giants as an innovator in tech.
Administration handles the actual event. The food, the placement of sponsors, the mini-events, and all the little things that make a hackathon memorable. The teams under Administration will also be on the floor during the hackathon, being awesome and making sure everyone’s having a great time.
You! The students! It’s an organization run by students, for students. It’s only as great as the people in it.