Carl Sable

Since 2005, I have coached Cooper Union's teams entering the annual ACM Greater New York Regional Collegiate Programming Contest. The competition takes place on a Sunday, typically during the fall semester but recentl during the spring semester, at a different location each year. Typically, between 50 to 80 teams from about 20 to 25 schools participate. At the competition, teams of three students compete to solve as many programming problems as they can within a five hour period. Students dedicate an entire Sunday, including time for travel and presentations before and after the competition, to participate. We also meet weekly leading up to the competition to practice. Although we are competing against schools with full computer science departments and computer science majors, and several teams from other schools include computer science Master's students, our teams generally have good showings in the contest. More importantly, this is a fun and intellecutally challenging activity and a great bonding experience for everyone involved. This is totally voluntary for the students, and participation shows real dedication and enthusiasm. More information about the competition, including problems and standings from previous years, can be found at http://www.acmgnyr.org.