Andrew Daddio
Homecoming 2017 It was a perfect weekend to come home. Colgate Homecoming 2017 attracted students, faculty, alumni, parents, and friends en masse, September 8–9. Men’s soccer started the festivities off right, taking down Oregon State 1–0. It was the team’s first victory over a Pac-12 challenger. Field hockey battled Lock Haven before the homecoming crowds descended on Whitnall Field for a roaring bonfire and concert. The evening featured tunes from Reel Big Fish (a feast for the ears) and a food truck rodeo to feed the throng. Saturday morning featured a Colgate-style tailgate. Campus groups and programs — including the university’s four residential commons, the Presidents’ Club, sports teams, LGBTQ Initiatives, OUS/First-Generation, Greek houses, and Konosioni — pitched their tents outside Andy Kerr Stadium. Before the football team kicked off against the University of Richmond, the Department of Athletics cut the ribbon on a series of spaces and places dedicated to the performance of its student-athletes. After the game, it was time to induct nine alumni into the Athletics Hall of Honor. (For more on the new spaces and the Hall of Honor inductees, see this issue’s Go ’Gate.) Relive the weekend via photos and visit gocolgateraiders.com for recaps of all the athletics action.
The Office of Alumni Relations is pleased to offer many ways for alumni to stay in touch with each other, and with Colgate! E-mail me with questions or concerns at tmansfield@colgate. edu. — Tim Mansfield, associate vice president, institutional advancement and alumni relations Questions? Contact alumni relations: 315-228-7433 or alumni@colgate.edu
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scene: Autumn 2017
Computer science students, alumni talk tech careers In the Coop TV room one mid-September Saturday evening, fingers flew over keyboards as computer science students coded their way through a game of Cops and Robbers. This Coding Challenge, designed by Franklin Van Nes ’18, concluded the two-day Prep for Tech event on September 15 and 16. It was hosted by Professional Networks, career services, and the Department of Computer Science.
Andrew Daddio
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Professor Vijay Ramachandran advises students.
Colgate’s computer science department is growing quickly, with nearly 50 declared majors and minors in 2017, Professor Vijay Ramachandran said during opening remarks on Friday afternoon. Students interested in tech careers attended workshops and panel discussions with alumni working in software development, technical engineering, and other areas of the industry. Students learned the ins and outs of technical interviewing and practiced their new skills in mock interviews the next day.
“I’m looking to go into tech consulting or tech education,” said Katie Chungbin ’18, an English and computer science double major who attended the weekend’s events. “It’s good to hear different perspectives on the industry from alumni, and I’ve never experienced a technical interview before, so this event is really helpful.” Computer science alumni like Max Segan ’12, Farah Fouladi ’15, Ben Fallon ’16, and Jeff O’Connell ’94 helped plan Prep for Tech to aid students’ transition from college curriculum to postgraduate careers. “Computer science technical skills plus a liberal arts education creates the most well-rounded problem solvers and engineers that you can possibly have,” O’Connell said. “Colgate creates the cream of the crop in terms of professional engineers and software developers.” After two days of learning, networking, and interviewing, the Coding Challenge on Saturday evening was a welcome break. Van Nes designed the challenge to be a fun way for students to flex their coding muscles in friendly competition. “I made a game called Cops and Robbers, and there’s a labyrinth lined with banks,” he said. “There are robbers who want to break into the banks, and cops who need to protect them.” Twenty students split into teams and had an hour and a half to create the movements of the cops or robbers with code. “There wasn’t enough time for students to develop an entire solution for such a complex challenge, but each team presented their methodology with confidence,” Van Nes said. Overall, the weekend was a success, he added. “It’s really encouraging to speak with alumni and see how they enjoy the field, and how useful Colgate has been in their careers.” — Emily Daniel ’18