Volleyball Earns ISL Title in Record Season With chanting fans packing the ACC, the atmosphere was electric as the girls’ volleyball team faced off against Nobles and Greenough in the final game of their regular season. The Mustangs blocked and spiked their way to a thrilling 3–0 victory. With only two losses to ISL teams this season, this win clinched the league championship title and earned the team a spot in the New England playoffs. “For that hour and a half, the girls were rock stars out there,” says
Among College Students and Professionals, Milton Seniors Win First Prize at MIT’s Hackathon
Derek Palmore, varsity coach and Middle School faculty member. Last year the team finished strong, but this season surpassed all expectations. “The girls sustained such high-level play this season,” says Coach Palmore. “As a team, they had incredible turnaround and recovery time. So if we found ourselves down a few points or lost a match, the team did a great job moving forward quickly.”
Neekon Vafa ’15 and Harry Kwon ’15 took their computer program-
This marks the first time in more than a decade that the team has
ming skills to a whole new level when they participated in — and
made the playoffs. Though they fell to Phillips Andover in the first round,
placed first at — MIT’s Internet of Things Hackathon in October.
captain Marina Fleites ’15 credits both Coach Palmore and Assistant
A hackathon is an event in which computer programmers and
Coach Fang Yuan with bringing the players up to their A game.
software developers collaborate intensively on software projects. “The spirit of a hackathon isn’t competitive,” says Harry. “Everyone goes there to learn, even the most experienced programmers.” Most of the attendees are working professionals; Neekon and Harry were the only high school students participating. Last
“In practices, we would split up,” she says. “Defense players went with Coach Fang, because that is his specialty. Coach Palmore focused on offense. This way we worked on a lot more technique, got specific feedback, and then brought it all together as a team.” Most players pick up the
summer, Neekon added his name to MIT’s waitlist after researching
sport in high school, because
various hackathons. The night before the two-day event, Neekon
volleyball programs are not
received word that he was in, with a couple of extra tickets included.
as entrenched in New England
The event kicked off with team leaders pitching their projects.
as they are in warmer parts
Participants then chose which team they wanted to join. Neekon
of the country. Marina is the
and Harry picked the “Perfect Playlist” project, which involved
most seasoned veteran on
programming dynamically adjusting playlists that use sensors to
the team, playing since her
read the atmosphere of the room. For example, at a house party, the
freshman year.
sensors might pick up that it’s time to play a dance song.
“I’m so excited we made
“Although we were younger than the other team members, we
post-season,” says Marina.
both understood what they understood and what they were saying,”
“I remember as a freshman
says Neekon. “We also contributed our own ideas and felt very
looking up at the banners
comfortable as part of the team.” Harry and Neekon are both taking
hanging in the ACC, and
Mr. Hales’s Programming Applications class this semester.
all I wanted was a banner
When work was complete, each team presented its project to
for volleyball. And now we
the judges. Neekon and Harry’s team was awarded first prize. The
have one! I am so proud of
prize included tickets to the main Internet of Things conference
the team. Everyone played
the following week, which Neekon and Harry attended for one day.
amazingly well against
“We learned a lot of actual programming and engineering at the hackathon,” says Harry. “The event also gave us an idea of what
Nobles, and the energy of the crowd certainly helped.”
real software engineering is like. Now I see how the whole process works, from designing and building the product to working efficiently as a team.”
spring 2015
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