Better Than the Real Thing? 4
Above: Irasema Triana and computer science student Ian Walker ’18; below: The Great Buddha of Kamakura
offered by the world of computers and technology. “I could see how broad computer science was, and it was absolutely endless.” That is one of the lessons Irasema tries to instill in her students, along with the necessary skills they need, whether using various applications or writing clean, efficient code. “I want them to pursue their passions. I don’t ever want them to think they can’t achieve what they’ve set out to do,” she says. Nick Barber ’17 took that concept to heart, as he used his computer skills to create a pair of computer games featuring a character based on a real-life YouTube video personality nicknamed Pewdiepie, who has more than 40 million followers. For a year, Nick doggedly worked to contact the YouTube star, which paid off when Pewdiepie made a video demonstrating one of Nick’s games, called “Sky Guy.” The video has since chalked up more than 5 million views, leading in turn to 350,000 downloads of Nick’s games. “I like the idea that with technology, you can have a huge impact,” says Nick. “I truly believe a 15-year-old with a laptop has more power than Julius Caesar.” Nick loves the challenge of getting his work into the hands of as many people as possible. Bishop’s, he says, is “heading in the right direction” with its emphasis on building the
computer science program. Keeping the program current is a top priority because new discoveries are made every day in computer science, a broad academic discipline that encompasses such fields as globally distributed systems, robotics, artificial intelligence, scientific computing and graphics. “We’re never afraid to be on the cutting edge at Bishop’s, even if the technology is so new that there are no available textbooks to teach it to students,” says Irasema. “In this department, we write our own curriculum.” The students’ approach to their work is as important as their technical expertise. “In the programming classes, I try to teach them how to think, not what to think. How to see the things that other people fail to see,” Irasema says. “Our environment here is very
forward thinking. We are always looking to improve or create things that have yet to be developed.” Instruction also touches on real-life skills such as entrepreneurship, being a team player, becoming an effective speaker, offering constructive criticism and learning to be positive, contributing members of the larger global community. Irasema wants students to be prepared to take what they know and to build on it, and hopes they apply these skills throughout their lifetime and continue to give back to their communities. “The creativity in young people is often hindered when they are asked to do something only in a specific way, or told not to pursue something because they might not be good at it. In the computer lab, if students want to create something, they are strongly encouraged to go for it and not to be afraid to fail. If they do fail, they are taught that is okay, to learn from it, and then to go forward and try again,” Irasema says. Her students have responded by “going above and beyond. They’ve pursued their passions and their ideas. They’re giving back to the local community and some of them globally, which is remarkable.” Finn, who spearheaded the virtual museum project, certainly fits the bill of going above and beyond. Until recently, virtual reality systems were either too expensive, or didn’t work very well. But that changed in early 2016 when two consumer-oriented virtual reality headsets, the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive, hit the market. “Now, literally, the average Joe if they have the money, can go out and get a system, and it’s making virtual reality a lot more accessible,” Finn says.