Hackathons are not just for programmers, but for people in all fields interested in building new things. Anyone, including designers, engineers, or business and arts students can find an inquisitive role in a hackathon team. Last week, HackMcGill, a group of student hackers at McGill, organized an event called “Hackathon Bootcamp” to inspire people who are new to hackathons.The event targeted the key aspects of making a hackathon successful both as an individual and as a team. The group dispelled certain hackathon myths, such as the misconception that sleeping is not allowed during a hackathon. In reality, hackathons don’t necessarily mean staying awake for 48 hours, and, in fact, adequate sleep and breaks are crucial for creating a productive working environment. Another myth equating hackathons with programming competitions was also dismissed. Hackathons are more akin to a learning environment than a competition; however, depending on the organizers, sometimes prizes are offered.

Deepanjan Roy, a U3 Computer Science student and the director of HackMcGill, gave some key insights. For example, most hackathon’s entries are based on lotteries, and there are no barriers for entry in terms of experience or knowledge, which means that even if someone does not particularly know programming, they can still get in. According to Roy, in order to maximize the hackathon experience, it’s important to have a positive attitude and be open to learning new things. So don’t be shy, and ask questions, since in every hackathon, there are always people willing to help out in many ways. Among Roy’s other tips are staying hydrated, being aware of caffeine overdoses, and having some comfortable sleeping attire or even sleeping bags.

While hackathons are free to attend, transportation often poses a problem, as costs can easily become unfeasible on a student budget.

HackMcGill often organizes bus trips to larger hackathons in Canada and the U.S.. Recently, HackMcGill visited MHacks in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and PennApps in Philadelphia. These bus trips give students the ability to attend at minimal cost.

Some previous hackathon participants include Hannah Cohen, a U2 Computer Science and Linguistics student at McGill. Cohen worked on a Jedi knight game where the user can control a spaceship through movements with the help of the Myo armband, a gesture control bracelet, and Oculus Rift virtual reality headset at the Montreal-based hackathon WearHacks. According to Cohen, it was the first time she worked on a hardware-based project, and recalls it as being a great learning experience. Another participant, David Cottrell, a U3 Honours Computer Science student, worked with two other students to create FuzzBeed, which can be described as a computer-generated BuzzFeed parody. FuzzBeed has gained recently popularity on Twitter and other social media sites.

Ashin Vinodh, one the members of a top-ten team of PennApps. Vinodh, an engineering student at the University of California, Los Angeles, worked with three other teammates on a project called “3DJ.” The project uses the Myo armband and leap sensors to detect various motions and process them. The resulting program allows the user to compose music with spatial gestures.

Although there are some barriers to entry for hackathons in terms of transportation costs, they are still valuable educational venues open to students from all majors. In fact, there is a hackathon happening at McGill from February 21 to February 22, so you can experience your first hackathon without having to travel. Whether you choose to go as a beginner or expert, it could be a valuable experience to have.

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The significance of February 21 dates back to 1948 when then-president Muhammad Ali Jinnah declared Pakistan’s language to be Urdu, a minority language spoken mostly by the elite in West Pakistan. The people in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) responded to the military administration’s enforcement of the ruling by starting what later became known as the Bangla Language Movement. On February 21, 1952, demonstrators at Dhaka University protested the ‘Urdu only policy’ and demanded that the government recognize Bangla as one of the official languages. The police fired bullets to try and halt the protest, killing several students and activists.

In November 1999, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially recognized February 21 as the International Mother Language Day to raise awareness of linguistic diversity. Since then, several countries around the world have started to celebrate the day.

But the idea behind International Mother Language Day shouldn’t only resonate with Bangladeshis. In a multilingual country like Canada, language is a central component of many people’s identity. Over 20 per cent of all Canadians, and 30 per cent of McGill students, speak a first language that is neither English nor French. The Official Languages Act of 1969, heavily amended in 1988, enshrine Canadian bilingualism into law and is – at least in part – meant to support French-speaking and English-speaking minorities in different parts of the country. Despite this, a 2004 report found that only 86 per cent of ‘bilingual’ posts in the federal public service were actually occupied by people who had mastered both languages.

Additionally, according to a 2011 census, over 60 Indigenous languages are spoken in Canada. These Indigenous languages have little or no official recognition and support, and are often at risk of extinction. In fact, a recent report from UNESCO lists 88 of Canada’s Indigenous languages as critically close to becoming extinct. The agency estimates that these 88 languages will disappear within the century. Much of this is due to the fact that English, the socially and economically dominant language, has been forced on Indigenous people. The residential school system, where Indigenous children were removed and isolated from their families and communities, has also played a huge role in the decline of Indigenous languages and cultures. Still today, there is a dire lack of political infrastructure to ensure the maintenance of Indigenous languages, and native speakers are almost always marginalized if they don’t assimilate. The International Mother Language Day should be taken as a reminder to fight for the preservation of Indigenous languages and cultures.

Yet celebrations of the day in Canada have been scattered, and often have fleeting effects. At McGill, February 21 has the potential to provide an opportunity to raise awareness of the pressures many people are fighting to simply speak their mother language. The threat of many languages disappearing around the world is very real, and February 21 should serve as a reminder to preserve and strengthen the languages and associated cultural identities most threatened by powerful pressures of forced assimilation.

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