Van Keulen among programmers taking 1st and 3rd at Digi-Key competition

Two four-member teams of juniors and seniors from Dakota State University’s Programming Club traveled to Thief River Falls to compete in the Digi-Key Collegiate Computing Competition VERSION 2.0.18 on Oct. 19.

Digi-Key, an electronics components supplier in Thief River Falls, has hosted this tournament since 2000. DSU has participated for over 10 years, said the teams’ adviser, Dr. Austin O’Brien, but has never placed higher than fourth. This year, one DSU team took first place, another took third. O’Brien is an assistant professor of computer science in The Beacom College of Computer and Cyber Sciences.

No one on either team had participated in this competition previously, so the students worked hard on the practice problems provided by Digi-Key.

“This gave them an idea of what to expect,” O’Brien said, “and that was the deciding factor that prepared them to do so well in the competition.”

The winning students personally received Amazon gift cards, but they also earned prize money for The Beacom College. The first-place team won $5,000 for the department; the third-place team earned $1,000. A check presentation will be held at a later date.

During the 60- to 90-minute sessions in short programming, long programming and word problems, “we had to solve it fast and make it work,” said Alex Van Keulen, a computer science senior from Ghent.

The hypothetical problems gave the teams an opportunity to apply their programming knowledge, which will help in a professional environment, said Riley Johnson, junior computer science major from Fargo, N.D.

First-place team members included: Rumpca, Van Keulen, Hansen, and Jarod Keene, senior cyber operations major from Rapid City, S.D.

The third-place team members were: Nguyen; Riley Johnson; Skylar Hagen, a junior computer science major from Aberdeen, S.D.; and Michael Boyle, a computer science/cyber operations junior from Oradell, New Jersey.

In addition to the DSU team, 12 other area universities were invited to the competition: Bemidji State University, Minnesota State University-Moorhead, Minot State University, North Dakota State University, Southwest Minnesota State University, St. Scholastica, University of Minnesota-Crookston, University of Minnesota-Duluth, University of Minnesota-Morris, University of North Dakota, University of Wisconsin-Stout, and Valley City State University.

The members of the Programming Club will participate in other competitions this fall, including a regional competition of the International Collegiate Programming Contest CM Regional Contest Nov. 3.

Buntjer accepted for enrollment for the fall 2018 quarter

Briatta Buntjer of Marshall has been accepted for enrollment in the fall 2018 quarter in the doctor of chiropractic degree program at Palmer College of Chiropractic’s Florida campus, Port Orange, Fla., on Oct. 2.