• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 12:24
CEST 18:24
KST 01:24
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
[ASL19] Finals Recap: Standing Tall10HomeStory Cup 27 - Info & Preview18Classic wins Code S Season 2 (2025)16Code S RO4 & Finals Preview: herO, Rogue, Classic, GuMiho0TL Team Map Contest #5: Presented by Monster Energy6
Community News
Firefly given lifetime ban by ESIC following match-fixing investigation0$25,000 Streamerzone StarCraft Pro Series announced1Weekly Cups (June 30 - July 6): Classic Doubles5[BSL20] Non-Korean Championship 4x BSL + 4x China9Flash Announces Hiatus From ASL66
StarCraft 2
General
Firefly given lifetime ban by ESIC following match-fixing investigation The GOAT ranking of GOAT rankings Weekly Cups (June 30 - July 6): Classic Doubles Jim claims he and Firefly were involved in match-fixing Esports World Cup 2025 - Final Player Roster
Tourneys
$25,000 Streamerzone StarCraft Pro Series announced FEL Cracov 2025 (July 27) - $8000 live event Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament RSL: Revival, a new crowdfunded tournament series WardiTV Mondays
Strategy
How did i lose this ZvP, whats the proper response Simple Questions Simple Answers
Custom Maps
[UMS] Zillion Zerglings
External Content
Mutation # 481 Fear and Lava Mutation # 480 Moths to the Flame Mutation # 479 Worn Out Welcome Mutation # 478 Instant Karma
Brood War
General
i aint gon lie to u bruh... ASL20 Preliminary Maps BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ [ASL19] Finals Recap: Standing Tall SC uni coach streams logging into betting site
Tourneys
[BSL20] Non-Korean Championship 4x BSL + 4x China [BSL20] Grand Finals - Sunday 20:00 CET CSL Xiamen International Invitational The Casual Games of the Week Thread
Strategy
Simple Questions, Simple Answers I am doing this better than progamers do.
Other Games
General Games
Nintendo Switch Thread Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Path of Exile What do you want from future RTS games? Beyond All Reason
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread Vanilla Mini Mafia
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Stop Killing Games - European Citizens Initiative Summer Games Done Quick 2025! Summer Games Done Quick 2024!
Fan Clubs
SKT1 Classic Fan Club! Maru Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Anime Discussion Thread [Manga] One Piece [\m/] Heavy Metal Thread
Sports
2024 - 2025 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion NBA General Discussion TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023 NHL Playoffs 2024
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
momentary artworks from des…
tankgirl
Culture Clash in Video Games…
TrAiDoS
from making sc maps to makin…
Husyelt
StarCraft improvement
iopq
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 705 users

Onward and Upward

Blogs > packrat386
Post a Reply
packrat386
Profile Blog Joined October 2011
United States5077 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-11-12 17:26:28
November 12 2013 06:46 GMT
#1
Onward and Upward

a blog about hackathons and old friends, once again in two parts.



Part 1: Start Fresh
Or How I Had an Awesome Weekend at YHacks

I blogged about going to a hackathon a few weeks ago when I went to MHacks. This however was my first time traveling somewhere to be part of a hackathon. It’s a little bit different from MHacks where basically every CS major you know is there and your bed is a 10 minute walk if you really get too tired. Our journey began on Thursday when our bus pulled away from the curb at 10:30 (it was supposed to have left at 8 PM). Other than one friend of mine, an art major who thinks programming is cool, I didn’t actually know anybody on the bus, although some faces were familiar. However, close contact tends to foster friendship, especially given that we had pretty similar interests for the most part, and by the end of the bus ride I can say that I felt like I had several friends among the people there. For those of you who don’t know (which I assume is a lot) the bus ride from Ann Arbor to Yale is about 13 hours of straight driving.

When we arrived the first thing that was apparent was the space they had us hacking in. It was a large office building that was seemingly empty. The building was at the “West Campus” of Yale, which meant that it was pretty damn far away from the rest of the campus. However, other than location it was a pretty phenomenal space and very well maintained. We were the first group to arrive so we took a break to explore the main campus of Yale. By the time we returned the space was crawling with hackers from universities around the country. The Michigan group was about 20 people, so we split up into a couple groups of 5 and 6 grabbing small office blocks. I ended up in a large cubicle with my friend the art major and his partner, who was a junior and had attended a lot of these events before.

Pretty soon the clock hit 6:00 which meant that we could start coding. I was working on a small project for liquipedia that mostly involved writing a procedure in javascript (shoutout to salle, and all the #liquipedia coders for your help). I had never really used javascript before so I spent about the first hour looking into how I could use javascript to handle this project. I came across a lot of information that seemed to indicate that JQuery was the way to go, so I looked up a tutorial on it and completed that with my next few hours. After that I sort of struggled through putting the program together, with a fair amount of help from the guys in the cubicle with me. After taking an extended dota break my project was complete well within the time limits.

In retrospect this project was probably a bit too small, even for a 24 hour hackathon, but since I was kind of laid back I had time to socialize a little bit at the end of the event, whereas some of the more serious competitors were coding until the very last second. Anyway, at the 24 hour mark we all piled into busses and went to the Yale Commons, which could easily be confused for the great hall of Hogwarts. I ducked out to meet with my family while presentations were happening, but I managed to catch the tail end of it. The kind things people created was simply amazing, I hope that in a couple of years I’ll be capable of creating hacks of that quality.

As we were getting back on the bus to Michigan I was flying high on pride, hope, and caffeine. I had to spend 20 hours in a bus and caught a terrible cold, but even despite the flaws of the event, YHacks has been one of the coolest things I’ve done in a while. I feel every time I do event like this I learn so much, I will definitely make time in the future to go to these kinds of things no matter how much it wrecks my sleep schedule. If you’re in CS and haven’t gone to a hackathon yet, you should definitely check out. The atmosphere is simply amazing.



Part 2: Prolonged Goodbyes

This certainly isn’t the first time that I’ve had to leave friends behind. I’ve moved a decent amount as a kid, and I’ve definitely had experience trying to maintain old friendships. However, I can hardly say that I’m used to it, and it now feels very strange to meet friends from high school. I feel like we’re all in a sort of transitional period where we still stay in contact, but that phase is rapidly fading as we all make deep new friendships in our new homes.

This weekend I had the pleasure of meeting a friend of mine who goes to Yale. She and I were in a lot of the same clubs and got on quite well. We weren't attached at the hip or anything like that, but by the end of high school we had spent a lot of time together and quite enjoyed each other’s company even outside of our usual clubs. When I told her that I was going to Yale we were both pretty excited to see each other, but I have to admit I was a bit worried that she would be completely different.

When I got off the bus and saw her walking across the quad to meet me some of my fears were immediately assuaged. She still had the same goofy fashion sense and ever-present smile. As we talked over lunch with her boyfriend and my friend the art major it seemed that she hadn’t changed a lot. A math whiz in high school, she had decided to pursue an applied math degree. She was equally unsurprised about my chosen path, and we reminisced over past glories and traded stories about our respective colleges. After a pretty comprehensive tour of Yale I had to head back to the main event, so after a brief goodbye, I hopped back on the bus to West Campus, and the hackers.

Even though there didn’t seem to be much different about her demeanor, the whole interaction seemed to have a sort of removed quality. This is the first time I’ve seen her in over a year, and although we talk occasionally, it was hard to shake the atmosphere of unfamiliarity for a little while. To some extent it feels like while we still enjoy each other’s company the real fabric of our friendship is slowly drifting away. In my experience it seems like almost everyone that I’ve met needs to have pretty constant interaction in order to maintain a real functioning friendship. I don’t think it will ever get to the point where it’s not pleasant to meet up, but unless something rather unexpected happens the rest of our relationship will basically be only that. A lifetime of chance encounters and side trips isn’t the worst thing in the world, but it makes me kind of sad to know that it’s basically impossible to get back to what we were.

I was able to see her again briefly outside the Yale Commons just as I was leaving to meet my family. After a brief exchange I mentioned that I had to leave, and that I wouldn’t see her again before leaving. We said goodbye and I ran out to meet the car that was waiting for me. It felt strange to say goodbye after having not seen her for so long, but it didn’t feel bad. It was left unspoken in her smile that we would see each other again, and we would have time to catch up then. As more of my friends slowly become acquaintances, I guess what I can appreciate most is that although you may stop being a part of someone’s everyday life, they never really stop caring and you’ll always be able to reach out to them and catch up every now and then. Until next time.


****
dreaming of a sunny day
Coagulation
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States9633 Posts
November 12 2013 06:54 GMT
#2
nice blag brah
v0rtex
Profile Joined November 2011
123 Posts
November 12 2013 07:57 GMT
#3
Nice blog but just one thing I'd point out. You don't have to be a CS major to go to a hackathon, if you are remotely interested and experienced in programming then you will manage and enjoy it just fine. Programming is a very approachable subject (bar the somewhat complicated maths involved in algorithm analysis) and whilst I am a CS major, some of the best coders I know are in the sciences and other subjects. Doing CS definitely doesn't make you the be-all and end-all coder and coding is very much about passion, just get out there and learn it! Nice blog, cool you enjoyed the hackathon
JD, Snute, TLO, Soulkey, $o$, HerO, Suppy, Hendralisk, MKP, Maru
packrat386
Profile Blog Joined October 2011
United States5077 Posts
November 12 2013 08:23 GMT
#4
On November 12 2013 16:57 v0rtex wrote:
Nice blog but just one thing I'd point out. You don't have to be a CS major to go to a hackathon, if you are remotely interested and experienced in programming then you will manage and enjoy it just fine. Programming is a very approachable subject (bar the somewhat complicated maths involved in algorithm analysis) and whilst I am a CS major, some of the best coders I know are in the sciences and other subjects. Doing CS definitely doesn't make you the be-all and end-all coder and coding is very much about passion, just get out there and learn it! Nice blog, cool you enjoyed the hackathon

For sure, in fact i tried to point out that one of my good friends there was an art major. I just wanted to highlight that certainly for CS majors (who hopefully can code anyway) it would be a shame if you missed out on that kind of opportunity while in undergrad.
dreaming of a sunny day
Firebolt145
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
Lalalaland34490 Posts
November 12 2013 13:24 GMT
#5
Friends drift in and out as we go through our separate life and career paths. It feels very strange when all your life you've been used to having the same friends stick with you through high school etc, and then suddenly being split apart. You get used to it quickly though, and soon you'll find a new set of people following the same life/career path as you, and you may even find a few special old friends who you stay in special contact with. I personally have been isolated from all my high school friends for the last five or six years but it still feels as though not a day has passed since then when talking with some of them, even if it only happens every couple weeks or even months.
Moderator
dravernor
Profile Blog Joined May 2013
Netherlands6181 Posts
November 12 2013 16:51 GMT
#6
Ah, so nice to hear about it all, you never really said a word about how cool it was during. Also II\ laughed at your 'extended DotA break'... such an understatement. Also you should post that JQuery tut here for people like me ^_^
As for friends, it is very true. I have had two very close friends all through high school. Then one went to England for a year, and I was away at uni for three years. Over that time I made new friends, hung out with people with similar interests and slowly lost contact with my close friends from home. Upon returning from uni, one friend hadn't changed at all and the other was completely different. And now, despite everything, we are back to being as close as ever.

So, in summary, as Firebolt says, relationships don't always change even when people drift apart. Just let things flow as they are meant to be and don't fight it.
<3
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
WardiTV European League
16:00
Swiss Groups Day 3
Mixu vs FjantLIVE!
ByuN vs HeRoMaRinE
ShoWTimE vs goblin
Gerald vs Babymarine
Krystianer vs YoungYakov
WardiTV410
TKL 192
IndyStarCraft 108
Liquipedia
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
TKL 192
mouzHeroMarine 181
IndyStarCraft 108
BRAT_OK 61
StarCraft: Brood War
Bisu 2463
EffOrt 1246
firebathero 1190
Shuttle 899
Mini 586
Hyuk 464
Soulkey 282
Soma 259
Snow 183
Rush 156
[ Show more ]
Mind 133
Hyun 63
Sharp 58
PianO 56
Trikslyr53
Barracks 51
Pusan 50
Aegong 35
Movie 32
soO 23
HiyA 23
JYJ21
JulyZerg 17
yabsab 15
Free 14
IntoTheRainbow 12
Sacsri 11
Yoon 11
GoRush 10
ivOry 2
Dota 2
Gorgc11734
qojqva2716
League of Legends
singsing3164
Dendi131
Counter-Strike
fl0m1307
flusha472
oskar265
zeus240
Foxcn162
kRYSTAL_88
edward35
byalli1
Other Games
tarik_tv27151
gofns27009
FrodaN1195
B2W.Neo1012
hiko935
Lowko280
Beastyqt215
KnowMe133
elazer90
ToD72
QueenE57
ceh939
Rex32
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick41264
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 14 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• poizon28 35
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
League of Legends
• Nemesis7473
• TFBlade1149
Other Games
• Shiphtur379
Upcoming Events
PiGosaur Monday
7h 36m
The PondCast
17h 36m
uThermal 2v2 Circuit
23h 36m
WardiTV European League
23h 36m
Jumy vs NightPhoenix
Percival vs Nicoract
ArT vs HiGhDrA
MaxPax vs Harstem
Scarlett vs Shameless
SKillous vs uThermal
Replay Cast
1d 7h
RSL Revival
1d 17h
ByuN vs SHIN
Clem vs Reynor
Replay Cast
2 days
RSL Revival
2 days
Classic vs Cure
FEL
2 days
RSL Revival
3 days
[ Show More ]
FEL
3 days
FEL
3 days
CSO Cup
3 days
BSL20 Non-Korean Champi…
4 days
Bonyth vs QiaoGege
Dewalt vs Fengzi
Hawk vs Zhanhun
Sziky vs Mihu
Mihu vs QiaoGege
Zhanhun vs Sziky
Fengzi vs Hawk
Sparkling Tuna Cup
4 days
RSL Revival
4 days
FEL
4 days
BSL20 Non-Korean Champi…
5 days
Bonyth vs Dewalt
QiaoGege vs Dewalt
Hawk vs Bonyth
Sziky vs Fengzi
Mihu vs Zhanhun
QiaoGege vs Zhanhun
Fengzi vs Mihu
Replay Cast
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

BSL Season 20
HSC XXVII
Heroes 10 EU

Ongoing

JPL Season 2
BSL 2v2 Season 3
Acropolis #3
KCM Race Survival 2025 Season 2
CSL 17: 2025 SUMMER
Copa Latinoamericana 4
Jiahua Invitational
Championship of Russia 2025
RSL Revival: Season 1
Murky Cup #2
BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 7
IEM Dallas 2025
PGL Astana 2025
Asian Champions League '25
BLAST Rivals Spring 2025
MESA Nomadic Masters
CCT Season 2 Global Finals
IEM Melbourne 2025

Upcoming

2025 ACS Season 2: Qualifier
CSLPRO Last Chance 2025
CSL Xiamen Invitational
2025 ACS Season 2
CSLPRO Chat StarLAN 3
K-Championship
uThermal 2v2 Main Event
SEL Season 2 Championship
FEL Cracov 2025
Esports World Cup 2025
Underdog Cup #2
StarSeries Fall 2025
FISSURE Playground #2
BLAST Open Fall 2025
BLAST Open Fall Qual
Esports World Cup 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall Qual
IEM Cologne 2025
FISSURE Playground #1
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2025 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.