Students from Kalamazoo College worked together to build their mental endurance and speed in anticipation of a big test held Oct. 21-22. No, not mid-terms—the 36th annual Association for Computing Machinery International Collegiate Programming Contest sponsored by IBM. Regional competitions for the so-called “Battle of the Brains” attracted tens of thousands of students from schools in about 90 countries on six continents, all with the same dream to walk away with prizes, scholarships, job opportunities, and a coveted spot among the top 100 teams invited to the World Finals in Poland in May 2012.

Two Kalamazoo teams competed against the smartest collegiate IT talent from 122 colleges and universities in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Ontario, including teams from MSU, UM, Purdue, Notre Dame, and Ohio State. Each three-student team applied its programming skills to solve complex real world problems under a grueling five-hour deadline huddled around a single computer.

“The two ‘K’ teams did great,” said Pam Cutter, associate professor of computer science. “We had seniors through freshmen participating.”

The “Black Hornets” finished tied for 48th, and the “Orange Hornets” finishing 53rd.

“We’re proud of their effort and for standing up to the ‘big schools.’ It was time well spent and a great learning experience for all.”

Check out the final results!