On November 25th, Hauppauge Middle School hosted the fourth annual HMS Code/Clash, an exhilarating inner-district hackathon that pushed the boundaries of student creativity and coding prowess.
This competition, organized by Mr. Ferrara and Mrs. Thompson and hosted on kidOYO, involved 4 teams of students collaborating to conquer a virtual map of Hauppauge Middle School in a game reminiscent of "Risk." To claim territories on the map, students had to submit coding programs in languages like Python, Hatch, or Sprite Editor, adhering to challenge criteria unique to each territory. The team that produced the most effective program for a given territory accumulated points, and the team with the highest overall score at the end of the 2-hour event claimed victory in the game.
This year marked the most intense and competitive battle in the event's history. Throughout the two-hour marathon, every single team held the lead at some point. The competition was so tight that when submissions officially closed, the score was tied! It all came down to the final judging of the last submitted projects to determine a champion.
In a thrilling finish, "Violet Voltage" emerged victorious with a final score of 18 points. The "Crimson Wings" finished in a close second place with 15 points. The "Pickled Eagles" followed with 13 points, and the "Golden Griffinx" finished with 12 points.
Special recognition was awarded to teams for their creativity and spirit. The "Crimson Wings" took home the Best Banner Award, featuring a design created by Alex Mariani, Jackson Schwartz, and Blake Benway. The "Golden Griffinx" earned the title of "Most Spirited Team" and also secured the Best Logo Award for a design by Julia Pistritto.
HMS Code/Clash not only fostered healthy competition and a love for coding but also encouraged teamwork, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. This engaging and intellectually stimulating event proved once again to be a resounding success, inspiring the next generation of coders and innovators at Hauppauge Middle School.
HMS Code/Clash 2025 Competitors:
Violet Voltage: Ryan Beuchert, Ameera Hassan (captain), Abbey Huscher, Matthew McHugh, Riona Mittal, Ismael Morales, Juan Daniel Murillo Ledesma, Ava Pynn, Adithya Shastry
Crimson Wings: Shahmeer Asif, Blake Benway, Daksh Manu, Alex Mariani, Aarav Mhatre, Pranav Ramkumar (captain), Rafael Sandoval, Jackson Schwartz, Siddhaaarthdeva Dilip Naveeen Rajaiah
Pickled Eagles: Rehan Ali, Thomas Cunningham, Mason Koobeer, Tyler Lee(captain), Anthony Lombardi, Chris Michels, Isaac Rosenthal, Matthew Vasquez, Maxim Vetoshkin
Golden Griffinx: Aditri Arun (captain), Samantha LaMarr, Hailey Leong, Matilda Marek, Ella Muilenburg, Leah Paino, Noelle Perez, Julia Pistritto