Db
A nickname used by programmers for the programming
language C# because Db (D flat) and C# (C sharp) are the
same tone musically.
Python
The scripting language Python was created by Guido van
Rossum in 1991. He named it after the British TV series
Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
ACM Chapter News
From Ontario to Hyderabad
Apart from publish- ing journals and magazines, orga- nizing and hosting
conferences, proving educational activities, and giving
out awards, ACM promotes
modern computing at a
grassroots level around the
world through ACM local
chapters.
These chapters, which
can be either student
chapters or professional
ones, are organized and
operated to promote “a)
an increased knowledge
of and greater interest
in the science, design,
development, construction,
languages, management
and applications of modern
computing, b) greater
interest in computing and
its applications and c) a
means of communication
bet ween persons having
an interest in computing”
(ACM Chapter Bylaws).
Currently more than 170
professional and 500
student chapters operate in
about 50 countries all over
the world.
Student chapters are
organized and managed
exclusively by students at
all educational levels. Their
activities may range from
making a computing-related
web site to organizing social
events, like a “Meet the
Grads” night. Students can
help each other through
Photo: McKay Savage
In Hyderabad, India, where growth and technology juxtapose the city’s ancient roots, the
professional ACM chapter is extremely active, hosting guest lectures monthly.
study sessions, workshops,
mentoring etc. At the same
time, faculty members can
support their students by
joining events like lectures,
mock interviews and award
ceremonies. It’s like running
a mini ACM at your university
where you are and your
schoolmates can be either
the organizers, the audience,
or both. And there’s a lot of
fun to be had, too.
is chair of the chapter.
He and a few of his
peers are organizing a
programming competition
for incoming students and
undergraduates, which will
take place this fall. Their
idea is based on the annual
ACM ICPC, or International
Collegiate Programming
Challenge ( http://cm.baylor.
edu/welcome.icpc). Because
their university never had a
team that could represent
them at the ICPC, Ernst and
his chapter are trying to
drum up interest at home
first with the long-term goal
of getting a team in place
who can compete.
Interest in the
competition is already
strong. Faculty members
and graduate students are
helping with the organizing,
while a department of
their university and local
companies are providing
prizes. Their plan is to
make this competition-
—which will ask only
about four to five questions
total—slightly easier than
the ICPC to encourage the
contenders to keep training.
ONTARIO, CANADA
Take for example the
Guelph ACM Student
Chapter in Canada. Jason
B. Ernst, doctoral student
in applied computing at
the University of Guelph,
HYDERABAD, INDIA
Another chapter worth
noting is the professional
one in Hyderabad, India