This weekend, student organization Freetail Hackers hosted a 24-hour hackathon, HackTX, at the Gates-Dell Complex, where undergraduate and graduate students from various majors, years and universities competed on campus to create a tech product in collaborative teams.

“It’s a really cool space to learn about new technologies, create a project in the span of the weekend, get mentorship and guidance, as well as compete for some prizes and challenges,” said Shristi Chitlangia, co-lead of Freetail Hackers.

Computer science senior Chitlangia said HackTX is the largest annual hackathon of its kind in Texas. Across 45 universities, 525 students participated in one of the three competition tracks: beginner, general or blockchain, according to their skill level and interests and in teams of up to four people, Chilangia said.

Chitlangia said it is also important that students get to experience the hackathon in-person and attend the various events in between the competition, spanning from a sunrise watch party to a movie and game night. 

Computational biology sophomore Annie Fu said she enjoyed the creative freedom of the competition, something she and her teammates rarely see in classrooms.

“School assignments are always like, ‘Here’s a rubric (to follow),’ versus (HackTX) was like, ‘Make a project, but be as creative as you want,’” Fu said. “There are no boundaries of what you can and can’t do.”

Mengjia Sun, sustainability studies and business analytics junior, participated in a team that brainstormed an app to digitize the queue for gym equipment.

“(HackTX) was definitely eye-opening,” said Arianna Fuentes, a management information systems junior and one of Sun’s teammates. “You realize how much thought goes into these apps and websites.”

Chitlangia said it’s important to provide beginning hackers with a space to create something on their own.

“If (the beginners) are able to come up with something very simple, that’s okay,” Chitlangia said. “(HackTX) kind of addresses the imposter syndrome that comes with STEM. We’re also advocating for underrepresented communities to come out and be a part of this event.”

The various events designed to promote bonding and relaxation in between the competition make the hackathon special, Chitlangia said. 

“(They) help hackers realize that there’s more to tech than just coding, designing or working on a project,” Chitlangia said. “(They) really make them grow as a person.”

Chitlangia said she first attended a hackathon before the pandemic started, and she was glad to bring the event back to new hackers in-person.

“(HackTX) was the first instance where I felt welcomed in tech,” Chitlangia said. “Hackathon is for (students) learning about these industries, technologies and possibilities, and being able to network with industry leaders in order to break into the space in a very safe and nonjudgmental way.”