This past Thursday, the College of Staten Island was off to a running start for the fall semester with a Tech Connect event for students to learn more about computer science. The event began with students checking in and getting a Tech Connect challenge card.

Participants then entered a room filled with different stations, and at each station they could collect one fragment that was a part of a coded message. Once they had all five fragments, they would have the full message and be able to decode it. Each station was very different, and students could start wherever they liked.

The first station I saw was the 3D printer station where students were able to learn about the printer and even use it. There was also a robotics station where students could do coding in order to move the robot. That was only the tip of the iceberg, as there were many more stations: if a student wasn’t the best at robotics or technology, there was a jewelry station where there were a variety of interesting charms that students could make into anything they liked, including miniature dolphins to show off their CSI school spirit.

There was also a Virtual Reality area with a headset that students could put on and try, which seemed to be extremely popular. Many students tried it on and were immediately shocked by this new world in which they were immersed.

There was also an area where students could make their very own video game. This station had a set of prompts that students would follow and enter information. Once they waited five minutes for the system to take all the prompts, they would have their very own game.

Once participants completed all the stations and received all five fragments, they could decode their messages with the help of a chart. After students decoded the message, which was ” Go Dolphins, ” they  were able to bring their answer to the check-in area where they received dolphin charms and stickers. So, in the end, they not only learned about the Computer Science Department, but they could also show off their CSI spirit.

By Rachel Rodrigues