VandyHacks Board Committees 2021

VandyHacks is an organization dedicated to fostering creativity, collaboration, and inclusion within the computer science community here at Vanderbilt University. Our mission is to build a strong and welcoming computer science community for all. We accomplish this by hosting an annual hackathon — a 36 hour software development marathon during which attendees think of an idea and build it — alongside hack nights, workshops, and study nights.

What is VandyHacks Board?

VandyHacks board consists of Vanderbilt undergraduate students who work to plan events for the organization in several different areas: Marketing, Content, Design, Development, Hacker Experience, Operations, and Sponsorship. Many board members are involved in multiple committees and contribute to a variety of tasks. Being on board also means being a part of a rich network of peers and alum who share a passion for computer science, drive for excellence, and spirit of inclusion and community.

What does each committee do?

Marketing

Marketing focuses on reaching out to the community — from the Vanderbilt student body, to students from school across the country. They manage the social media, email, and other related communications between VandyHacks and the larger community, functioning as the org’s main marketing and publicity team. During VandyHacks, Marketing also plays a large role in bringing hype and excitement to the event through announcements and engagement among hackers. Marketing members are savvy about social media and image, write clearly and succinctly, and think innovatively about new ways to promote VH to all.

Content

Content oversees the creation and teaching of workshops on computer science and hacking throughout the school year and during the larger VandyHacks event. They also develop online materials and guides to help hackers make their own computer science related projects. Content members are passionate about teaching and know how to clearly explain a topic to both beginners and more experienced coders — past tutoring/teaching/mentoring experience is a plus. If you are looking for ways to engage a wide audience and share your love of computer science with others, this committee is for you.

Development

Dev produces all of the technical infrastructure behind our event. Previous projects have included the website at vandyhacks.org, the NFC check-in system, a slackbot, and numerous scripts to solve zero-day problems. For this team, having experience building real-world web apps and services is a bonus, but we’ll hold workshops to teach you what you need to know. Without experience, excitement and motivation is a must. Check out our Github to learn more about the exciting projects being developed here at VH.

Design

Design brings beauty to our humble organization. Crafting both the micro and the macro of our brand image, the design team curates the fonts and colors we use, crafts custom presentation templates, and designs all of our graphics for advertisement and publication. We are especially looking for people who know their way around Illustrator/Inkscape/other vector art programs and those with art experience, but anyone with a good eye for design is welcome to apply.

Hacker Experience

Hacker Experience is dedicated to building the hacker community both here at Vanderbilt and at VandyHacks events. HE polishes everything that hackers see, touch, and interact with, and help realize VandyHacks’ vision during events. Members of HE are always trying to engage a more diverse audience and make sure that our events are fun and exciting by planning prizes, swag, presentations, and mini-events. Past HE events include a typing competition, hand spa, karaoke, and scavenger hunt. If you have creative ideas about how to build and engage the community, apply for HE and join the team.

Operations

Operations ensures that our events run as smoothly as possible through careful planning of event logistics, swag, and other related details. Operations members also help run the VandyHacks’ Mentorship Program. During an in-person hackathon, Ops responsibilities include planning restaurant catering, devising bus routes and other travel to the event, and discussing onsite logistics like furniture layout, scheduling, and more. During a virtual hackathon, Operations members coordinate keynote speakers, handle non-profit externships, and set up the virtual hackathon environment. Operations members are detail-oriented planners who can also think quickly and solve problems in the heat of the moment.

Sponsorship

Sponsorship focuses on building relationships with companies who help us to fund our events. Sponsorship focuses on bringing new sponsors to VandyHacks while also maintaining great relationships with our current supporters. The job involves networking with a plethora of companies, from tech to banking to retail, and ensuring that they enjoy their experience while at VandyHacks. We are looking for people with strong communication skills and a desire to reach out and make lasting connections.