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NEWS RELEASE
Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu
)
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466
4/4/2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATCHITOCHES Computer information systems students from Northwestern State University face a daunting task as they attempt to win a national championship for the fifth consecutive year at the Association of Information Technology Professionals National Collegiate Championship in Atlanta Friday and Saturday.
NSU has won four straight national championships in systems design and analysis. Last year, Northwestern also won national titles in database and COBOL programming.
"It's a little intimidating because of the expectations," said James Marsh, a senior computer information systems major from Leesville. "With the students who graduated last year, all of the other students have to step up. There is pressure on us, but we are all pretty confident.
"The pressure isn't necessarily bad. It kind of gets you going. The nature of the competition is on a time frame. It helps you limit the scope of the problem. The problem is so big, you have to isolate it and get organized."
Teams have four hours to solve a particular problem. They receive a folder with the problem and have 15 minutes to ask questions. Teams them go to separate rooms to solve the problem. Because of the complexity of the problem, teams are not expected to solve the entire problem.
"The competition is an application of what we have learned at Northwestern," said Erin Ponville, a senior computer information systems major from Franklin. "We put our skills to the test in a way that can be applied to real world."
Ponville said Northwestern's reasons for success on the national level are easy to identify.
"No other curriculum educates its students the way we are taught," she said. "The faculty here wants us to be successful. They take the extra steps needed both inside and outside the classroom. They are concerned about our progress. The faculty is able to teach at our level. They are approachable and care about us as individuals."
Marsh said taking part in competition is beneficial to students.
"When I interned at Pilgrim's Pride, I applied what I learned from competition," said Marsh. "I thought about the problem and how to get straight to the heart of it. It improved my problem solving."
Developing the ability to work as a team is also an important benefit.
"This is a team event. You need to rely on your partner to analyze. There is a lot of back and forth,"
Marsh, who will graduate in May, has a job with Software Architects, a consulting firm in Irving, Texas. Ponville will graduate in May and is considering job offers.
Last year, more than 600 students and faculty from 85 colleges and universities were part of the conference. Northwestern competed against institutions including Purdue University, the University of Mississippi, Brigham Young, New Mexico State and Illinois State.