RIT on TV: Women in Computing

>> So in the next 10 minutes, Doug Emblidge, who basically know Ctrl + Alt + Del is going
to become a computer programmer with the help of my friends here, Courtney, Claire and Laura.
Now Courtney is a software engineering major.
And Claire is a web and mobile computing major.
And Laura is a computing security major.
And they're all from RIT.
And you have the big hackathon is coming up when?
>> This weekend.
>> That's this weekend?
It sounds almost illegal.
[laughter]
>> But it's not, right?
>> Nope.
>> So the traditional sense of the word 'hack' a lot of people think of hackers in the movies
breaking into a system.
But they don't think of the word 'life-hack' where you're throwing together a solution
with what you have in front of you.
>> Ok.
>> That's what 'hack' means to us.
And so you're spending the weekend trying to solve these problems in the community or
around the world.
Tons of hot topics that we're dealing with.
>> And if people come to this who are not computer people, they get something out of
it, too?
>> We have a newbie track that happens Friday night.
And they get a crash course essentially on web development.
So they walk away with their own web site that they made.
>> We've got two segments with you, so speaking of a newbie, that would be me.
So we're going to do a crash course.
You hear about computer programming.
And I think for most non-computer folks, you're thinking, I gotta call the guy from IT.
This is just - I'm out of here.
This doesn't...
But it's probably like learning to play an instrument.
You learn with the basics first.
>> Absolutely.
>> So give me some basics here.
I don't know how well we can see this screen, but we're gonna try.
Ok.
So what are we looking at here?
Where do I go on my computer to even find this?
>> This is IntelliJ to work with Java.
>> So this is a program used for writing code?
>> Yes.
>> Ok.
>> So you can start with the main.
The public static void main right here.
>> It says 'public static void.'
That's what people don't like because people are used to something like so user friendly.
And this is a whole different language.
But this is very basic.
So what are we doing here by working with this?
>> The main is what's going to be run when you press the run button down here.
And the first thing it's going to ask for user input using a scatter.
>> Ok.
>> And I can run it at the same time.
>> Ok.
>> So it's going to ask what food items did you buy.
>> What food items did I buy?
Ok.
>> I'm going to tell you that you bought chicken.
[laughter]
>> I bought chicken.
>> Chicken's the best.
We're going to go with milk, yogurt.
>> I bought chicken, milk, yogurt.
>> It's going to estimate the expiration dates.
>> Ok.
>> So chicken's going to expire tomorrow.
>> Yeah.
The rest is later.
Ok.
>> So now it's going to ask.
Chicken is going to expire soon.
What recipe do you want to use?
And it will give you three recipe options.
>> Alright.
>> And I'll tell it you want oven-fried chicken.
It's really good.
>> Ok.
[typing]
>> And it's going to bring you to the Food Network.
>> Oh my gosh!
>> For oven-fried chicken.
>> So how did this - so you just did what?
What would you call what you just did?
You entered code?
What am I - why is this?
>> She entered user inputs.
So like what she's made with her program is that she makes a prompt.
So if you were to play a game, you would get a prompt to answer a question.
In this case, you were answering what did you have in your fridge or something.
What did you buy recently?
>> So underneath all this stuff that the newbies do with computers, the stuff that's easy to
do, somebody has done this.
Is my understanding correct?
>> I made this last year at WiCHacks actually.
And it was my first year of programming.
>> Ok.
When we come back, I'm going to ask you where you guys are going with the knowledge you're
gaining at RIT.
We're going to talk about that in a few minutes.
More computer programming when we come back...Computer people from RIT.
They have the big hackfest coming up this weekend.
You were trying to help me as best you could.
[laughter]
>> Talk computer programming.
The one thing that the average person might be able to do on the computer you said is
build...
>> A personal web site.
>> Ok.
How would one go about that?
You've got a take home, out of the box computer.
How would you go about - where would you start?
>> Pretty much Google is the answer to a lot of things when it comes to programming.
There are a lot of great tutorials out there to help you through from finding the text
editor that you're going to work with, a program to write your web site, or just all the steps
over what it means to use HTML, what it means to make the page look pretty with CSS.
>> Ok.
Once again, I feel like I'm speaking Mandarin Chinese.
But I'm getting - but that's something that the average Joe can reach out and grab.
And say ok this is something I can do.
Because most of us figure our computer is already programmed for us, we don't need to
do anything.
How did you get interested in this, Claire?
How did you decide this is what you wanted to do?
>> In middle school there was something called technovation, which was like a six-month crash
course in programming where we were sort of entered into a contest.
>> Wow.
>> Yeah.
>> And what do you want to do with it when you graduate?
>> I hope to be a web developer because that's sort of my thing.
And I hope to continue spreading the word of women in STEM.
>> Right.
Women getting involved in science, technology, engineering and math.
>> What brought you to it?
>> So in 11th grade my pre-calculus teacher, we programmed calculators.
And coming from a world of math, I was like wow this is so cool.
And then he convinced me to pursue a career in computer science by taking AP computer
science.
>> And what do you want to do after you graduate?
>> Somewhere between cryptography and security.
>> Wow.
There's a lot of call for that I'm guessing right now.
The government might want to hire you.
Courtney, what about you?
>> I got started in high school like Laura.
I was lucky enough to have a couple computer science classes.
And as far as down the road, I'm graduating in a couple of months now in May and I have
a full-time job lined up as a software engineer.
>> Wow.
>> Not sure how long I'll stay a software engineer.
I kind of like the project manager role when it comes to building software.
>> So for parents of students much younger than you who are thinking maybe this could
be something for their kids, when it came to finding that job, because you're almost
at graduation, how hard was it?
Or were they beating down your door?
>> They were beating down my door.
>> Isn't that nice?
Norma.
Remember when they beat down your door as you got out of Geneseo?
Please come work for us.
[laughter]
>> I don't remember that either!
I don't remember that either for me.
So how many people came?
How many options do you think you had?
In terms of job choices.
>> As many as I wanted to find.
It was a little bit on myself to go out and find the options.
But all I really had to do was ask and the option was there.
>> Claire.
How far are you from graduation?
>> I've got another year to go.
>> Another year.
And are prospective employers already out there for you?
>> Yeah.
Definitely.
I've got a couple offers for this summer for my internship and then I haven't thought about
full-time yet, but I definitely have a couple feelers out.
>> Laura?
What about you in terms of...
>> I'm still a sophomore.
>> So you still have a few years to think about it yet.
>> But companies are still reaching out.
>> So is people come to hackfest this weekend, you're all going to be there?
>> Yep.
>> And you'll teach some newbies?
>> Yep.
>> Do newbies bother you?
>>No.
I love it?
>> You sure?
That's good.
Because I was think that you might get 'Oh here come some newbies again.'
[laughter]
>> And they want to know how to turn the computer on.
But it's really fascinating to see what you guys - and you know what, the opportunities
are really exciting for all of you.
And we're so glad you too some time to come in with us this morning.
>> Happy to be here.
>> Thank you so much.

RIT on TV: Women in Computing

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