Virginia Pettit, sophomore Computer Science major, describes what it is like being a part of ACU’s chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).

What kind of projects are you working on?

The main thing we are focusing on is creating a new website and making it look good. We have put other projects on hold because we feel the website is our number one priority. We also have a lot of freshmen this year, so we are working on teaching them. We are going to have several sessions where we teach students how to use html and how to do basic web design stuff. That’s the main project we’re working on right now, and it will probably take the rest of the semester to get it how we want it.

How can students get involved with ACM?

Like I said, this semester we are really working on teaching students web design skills. For example, we had a student teach a session on web design. When we get our enrollment up more, we are going to have people come in and talk. In past semesters, we’ve had system administrators from ACU and people who work in programming come speak. There’s a lot of opportunities to hear from people in the real world.

What kind of benefits do incoming freshmen and current students receive by joining ACM?

Being a part of ACM really helps you get to know the other people interested in your field. It’s not just open to computer science majors; anyone from any major can join. You get to work on projects that are bigger than the scope of what you work on in class. You get to know these people really well and make great connections. For example, if you are working on a project in class and you get stuck on it, you can go to ACM club and can ask for help and someone who has taken that class can help you out. You really become part of the SITC community. I’ve enjoyed it immensely. We meet every week, so it is fun to have a designated time where we all can meet and I can see my friends.