Judging guide
HackCU is thrilled to have you help out this year at HackCU VI! This event would not be complete without you. As a judge, you will be judging hacker’s work on projects specifically in the tracks HackCU has decided which have been listed below. If there is a specific track you are interested in judging or if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to mackenzie@hackcu.org or priyanka@hackcu.org directly.
Date
February 23rd, 2020
Time
February 23rd: 11:00AM - 2:00PM. Note - Hacking ends at 12:00 PM on Sunday, and judging will begin at 12:30 PM.
Where
Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotech Building, 3415 Colorado Ave
Boulder, CO 80303
Check-in:
Check-in will be at the South entrance closest to Colorado Ave. Please feel free to get a badge and lanyard, and either Priyanka or Mackenzie will meet you here.
Judging will take place from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM. It will be following a science fair project presentation style. More details on the format will be shared during the morning briefing.
Parking 
The JSCBB lot #543 is located on the northwest corner of the building. The lot is free after 5:00pm on weekdays and all day on weekends. Please park in this lot if you plan to drive.
Tracks
If you are interested in judging a specific track, please email mackenzie@hackcu.org or priyanka@hackcu.org. Otherwise, we will randomly assign judges to certain tracks the day-of judging.
General
HackCU’s general challenge includes 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize winners. This challenge will be evaluated based on the overall creativity of the team and their project, questions selected by HackCU organizers, as well as any additional criteria mandated by the judges.
All Beginner
Hackathons are a great way for beginners in technology–from the workshops to software resources provided by HackCU, we want first-time hackers to learn and build a project first hand. This track will assess the best hack created by a team of all beginner hackers.
Best UX/UI
As crucial as the technology behind a project is, for the best engagement from users it is necessary to have a good user interface that not only fits the needs of the user but also enhances their experience. The track will be judged based on the aesthetic nature of the project’s user design, as well as how effectively it amplifies the purpose of the project.
Empowering Underrepresented People in Tech
As a result of its endless reach, technology has the power to bring together people of different backgrounds, yet there have been many limitations in doing so due to bias in gender, race, sexual orientation, etc. This track aims to create a hack that empowers an underrepresented group of people in technology.
Sustainability
As the number of people facing the harsh consequences of climate change increases, sustainability continues to be a growing problem for the world that needs to be addressed. Hackers for this track will use their technical skills, as well, apply their critical thinking skills to develop a project that addresses a real-world environmental issue.
Social Impact
Technology is a powerful tool that allows us to identify and combat real-world problems that billions of people face around the world today. This track will be assessed based on the project’s ability to propose a resolution for a social issue.
Wolfram Alpha Challenge
Wolfram | One is the world’s first fully cloud-desktop hybrid, integrated computation platform—the ideal entry point to using the full capabilities of the Wolfram technology stack. Hackers for this sponsored track will create a project using Wolfram | One (provided by HackCU) or another Wolfram Alpha product of the hacker’s choice.