Hi Tea is back with a bang! Registration is now open for the Fall 2013 CSEE Hi Tea Competition. Hi Tea is a student-run social event held (nearly) every Friday from 3:00 to 3:30 in the third floor hallway of the ITE building outside the CSEE Department suite (325 ITE). All students, staff, faculty and friends of the CSEE Department are welcome to attend. Each week, a group of students will plan and assemble simple refreshments for the event. This Fall we will repeat the popular competition used in the Spring (see some photos).

Let's come together to cheer and vote for the competitors, have some food, mingle with old friends and make new ones. Here are the rules:

• Form groups of one to four members. Teams do not have to have all members from the same lab. So feel free to form a group with any of your friends from the CSEE Department.
• Create a name for your team.
• The winning team will be chosen from a weighted combination of votes. One vote will result from attendees. Another vote will come from faculty judges. Ties will be resolved by faculty judges.
• Each team should limit their presentation to $15. Therefore, each team will be reimbursed up to $15. Each team must save their receipts and submit them to Jane Gethman to obtain their reimbursement.
• Teams will be judged on creativity, presentation, and budget planning. It is preferred that you list how you managed your expenses for the judges to verify limit-to-$15 rule.
• Each week, two teams will compete against each other (). The winner will proceed to the next round.

Hi Tea will proceed for eight weeks. After that, the winner, first runner-up, and second runner-up will receive a $100, $75, and $50 gift certificate, respectively.

The following dates are reserved for fun-filled special editions of Hi Tea. No teams will compete on these days. Stay tuned for more details!

• 25-Oct-2013: Halloween
• 1-Nov-2013: Diwali
• 22-Nov-2013: Thanksgiving

For questions, comments, and registration, email the following Hi Tea committee members:

• Raghavendra Shruti Rao ( Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address. )
• Genaro Hernandez Jr (Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address. )
• Rukmini Ramakrishnan (Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address. )

The UMBC Linux Users Group (LUG) will meet during the Fall 2013 semester on Wednesdays starting on September 11 from Noon to 1:00pm in ITE 234. If you are interested in becoming a member, please come to a few meetings and check it out.

The UMBC LUG was established in 1997 as an organization of and for people interested in the Linux operating system.  This includes people who want to learn how to install and use it on their personal computers as well as those who use it regularly and want to expand and deepen their knowledge about it.

The LUG also helps members and non-members install, update and use Linux Operating System and software during its periodic Installfests.

UMBC-LUG members come from all walks of life and courses of study. You'll find among its ranks faculty, staff and students from Information Systems, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Math, Visual Arts, Sociology, Music, Social Work, and yes, even Computer Science, all bound together by a common love of Linux. Membership is not limited to UMBC students and attendance by non-members and prospective members is always welcome.

The first meeting of the UMBC Game Developers Club (GDC) will be held at Noon on Wednesday September 11 in Engineering 005a. Potential new members and people curious about the process behind video games are welcome. In the first meeting, club president Paul Tschirgi will review the club purpose, organization and activities and describe the guidelines for the game idea selection process. Information on last year's projects can be found on the GDC project page.

The GDC was originally formed in 2005 with the goal of giving students from varied backgrounds a chance to work together and make games. The GDC accepts members from any major or background, including computer science, digital art, computer modeling, information systems, and music. If you would like to know more about the organization, feel free to visit our forums or come to one of our meetings. Currently, the GDC meets every Wednesday from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm in the the GAIM Lab (ENGR 005A). Dates for meeting, workshops and other GDC related events are posted on the GDC Google Calendar.

UMBC offers several transportation options such as Transit Services, Casual Carpooling, and Zipcar for those without private transportation or for those who just want to reduce their carbon footprint.

Transit services provides seven shuttles that connect you to downtown Arbutus and Catonsville, Arundel Mills Mall, shopping centers and grocery stores, apartment complexes, BWI airport, and Marc and Light Rail stations. Because the transportation fee is included in mandatory tuition and fees, boarding is free-of-cost—just swipe your red UMBC ID to ride. Transit shuttle schedules can be located online at www.umbc.edu/transit, and printed copies are available at the office of Off-Campus Student Services. All shuttles are equipped with bike racks (except the Wave ‘n Ride which loops the campus) and free WIFI. The Transit Tracker mobile application can be downloaded to smartphones or accessed on the Transit website to track the real-time location of all shuttles.

In order to get to downtown Baltimore, you can hop on the MTA #35 public bus which stops directly at UMBC. MTA public buses #77 and #99 also service the UMBC campus directly. A one-way ticket costs $1.60 and a day pass costs $3.50. Frequent MTA riders can opt to purchase a discounted student pass called the “All Access College Transit Pass” at the office of Off-Campus Student Services for $39. This pass provides unlimited access for one month on local buses, metro subway, and light rail in Maryland—Marc train and Commuter buses are not included with this pass. To purchase regular or students passes for Marc train or Commuter buses, visit the MTA website at http://mta.maryland.gov/.

If Transit Services or MTA can’t get you to your desired destination conveniently, Casual Carpooling is another option. A UMBC student carpooling community is growing online at http://my.umbc.edu/groups/casualcarpooling. Join, connect, and create a carpool using the suggestions and carpooling etiquette tips provided. A carpool social will be hosted by Off-Campus Student Services on September 11, 2013 from 12-1pm in the UC Ballroom Lounge to alleviate some of the awkwardness of carpooling with strangers for the first time. Free lunch is provided.

Students are encouraged to use a Zipcar as their carpooling vehicle. Zipcar is a car-rental service available at UMBC for students, faculty, and staff. The traditional age requirement has been waived, so Zipcar membership is open to anyone 18 years old or older. UMBC campus community members can join for $25 and immediately receive $35 in driving credit as an incentive. Driving credit must be prepaid, and it includes gas and insurance costs. Two Zipcars are parked near UMBC’s Counseling Services on Center Road. More information about Zipcar can be found at http://www.zipcar.com/umbc.

Sixty-six years ago today (on 1947-09-09) operators of the Mark II Aiken Relay Computer being tested at Harvard found a dead moth trapped between points of Relay #70 in Panel F. Dr. Grace Hopper made an entry in the Mark II log book and identified it as the "first actual case of bug being found". (source)

The log book is now at the National Museum of American History.

Sixty-six years ago today (on 1947-09-09) operators of the Mark II Aiken Relay Computer being tested at Harvard found a dead moth trapped between points of Relay #70 in Panel F. Dr. Grace Hopper made an entry in the Mark II log book and identified it as the "first actual case of bug being found". (source)

The log book is now at the National Museum of American History.