New Mexico Supercomputing Challenge

Expo and Awards Ceremony Announcement

All teams that have submitted a final report are invited to attend the Expo Monday, April 21^st and Awards Ceremony Tuesday, April 22^nd at Los Alamos National Laboratory. A schedule and a checklist to help you prepare for the event are below.

Activities Include:

Tours of Los Alamos National Laboratory and the supercomputer center
Demonstrations of the latest in hardware and software technology
Demonstrations of scientific computing projects — simulations and graphics
Talking with scientists
Meeting other students and teachers
Display Board presentations of Supercomputing Challenge projects (the Expo)
Awards Ceremony

Registration Procedures

The deadline for registering online is April 2^nd.

Each person who attends the Expo and Awards Ceremony activities must be pre-registered so paperwork required by the Department of Energy can be completed. We also need an accurate count of those attending so that we can organize the program, the housing, and order the food.

Teachers are responsible for supervision of the students.

Expo

The Expo will take place in the Research Library and Study Center at the Los Alamos National Laboratory's TA-3 site (see the detailed map).

On Monday, April 21^st, each team will be assigned a half-hour time slot between 8:30 and 11:30 to present their project to a set of judges. In addition to the poster display, a (laptop) computer can be used during the presentation. If you are bringing a laptop, make sure you have submitted the necessary paperwork. After the teams present their projects, they should get ready to go on tours of the Laboratory (quickly return valuable items and items not allowed on the tours to their vehicles). After lunch the tours will continue and will visit several different Laboratory sites to learn about the ongoing research at Los Alamos.

The Awards Ceremony is on Tuesday, April 22^nd from 9:00 to 11:00 in the Church of Christ Auditorium (see the detailed map) and will be followed by a lunch reception.

Tour Information

Everyone must bring a picture ID because you will have to present it to take the tours. A driver's license or student picture ID is adequate. If you do not have a driver's license, you can have a picture ID made at the Department of Motor Vehicles. If we have your picture from Glorieta, that will do, but bring a picture ID just in case.

There can be NO last-minute substitutions; only those students and teachers whose names have been sent in may attend the Laboratory tours that go inside the security area.

Only US citizens will be allowed on the tours inside the security area, but foreign national students may participate in the parts of the tours that are outside of the security area.

Teams wanting to go on the tours together MUST go through the registration line together. Tours will take place from 10:00 to 5:00 on Monday.

The following articles are PROHIBITED inside the security area:

Firearms, other dangerous or deadly weapons, explosives, incendiary & explosive devices. (This include pocket knives with blades longer that 2.5 inches.) So leave your big knives, leather-mans, and such at home or in the car/bus.
Privately owned recording equipment (audio, video, optical, or data). So leave your cameras, mp3 players, flash drives, etc in the car/bus.
Privately owned electronic equipment with a data exchange part capable of being connected to automated information systems equipment.
Privately owned cellular telephones. So leave your cell phones in the car/bus.
Privately owned radio frequency transmitting equipment.
Privately owned computers and associated media.
Controlled substances including illegal drugs and associated paraphernalia (less prescription medicine).
Other items prohibited by law.

Safety is very important at Los Alamos National Laboratory. If you see something that you feel is unsafe while at the Laboratory, report it to the group escorts or to the Supercomputing Challenge coordinators.

Awards Ceremony

The Awards Ceremony will be held 9:00 to 11:00 on Tuesday, April 22^nd at the Church of Christ auditorium. A lunch will follow.

In addition to the winning team and individual scholarship awards, all teams who submit a team project will receive a certificate and a memento of the 18th Annual Supercomputing Challenge.

Finalists will receive special certificates and awards. Other awards will be given, including prizes and special recognition for winners in the Poster Competitions as well as door prizes for students and teachers.

Projects Due

Remember! Noon on April 2nd is the deadline for submitting the final team project reports (electronic-copy via email to finalreport08 at challenge.nm.org) and registering to attend the Expo and Awards Ceremony.

Project Advisor

Please invite your Project Advisor to attend the activities with your team. If your Project Advisor plans to attend, please be sure to let us know by including his/her name on the registration form. Also, be sure to tell your Project Advisor that a photo ID is required for the tours.

Remember To Bring Your Display Board and (optional) Graphical Poster

What to Wear

You will be doing a lot of walking during the day, so wear comfortable shoes. Bring a jacket or sweater because Los Alamos weather can unexpectedly turn cold and rainy or snowy. Please dress nicely. Bring your swimming suit if you would like to go swimming in the evening at the Larry R. Walkup Aquatic Center in Los Alamos.

Lodging

Lodging will be available in Los Alamos Sunday and Monday evenings for Expo registrants from more than 100 miles from Los Alamos and on Monday evening for all Expo registrants.

The Supercomputing Challenge will pay for room (one or two nights at hotel and breakfast included); any other lodging charges will be your responsibility. Note that you will possibly share a room with people from other teams (students will be placed four to a room and teachers two to a room). Participants will be housed at the Best Western Hilltop House Hotel (505-662-2441), the Ashley Hotel (505-662-7211), and the Hampton Inn in White Rock (505-672-3838).

For questions about the Supercomputing Challenge, a 501(c)3 organization, contact us at: consult @ challenge.nm.org