Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - May/June 2014 - (Page 32)

Chase has designed several websites, including this one for his school's FIRST Tech Challenge team. a by Chase schweitzer canvas it This was how I began my journey into programming. In the sparse downtime of Algebra II, on my calculator, I explored the language I now know as BASIC. I didn't have any instructions or prompts; I learned simply through trial and error. Eventually, I scraped together a program that worked as a game. I called it "Guess." Guess was a version of "high/low" in which the player had to guess a number until he chose the same one the calculator did. I showed it to a friend and the program piqued his interest immediately. he and I began working together, discovering the syntax and methodology behind making programs on our calculators until, after weeks of messing around, we taught ourselves enough to create the crown jewel of calculator programs, a game we called "Asteroid field." 32 imagine The object of the game was to navigate a small "ship" through a field of randomly generated "asteroids." There were multiple diﬃculties, dynamic scoring systems, high score rosters, and even help menus. The game spread like wildfire among the upperclassmen at my school who found it particularly entertaining during AP Calculus. At the height of our popularity, one of my favorite teachers pulled me aside after class. I was afraid I would get reprimanded for distracting legions of high school math students. But, to my surprise, I was instead presented with an opportunity. Another student of hers, Will, was looking for someone to replace him at his job as a web developer for a local company, Webspec Design. The may/Jun 2014 tHiNkStoCk was sophomore year when I looked down at my calculator during a particularly boring math class and noticed the "PRGM" button. I had never given any thought to this key; I didn't even know what the letters stood for. But that day, out of sheer curiosity, I gave it a tap. Three options popped up at the top of the screen: Execute, Edit, and New. I selected New and the screen went blank.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - May/June 2014

Big Picture
In My Own Words
Imagine, Design, Build
A Schematic of the Possible
My Life as an Architect
Blueprint for the Future
DesertSol: A Model of Sustainability
Across Space and Time
The Art of Summer
Selected Opportunities & Resources
A Digital Canvas
Rising to the Technovation Challenge
Off the Shelf
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options
One Step Ahead
Planning Ahead for College
Students Review
Creative Minds Imagine
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - May/June 2014