BLNDED MEDIA: Recapping The 2nd Annual HBCU Battle of The Brains Competition During SXSW

By Lynden Bowen Jr.

Austin, Texas is known for its live music, but during SXSW it harmonized the ambitions and aspirations of students from 23 historically black colleges and universities as we gathered to compete in the HBCU Battle of the Brains for a grand prize of $50,000.

The Competition

The HBCU Battle of the Brains Competition was a week brimming with exclusive seminars, workshops, networking, and the aforementioned 24-hour case competition that all played seamlessly against the backdrop of the SXSW festival.

As a student at North Carolina Central University, I was given the opportunity to represent my university as a lead programmer on our seven-person team. I was in no way a “summer child” when it came to hackathons, and I had never done a competition of this sort that lasted for 24 hours. Therefore, you can imagine the feeling of searching for a missing semi-colon at 2 A.M. It’s akin to watching filler episodes of your favorite show in a constant loop.

Nevertheless, the experience was absolutely amazing and I do proudly boast that we were one of the schools that did manage to stay awake during the entire duration of the competition. Every second that we spent together as a team was beautifully synchronous. The chemistry between each of us and the dedication to the goal was practically oozing out of our room. The infectious determination carried us through the night. Although we did not win, there was not a thing that I would take back. We truly left everything on the field. We poured our skills and life experiences into our project and I loved every millisecond of it!

The SXSW Experience

In conjunction with the case competition, we were given day passes to SXSW. Before anyone asks, sadly I did not get to see Elon Musk’s prediction of our inevitable i-Robotesque demise. I begrudgingly filled this initial disappointment by viewing the futuristic and cutting-edge technology displayed in the SXSW trade show as well as attending the world-renowned business seminars.

As additional restitution, while roaming the halls of the J.W Marriott, I heard a rumor that Spike Lee was walking around. After a couple of minutes of what I would call “investigative work,” (nothing as good as Jessica Jones) I ended up sitting in front of him. After subduing my inner fanboy, I briefly had a chance to speak to him, and to snag a quick video. Besides me attempting to play Celebrity-Go, during the sessions, I was able to gain valuable experience and exposure. Many people who look like me hardly have the opportunity to be able to gain such opportunities. This experience I believe will be invaluable in many challenges and hurdles to come.

The HBCUBotBrains team at HomeAway.