Setup...

Setup begins with a dawn meeting with the ACM97 support team.

Its Wednesday and we are 70 person-days behind. Break out the Jolt cola.

The ACM97 Exhibition on Wednesday evening. It miraculously springs to life for a most successful showing. Sorry if you missed it!

Joe Deblasi takes care of essentials. "Look guys, I don't care what the contract says. The SIGNS go on the walls. The CARPET goes on the floor!"

The ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest Site at 6:00AM Thursday morning.

Paul Lorimer, John Clevenger, Dave Brennan, and Doug Lane review the plans before visiting the site.

After visiting the site. We order John a hat in compensation.

Site manager Brian Sitton is already at work.

Sam Ashoo, Troy Beaudreu, and Rob McPeek of the UC State-Sacramento join the clan. With a team like this, we'll be set up by lunch. Or, more correctly, nobody eats until its all set up...

What? Me worry?

Sam takes one off and gives it to Rob. Rob gives it to Clev. Clev puts it back on the stack. We seem to have too many machines! Troy discovers flaw in algorithm. He's the guy hiding behind the stack on the left.

Rob McPeek mugs for a new contest logo.

Logo is rejected by Contest Steering Committee as being too broad... despite appeal to potential new sponsor.

And the place pulls together by late afternoon. Systems installation, testing, and simulation takes the next day and a half.

Meanwile, back at the office...