Any current East Tipp student is eligible to compete by following these simple steps:

    The TRS-80 uses the BASIC programming language. You can find out more about the language online; teachers from school are not permitted to help you.

    Once you learn a bit of the language, you might be able to come up with an idea for a program that involves your awesome new skills. Of course, you might get ideas from several sources … but you are on your honor as a gentleman or a lady to not simply lift code directly from another person or online source.

    When your plan is coming together, you might test your ideas with something called an online emulator; it's a website designed for you to make your own computer behave like the TRS-80.

    When you're ready, schedule a time with Mr. Rice to code your program on the school's TRS-80. When you are done coding, we'll make a video of your program at work; then we'll upload the video to this site so that the celebrity judges and the rest of the world can enjoy your masterpiece.

    To discourage other contestants from stealing your code, we'll only film the program at work, not the coding. And to discourage other contestants from stealing anyone else's code, we'll have everyone program without notes. Oooh … dangerous!

    Remember: anyone can do tricks on a good computer; it takes a genius to be able to accomplish something on the TRS-80. Good luck and have fun! The last day to submit an entry is May 1.