Web Development Program Technology Celebration

Bruce Elgort (pictured in the center holding a big duck) with students, program alumni, and guests holding CS50 ducks at the pizza party.

About 25 students from my online and remote courses gathered at Clark College on November 7 in Scarpelli Hall to eat pizza—lots of it! I typically throw a pizza party for my students every quarter and pay for it myself.

During the fall pizza party, each student also received a CS50 Rubber Duck. Alums and other friends were also in attendance. Quite a few students arrived after we snapped this picture. CS50 was kind enough to supply the rubber ducks!

Certificate from CS50 at Harvard

CS50 is Harvard University’s introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science and the art of programming. For the past several years, I have used CS50’s Introduction to Programming with Python curriculum in my Intro to Programming and Problem-Solving course at Clark. Dozens of students not only have earned credit from Clark College, but also a certificate from CS50 at Harvard University.

Here’s a video from CS50’s very own David J. Malan congratulating Clark students for earning their certificates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yt5lBHvuUU

Uniting Students over Pizza

I recently brought a taste of community to our online and remote coding classes—through pizza and a little piece of the iconic CS50! This pizza party wasn’t just about food; it was a chance to unite students who usually connect only through screens. There’s something about sharing pizza that goes beyond filling our stomachs. It breaks down barriers, opens up conversations, and lets us see the human side of coding, a profession often steeped in virtual interactions and code blocks.

Pizza is almost a universal language, and even in a digital classroom, it creates a sense of camaraderie. From coding newcomers to seasoned tech enthusiasts, students gathered, laughed, and bonded over slices, sharing their coding challenges and side hustles.

Moments like these highlight the importance of community—reminding us that while we work individually, we’re part of a larger team learning and growing together.

Left to right: Bruce Elgort and David Sims, retired ITS Systems Administrator at the pizza party.
Left to right: Katie Massey, Disability Access Center and Bruce Elgort holding CS50 rubber ducks.

Why a rubber duck?

And what’s a coding celebration without a twist? Each attendee walked away with a CS50 rubber duck. In case you’re wondering why a rubber duck, it’s not just a quirky gift—it’s a legendary problem-solving tool in coding circles!

Rubber duck debugging encourages students to explain their code out loud, often helping them uncover solutions simply by verbalizing their thought processes. Now, every student has a little buddy to “talk” to while tackling their toughest challenges.

Whether solving bugs or sharing a laugh, we’re more connected, engaged, and inspired than ever. Here’s to pizza, ducks, and the strong coding community we’re building at Clark College!

Republished from LinkedIn
Photos courtesy of Bruce Elgort.