School
Engineering Club will host their third iteration of NorCal Hacks, their annual coding hackathon on Oct. 10-13. As in past years, the hackathon will take place virtually and is open to programmers of all skill levels. This year’s theme, the energy crisis, encompasses multiple tracks, including renewable energy and innovative energy technologies. After a series of workshops, attendees will develop a coding project tackling their track of choice. In past years, the hackathon has included collaborations with Machine Learning Club, Coding Art Club and Desmos-sponsored prizes.
Community
In the Bay Area, homelessness has been a consistently discussed issue. Because of this, the City of San Jose hopes to redirect homeless individuals from public streets to city-sanctioned facilities by implementing a safe sleeping site. Plans for the site include about 100 tents with on-site security and a ban on drugs and weapons. However, the proposition has faced backlash from local residents near the proposed site at 1157 E. Taylor St. who believe the site could compromise the safety of their community.
National
On Oct. 10, NASA is set to launch the Europa Clipper, a planetary probe headed toward Europa, one of Jupiter’s many moons that has long been speculated to have the potential to foster life. After $5 million and years of planning, the spacecraft will launch on a SpaceX rocket in Florida, before it flies past Mars and back by Earth, using the planets’ gravity to increase velocity in hopes to eventually reach Europa in 2030. Once there, the probe will make 49 close fly-bys to map the moon’s surface and investigate its ice shell.
International
Claudia Sheinbaum took office on Oct. 1 to become Mexico’s first-ever female and Jewish president. Sheibaum succeeds Andrés Manuel López Obrador who held office for 6 years. A former mayor of the capital Mexico City, 62-year-old Sheinbaum has a background in engineering and leftist political movements. Sheinbaum won with a 60% lead of votes. Sheinbaum has made history, representing two groups never represented before in the highest levels of Mexican national government — 114 years after Mexico’s first presidential election and 70 years after female Mexican citizens first gained the right to vote.
