Romanian Master of Informatics

Newsletter Issue 3



The team:
Ella Klein- 11th B
Raluca Matei – 11th B
Stefan Teau- 11th B
Vlad-Radu Vasilescu- 11th B


The Ceremony

Saturday was an eventful day for each and every one of us, as it was the decisive day for the Romanian Master of Informatics contestants. Before the contest, the youngest team, the one representing Russian Federation, was particularly ecstatic and a bit nervous.

Later, we would find out that all their dedication paid off, especially for Sasha, who won a gold medal. This was a moment of pride, not only for the Russian team, but also for the Romanian team and Bulgarian National team. Especially for Encho Mishinev, who took home the gold medal.
When asked about the difference in difficulty between the contest on Friday to the one on Saturday, he considered the latter one to be”easier”.

A Little Interview
Dusham Terzic from Macedonia gladly answered Ella Klein a few questions:

1.Q: Have you been to Romania before?
A: This is my third year in Romania.

2.Q: What is your opinion of Bucharest?
A: I don't know much about your country, but I love Bucharest, it's a city full of kind people that gives me a really good vibe.

3.Q: How was your experience here?
A: In terms of the competition, this year was not as good as my previous ones because there were some technical problems. On the other hand, in terms of accommodation, things haven't changed much. However, we did have better internet service.

4.Q: What is the thing you liked the most and disliked the most during your stay here?
A: The guides this year were really helpful , they were great. I dislike the fact that this is my last year as a participant in this competition, due to my age.

Conclusion

Sitting among the crowd in the grand lobby, the entire group, which nevertheless is completely heterogeneous, seems very fluid. In very few days, 3 to be precise, teens of different ages and quite diverse cultures succeeded not only in the competition they'd been expecting and preparing for, but also in bonding with other teams and the guides.
It all ended with a celebration, having entertainment and food areas provided by the organizers. Most of the contestants felt like it all paid off, as it was a unique experience and an opportunity to experience, learn, and of course, test themselves in the field of informatics.

It was a great experience for all of the contestants who acknowledged that being present in the contest already showcases the fact that they are good in their field of interest, and that the people present under the roof of our college are the leaders of tomorrow's world.

Newsletter Issue 2

The team:

Andrei Gheorghe – 10th A
Vlad Diamandopol- 10th A
Georgina Turtulea- 12th A


Friday – Day 2
Friday was the first day when everybody's hard work would show off. Everyone was up and teeming before even the sun could be seen. Chins up, students and guides headed to “Tudor Vianu” high school, where the show-down would take place. The first part of the contest commenced with a minor incident which delayed the beginning of the competition, but things worked out well and the rest of the day went on without any further incidents. Later on, after the competition finished, some of the students had lunch at Moxa canteen, while others preferred the Western way, going out in town to eat.

The Polish group, along with their guides, found the energy and will to take the tour bus, sightseeing the most iconic parts of Bucharest. Despite the chilly weather, they could not miss the opportunity to have the best view from above.

Of course, our guests were amazed by the size of the well-known, almost notorious, House of Parliament. They wanted to take photos, in order to keep in memory the most representative sights from the capital city of Romania. The trip turned out to be relaxing and beneficial. The next day will be decisive regarding the results of the contest.

After lunch, we took an interview of the Bulgarian national team leader, Anton Shikov:

Interviewer: What is your overall impression about Bucharest?

Anton Shikov:
The last two times I came here I didn't take many trips around Bucharest during the stay, but on the first two times, on the first two, I walked around the city. Also, I visited Bucharest with my family, outside the competition. It's a nice city and it looks similar to Sofia. For example, the traffic is almost the same, but the buildings are a bit different. Although the memories from before 1990 are still visible from place to place, some streets and buildings look new and European-like. I like it.

Int.: Can you tell us something about the accommodation, how was it?

A. S.: The accommodation is perfect, I have no objections. And I liked the Romanian cuisine, but the guys would only eat from McDonald's and you can't force them to try new food.

Int.: What is your opinion about these two days, about the subjects, the contest and the contestants?

A. S.: The tasks are hard each year, maybe as hard as those from the IOI (International Olympiad in Informatics). Maybe they're a little easier than the ones from IOI and BOI (Balkan Olympiad in Informatics), but the tasks are pretty similar. I think that this happens because many Romanian contestants from previous years, who are now at the University of Bucharest, are now taking part in and preparing the tasks, so they turn out to be pretty difficult. The contest ran very nicely. There were some problems on the first day, but I take part in organising Bulgarian competitions, so I understand that it can happen, it is not a big problem.

Int.: How did the contestants prepare during the stay?

A. S.: They play cards during the stay! [laughs] They don't solve tasks in the evening before the contest. I can even give you a secret, that they did not solve a single task since IOI, so now we are considering to make it our usual tactic or even to let them rest for a month before the competition! [laughs]

Int.: Can you tell us a little bit about the other teams? What do you think about them?

A. S.: Yeah, it's not a football game! [laughs] I know many of the Romanian contestants because I met them in Shumen and at the BOIs. I didn't go to the IOI, though. Yeah, I know these guys and I think they also know me, by now!

Int.: The last thing I would like to ask you is what's your opinion of the guides, how did you interact with them?

A. S.: Not a single guide talked to me during my stay here, so I have many objections! [laughs] I don't even know who is the person assigned for our team. Ah, no, I'm lying! He called me when we arrived, on Thursday. I did not meet him, only the guys did, several times. But it's not a problem for me, [laughs] I am here for the fourth time, I know the city!

I also asked two Serbian contestants a few questions:

Interviewer: What is your overall impression about Bucharest, if you managed to make one?

Serbian Contestant 1: Well, we didn't wander that much through Bucharest, but we liked the parts of the city we saw. We spent most of our time at McDonald's! [laughs]

SC2: Still, we saw some nice places, like the House of Parliament and the old town.

Int.: What do you think about the food?

SC1: The food is pretty similar to what we have in Serbia.

Int.: What do you think about the competition, the organisation?

SC1: The tasks were really challenging, but I personally liked the type of tasks we had and I enjoyed the stays during both of the competitions. Unfortunately, I can't participate anymore, but I would like to.

Int.: Did you have any problems during the competition?

SC1: Well, on the first day everyone had problems, but the second day went on smoothly.

Int.: And what about your accommodation were there problems?

SC1: Only that I wasn't sleeping on a bed, I was sleeping above another, [laughs] but it was fine.

Int.: Did you have an Internet connection?

SC1: We did have that in the lobby and the room. It was slow, but it worked.

Int.: What do you think about the other teams? Did you talk to them?

SC2: They are really well prepared and they were very good, from what we can say. We didn't personally meet them, at least not the new ones, because we already knew some of them from the earlier competitions.

Int.: How did you interact with your guides this year?

SC1: There was one girl who was really ok. Some other guides didn't want to leave us go by ourselves, because it is a big city and you can easily get lost.

Int.: And you know, there were those protests in the Victory Square.

SC1: Yeah, we saw, what was that about?

Int.: The people from Moldavia want to reunite with us.

SC1: Indeed, it was packed with people and police. They were dancing in a circle around a police car, too! [laughs]

Interviewer: Andrei Gheorghe, 10th grade, with help from Georgina Țurțulea

Overall, my opinion is that the atmosphere felt friendly and relaxed, despite the intellectual efforts required for the best results. Moreover, it's through experience that everyone is a winner, and not just by victoriously holding a cup or wearing a medal with great pride. International cooperation is also a big factor that must not be disregarded. After all, it is lack of communication that leads to most of the disagreements around the world.