4/8/2026
The Night Shift: HackIllinois x SCD and SCCS
36 hours. 800+ hackers. One campus.
From Feb. 27 to Mar. 1, HackIllinois transformed the Siebel Center for Design and the Siebel Center for Computer Science into a round‑the‑clock lab where students built, tested, and prototyped coding projects such as designing platforms for companies like Caterpillar and Stripe, or creating fun projects like a brain-rot activity test.
HackIllinois partnered with both the Siebel Center for Design and the Siebel Center for Computer Science to provide a space for students to code throughout the night. Starting in the daytime at SCCS, where the hackathon labs, auditoriums, and mentor sessions matched the hackathon’s heavy computer‑science focus, while SCD provided a welcoming overnight environment.
Hackillinois’s co-director, Lucy Wu, said that SCD’s bi-level design worked well for separating activities at night. People could continue coding in the gallery while others could take a break and be more chill downstairs.
“It's very nice that SCD has two levels, where the upper levels are kind of like bright and more open, and then the lower level is more like a quiet space where people can rest for a bit or keep working and power through for the 36 hours,” Wu said.
Friday afternoon opened with social activities, including a scavenger hunt and a career fair, to get participants into the right headspace. An opening ceremony at 6 p.m. set expectations and announced rules, and hacking began immediately afterward. Teams worked through the night and into Sunday morning, submitting final projects at 6 a.m. on the last day.
“I think for a lot of students that join, it's a very engaging event that exposes them not only to building a project they're interested in but also to getting published, putting it on their resume, and stuff like that,” Wu said.
Throughout, participants could split their time between building, attending workshops, joining mini‑events, or grabbing a few hours of rest; the schedule was designed to let students balance learning, competition, and community. The event hosted fun activities aside from coding and professional development, like Super Smash Bros and Clash Royale tournaments.
Lu remembers a powerful moment when, in the middle of the night, a group got their code working for the first time; they ran to tell her, and everyone celebrated together, culminating in an emotional high.
“I think one of the most valuable parts of a hackathon is just like building vibe,” Wu said. “People were continuously encouraging each other, learn from each other, constantly, from this very tight time schedule.”
Beyond the projects themselves, HackIllinois emphasized learning and connection. The compressed timeline forced rapid iteration and frequent peer teaching; mentors and sponsor representatives circulated through both centers, offering feedback and career conversations. Students left with working prototypes and new collaborators, but also with practical experience they can put on a resume.
The collaboration between the Siebel Center for Design and the Siebel Center for Computer Science showed how thoughtfully arranged space and coordinated support can amplify hands‑on learning. By providing round‑the‑clock access, varied work environments, and a central place for gathering, the two centers helped turn a 36‑hour marathon into a productive, social, and educational experience for hundreds of students.