HackVerse’25, a highly anticipated two-day technical fest, jointly conducted by the Department of Cybersecurity and Applied Computing and STC InternCan (Technical Club) of St. Teresa’s College, Ernakulam, commenced with great enthusiasm. The event drew a crowd of nearly 60 tech enthusiasts, industry experts, and students, who gathered for a dynamic exchange of knowledge, skills, and innovation.

The event began with a prayer, followed by a warm welcome address by Ms. Archana Menon P, HoD, Department of Cyber Security & Applied Computing, St. Teresa’s College. The inaugural address was delivered by Rev. Sr Francis Ann CSST, Director of St. Teresa’s College, who emphasized the importance of cybersecurity and innovation in today’s digital world. The presidential address was given by Dr. Kala M.S, Dean of Self-Financing, St. Teresa’s College, highlighting the significance of such events in shaping future professionals. Ms. Veena Antony, Nodal Officer of InternCan, delivered the vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to all dignitaries, participants, and organizers.

Following the inaugural ceremony, a special session was conducted by Zoople Technologies, the official golden sponsor of HackVerse’25. The session focused on Generative AI and was led by Mr. Sathya Subrahmanya, ML engineer at Zoople Technologies. He shared valuable insights and hands- on knowledge with the attendees, making the interactive session highly engaging and informative.

After the session, participants were guided to their respective venues by volunteers, where they were accompanied by their respective resource persons. The events then proceeded in parallel, with multiple competitions and activities taking place simultaneously across different rooms, fostering a vibrant atmosphere of learning, innovation, and healthy competition.

The first day of HackVerse’25 featured an exciting lineup of events, including:

• Cipher: A comprehensive hackathon and Capture The Flag (CTF) challenge that tested participants’ coding skills, problem-solving abilities, and cybersecurity knowledge.
• Swift Build: A rapid prototyping competition where participants had to design, build, and showcase innovative solutions.
• Memetopia: A creative challenge that required participants to design and showcase humorous memes on a given theme.
• Squash’em All: A bug-fixing challenge that put participants’ debugging skills to the test, requiring them to identify and resolve errors in a given codebase.

The first day of HackVerse’25 came to a close with a refreshing tea and snack break, providing participants with a much-needed respite. The events wrapped up around 5:00 pm, marking the end of an exciting and enriching first day.

The second day of HackVerse’25 commenced at around 9:00 am, with participants eager to dive into another day of exciting competitions and events. The technical partner for Cipher Hunt was Vethnix Group, which played a crucial role in ensuring the success of the event. Additionally, the resource person who conducted the CTF for the Cipher Hunt event was from TechByHeart Group, a highly regarded organization known for its expertise in cybersecurity and hands-on technical training.

The events on the second day included:

• Cipher Hunt (Day 2): The CTF began around 11 , where participants continued to test their problem- solving abilities, and cybersecurity knowledge.
• Swift Build (Day 2): The second day of the rapid prototyping competition, where participants focused on refining and perfecting their innovative solutions.
• Signature Sprint: A creative branding challenge that required participants to design unique and innovative branding solutions.
• Tech Clash: A debate competition that brought together participants to engage in intellectual discussions and debates on cutting-edge technological topics.
• Clue Drive: An exciting challenge that required participants to solve puzzles and clues to reach the final goal.

By 3:00 PM, all events concluded, and participants and resource persons proceeded to the Centenary Hall for the valedictory function.

At the Centenary Hall, Mr. Boney, a talented guitarist and vocalist, performed beautiful songs to help participants relax. He even took requests from the audience, ensuring a lively and engaging performance. The teachers also joined him in singing, adding to the celebratory atmosphere.

After the musical session, a formal welcoming address was delivered by Ms. Parvathy (Executive Coordinator, InternCan) who welcomed all the dignitaries to the event.

The valedictory function was anchored by Ms. Krishnakripa, a member of the Operations Team, InternCan.

During the ceremony, some of the resource persons, including Mr. Venkatesh from Vethnix, Mr. Muhammed Sinan from Tech By Heart, and Ms. Anena Samrin, Chairperson, FOSS GECT, were also honored with mementos, which were presented to them by Ms. Archana Menon P, Head of the Department of Cybersecurity and Applied Computing, as a token of appreciation for their valuable contributions. They also shared their experiences, expressed gratitude to the organizers, and thanked the participants for their enthusiasm.

The prize distribution ceremony followed by the resource persons and other dignitaries of the Department of Cybersecurity and Applied Computing presenting the awards. Additionally, Ms. Maria Neethu Titus (Squash’em All) and Ms. Arunima K.S (Clue Drive), who are faculty members of the Department of Cybersecurity and Applied Computing and served as resource persons for the event, also handed out prizes to the winners of their respective events.

The total prize pool for HackVerse’25 was ₹20,000, with ₹5,000 awarded as the first prize for CTF.