Host volunteers work at one of the information desks they are staffing in every ICPC hotel. Photo by Andrea Pereira de Almeida for ICPCNews
The ICPC host, Ural Federal University, prepared a warm welcome for ICPC contestants and coaches with a large corps of well-trained volunteers.
More than 500 students competed for the slightly over 200 volunteer slots for this World Finals.
Volunteers work in a variety of ways. They are the first face of the ICPC for international visitors, with a warm “Welcome to ICPC” and help finding a car to the hotel.
They make the contest itself possible by providing essential help in setting up the contest floor and the computer systems competitors will use.
And they are important help for all the visitors with local information, help finding things and places and general advice about Ekaterinburg and Russia.
Volunteers have long hours, some rising as early as 3 a.m., since they have to be at the airport whenever international flights happen to be arriving. They stay at their posts late into the night.
We asked, and they said they did it for a chance to practice English, and for the fun of meeting people from all over the world.
Amanda Sturgill for ICPCNews.