▁ 1 9 7 2 – 1 9 7 7 ▁Category : West ▁Beng al ▁ML As ▁ 1 9 7 7 – 1 9 8 2 ▁Category : West ▁Beng al ▁ML As ▁ 1 9 8 2 – 1 9 8 7 ▁Category : West ▁Beng al ▁ML As ▁ 1 9 9 6 – 2 0 0 1 <0x0A> </s> ▁Master ▁the ▁Main frame ▁contest ▁is ▁a ▁main frame ▁programming ▁challenge ▁that ▁is ▁organized ▁ann ually ▁by ▁IBM ▁Academ ic ▁In iti ative ▁System ▁z . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁Origin ally ▁c ater ed ▁to ▁students ▁att ending ▁North ▁American ▁institutions ▁of ▁higher ▁learning ▁( US ▁and ▁Canada , ▁ex cluding ▁Quebec ), ▁the ▁contest ▁is ▁currently ▁running ▁in ▁separate ▁countries ▁across ▁the ▁glo be ▁( 3 0 ▁to ▁date ). ▁The ▁goal ▁of ▁the ▁contest ▁is ▁to ▁provide ▁students ▁with ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁experience ▁working ▁with ▁main frames . ▁The ▁contest ▁was ▁created ▁in ▁part ▁to ▁increase ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁main frame ▁sk illed ▁individuals ▁in ▁the ▁computing ▁work force . ▁The ▁North ▁American ▁contest ▁has ▁successfully ▁completed ▁ 7 ▁cont ests ▁to ▁date . ▁ ▁Cont est ▁▁ ▁The ▁contest ▁that ▁runs ▁for ▁North ▁America ▁typically ▁starts ▁during ▁the ▁Fall ▁sem ester ▁and ▁runs ▁until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁December . ▁It ▁is ▁separated ▁into ▁ 3 ▁parts ▁in ▁which ▁each ▁part ▁increases ▁in ▁complexity . ▁Part ▁ 1 ▁introdu ces ▁the ▁contest ants ▁to ▁the ▁basic ▁aspects ▁necessary ▁to ▁get ▁started ▁with ▁main frame ▁techn ologies ▁and ▁requires