On January 16, 2026, more than 500 students from over 30 academic institutions assembled in Toronto for the 13th iteration of UofTHacks, Canada’s first student-run hackathon. They were welcomed by an elegant pasta dinner. Shortly afterwards, the building fell into an eerie calm. Mentors arriving post-meal were observed standing idly, with no technical questions nor debugging cries. Little did they know, Myhal Centre had been transformed into the epicentre of a large-scale public health crisis.
At 10:08 a.m. on January 17, a message disrupted the #🍜-food channel in the event’s Discord server:
“Idk what it is but all my teammates are non-stop pooping after eating the pasta last night.. is it just us..?”
Within minutes, reports flooded in.
“I nearly died yesterday night […] Thought I wasn’t gonna see the sun today.”
“[Bro] [I’ve] been shitting soup since morning.”
“Same demolished my entire team we keep going to the washroom in 4 hour intervals. 😭😭”
One affected participant testified: “I’ve had a jackhammer in my stomach since 4am.”
When offered free pasta as compensation, they responded:
“I’d rather pull the jackhammer out by hand.”
Infrastructure Under Siege
The crisis rapidly escalated into an infrastructural emergency, placing UofT’s facilities under strain. Just days after Myhal Centre’s second elevator returned to service, the building’s washrooms became the new front line.
Reports from Discord described abysmal scenes of paralyzed services:
“Bro if the Myhal building had a heatmap, the 8 washrooms on each floor would all be red asl…. Went from floor to floor, and every stall is taken.”
“We’re already out of toilet paper in some stalls. 😭”
“Yo guys hidden gem 8th floor accessibility washroom.”
“[Bro] I dont think id make it having to go all the way to the 8th floor though.”
Emergency Response Activated
The organising team swiftly deployed first-aid resources, including Pepto-Bismol and emotional support. An ambulance arrived on site (later confirmed to be allergy-related), further intensifying public concern.
In an official statement, organisers issued an apology:
“Ayo yall sorry for the shits no giggles. 😭”
Reparations were announced shortly thereafter:
“Come by and tell me if u fell victim to poop incident </3 ill give a free sticker.”
Theories, Investigations, and Digital Radicalization
With the caterer’s identity remaining undisclosed, conspiracy theories began to circulate through Discord channels:
“What if someone’s project was a robot thatd put laxatives into the food.”
Organisers denied malicious intent by offering reassurance:
“[We’re] contacting our caterer and if it helps it killed some organizers too. 😔”
Indeed, multiple organisers were reportedly spotted occupying stalls alongside participants, blurring institutional-hierarchical boundaries in a moment of shared human vulnerability.
Resilience in the Face of Adversity
“Who would win: 500 of the smartest cs students in Canada, or /Clostridium perfringens/?” One hacker mused. It turned out to be a decisive victory for the former. Despite the ongoing digestive catastrophe, morale remained high. Participants pushed on through physical discomfort and spiritual trial. “[If] you’re a real hacker you’ll code while pooping… git push in more ways than one,” one hacker said.
By the end of the weekend, over 160 projects had been completed, marking another fruitful year for UofTHacks. After recovering from sleep deprivation and gastrointestinal trauma, organisers launched a formal Google Forms investigation to determine the cause of the incident.
One organiser provided a positive reframe:
“…this will be a life lesson to expect the unexpected 😭, ‘describe a time you went through hardship.’”
And a participant offered a closing reflection:
“[It’s] ok we got a lifelong hackathon memory now… the uofthacks poop incident.”