Volunteering for the CAT is a two way street. While you are being exploited for the free labor you provide to the team, you get a hands-on grasp on the topic of systems administration or whatever the topic you are getting immersed into, and get to work with a diverse team in this line of work. This isn't some toy project in a class. This is real, production experience. It's killer Resume Fodder.

Based on what sort of track you embark on, you may wind up getting after-hours access to the Maseeh College terminal rooms, the CATacombs and doghaus, where CATs hang out. If you like slinking in at 3am to work on something, you can.

If this is something you want to do as a job, you end up getting the inside track on new job opportunities in the field. TheCAT is frequently raided by industry and other departments on campus.

Most CAT alumni have gotten jobs based on the work they did in TheCAT. It's the kind of resume fodder that many people looking for their first jobs in the field would kill for.