diff --git a/challenges/firstone/desc.html b/challenges/firstone/desc.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ac765b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/challenges/firstone/desc.html
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<p> this is currently just a placeholder </p>
+<p> if this was an actual challenge, this'd be a description of what it's about,
+what the requirements are, etc </p>
diff --git a/gather.rb b/gather.rb
index 1230415..f3bea21 100755
--- a/gather.rb
+++ b/gather.rb
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ def mirror(event)
     end
 end
 
-
 def challenge_page(event)
   # maps participants to their submissions
   p_map = Hash.new []
@@ -52,14 +51,16 @@ def challenge_page(event)
 
   # challenge info
   file.write "<div id=\"challenge_header\">"
-  file.write "<h1>firstone</h1><p>this is temporary aaa</p>"
+  file.write "<h1>#{event}</h1>"
+  file.write File.read("challenges/#{event}/desc.html")
+  file.write "<a href=\"#{$PAGE_BASE}/how.html\">how can i join?</a>"
   file.write "</div>"
 
   # solutions
   file.write "<div id=\"solutions\">"
   p_map.each do
     |user, submissions|
-    file.print "<div class=\"card\"><h2>#{user}</h2><ul>"
+    file.print "<div class=\"card\"><h2>~#{user}</h2><ul>"
     submissions.each do
       |path|
       name = path.split('/')[5]
@@ -84,7 +85,21 @@ def challenge_page(event)
   file.close
 end
 
-`cp style.css #{$LOCAL_BASE}/`
+def static_page(path)
+  File.open "#{$LOCAL_BASE}/#{path}", "w" do
+    |f|
+    f.write $HTML_HEAD
+    f.write File.read path
+    f.write $HTML_FOOT
+  end
+end
 
-mirror 'firstone'
-challenge_page 'firstone'
+Dir['challenges/*'].each do |path|
+  name = path.split('/', 2)[-1]
+  mirror name
+  challenge_page name
+end
+
+static_page 'index.html'
+static_page 'how.html'
+`cp style.css #{$LOCAL_BASE}/`
diff --git a/how.html b/how.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9a97fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/how.html
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+<h1>how 2 join</h1>
+<p>TODO</p>
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0338480
--- /dev/null
+++ b/index.html
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+<h1>~town golf</h1>
+<p> this site will host code golf challenges for ~town users </p>
+<a href="https://git.tilde.town/dzwdz/towngolf">git repo</a>
+
diff --git a/todo.txt b/todo.txt
index 168714f..79e14b0 100644
--- a/todo.txt
+++ b/todo.txt
@@ -4,3 +4,5 @@ for the submission page:
 
 create the main page
 create a page explaining how to join
+
+move to an actual templating engine