JumpStart Labs Event Manager: Syntax Error, unexpected ':' - ruby

Question

I'm working on the JumpStart Labs Event Manager, specifically the time/day of the week targeting, and I'm running into trouble. When I run the following code through Terminal, it gives me the following error [EDIT]:
austin-winslows-macbook-4:event_manager HypnoBoy$ ruby event_manager.rb
event_manager.rb:8: odd number list for Hash
...vent_attendees.csv', {headers: true, header_converters: :sym...
^
event_manager.rb:8: syntax error, unexpected ':', expecting '}'
...vent_attendees.csv', {headers: true, header_converters: :sym...
^
event_manager.rb:8: Can't assign to true
...ttendees.csv', {headers: true, header_converters: :symbol})
^
event_manager.rb:8: syntax error, unexpected ':', expecting '='
...ders: true, header_converters: :symbol})
I've posted my code below, and am looking for suggestions! Something about the syntax is obviously off, but I've followed the steps to the letter thus far, and haven't had any problems, so I'm not sure where to look anymore. Any help would be a great help, thanks!
require 'csv'
require 'sunlight/congress'
require 'erb'
require 'date'
Sunglight::Congress.api_key = "e179a6973728c4dd3fb1204283aaccb5"
contents = CSV.open('event_attendees.csv', {headers: true, header_converters: :symbol})
def clean_zipcode(zipcode)
zipcode.to_s.rjust(5,"0")[0..4]
end
def clean_phone(number)
number.to_s.rjust(10,"0")[0..4]
end
def legislators_by_zipcode(zipcode)
Sunglight::Congress::Legislator.by_zipcode(zipcode)
end
def peak_days
time = row[:regdate]
day_array = []
time.each { |t|
array << Datetime.strptime(t, '%m/%d/%Y %H:%M').wday }
end
def peak_hours
time = row[:regdate]
hr_array = []
time.each { |t|
array << DateTime.strptime(t, '%m/%d/%Y %H:%M').hour }
array
end
def save_thanks_you_letters(id,form_letter)
Dir.mkdir("output") unless Dir.exists? "output"
filename = "output/thanks_#{id}.html"
File.open(filename, 'w') { |file|
file.puts form_letter}
end
puts "EventManager Initialized!"
template_letter = File.read "form_letter.erb"
erb_template = ERB.new template_letter
contents.each { |row|
id = row[0]
name = row[:first_name]
zipcode = clean_zipcode(row[:zipcode])
phone = clean_phone(row[:homephone])
legislators = legislators_by_zipcode(zipcode)
form_letter = erb_template.result(binding)
save_thank_you_letters(id,form_letter)
}

Answer 1

from the doc CSV::open you are using the construct :
open( filename, options = Hash.new )
So you line :
contents = CSV.open 'event_attendees.csv', headers: true, header_converters: :symbol is wrong,as from 2nd parameter onward it is expecting a Hash. Thus change it to:
contents = CSV.open('event_attendees.csv', {headers: true, header_converters: :symbol})

Answer 2

I completed this exercise today. I didn't have to change the contents = CSV.open line. What caused the error for me was that the date was not formatted in the Excel file. I formatted that date column to mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm in Excel. Also capitalization seemed to matter in the '%m/%d/%Y %H:%M' string -- I used lowercase 'y'.
This is what my first time exercise looks like:
# Iteration: Time Targeting
contents = CSV.open "event_attendees.csv", headers: true, header_converters: :symbol
regtimes = Array.new(25, 0)
contents.each do |row|
reghour = DateTime.strptime(row[:regdate],'%m/%d/%y %H:%M').hour
regtimes[reghour] += 1
end