NewsApril 19, 2017
More than 500 high-school students solve problems at university math event
More than 500 students from 26 schools competed in the 40th annual Math Field Day, hosted by Southeast Missouri State University's mathematics department. Team and individual events were held in Academic Hall Auditorium and in the University Center in categories covering subjects such as algebra, geometry, trigonometry, sets and logic, matrix and determinants, probability, number theory and calculus, among others, said event coordinator and math department professor Cheryl McAllister...
More than 500 students from 26 schools competed in the 40th annual Math Field Day, hosted by Southeast Missouri State University's mathematics department.
Team and individual events were held in Academic Hall Auditorium and in the University Center in categories covering subjects such as algebra, geometry, trigonometry, sets and logic, matrix and determinants, probability, number theory and calculus, among others, said event coordinator and math department professor Cheryl McAllister.
At noon, the problem-solving event, Mathletics, was held.
"It's our spectator event," McAllister said.
About 540 students participated.
Vicki Helderman, who teaches Algebra II, college algebra, trigonometry and calculus at Scott City High School, said her school fields a team every year.
"It's a good experience to get out and see what other kinds of math are out there besides what I teach," she said, adding it's good for her and for the students.
The Scott City High School team wore bright red matching shirts with "BAZINGA!" in cartoon letters.
McAllister said this year, fewer teams than usual competed because of state testing at some high schools was underway.
Haleigh Usher of Arcadia Valley High School finished second in matrices and determinants, which she said isn't her usual strength.
"I practiced for three months," she said.
Michelle Spitzmiller, Arcadia Valley teacher and math team coach, said her school brought 21 students, and she was proud the team netted five individual medals and one team event medal.
"Frankly, it's not our best year," she said, "but next year, it's on."
Spitzmiller said Math Field Day is a great experience.
"You never know what's going to happen," she said, "and it's a chance to meet professors and tour the campus."
Arcadia Valley is a long drive from Cape Girardeau, Spitzmiller said.
McAllister said the field day is a big event for high schools and for the university as well.
"This is the math department's big day to kind of say to area students, 'Hey, come up here, think about being a math major, see the university,'" she said.
"It gives them a taste of what college is like, a slice of the flavor of what it's like up here," she added.
McAllister said the event offers other opportunities, as well.
"This allows local schools to bring in, hopefully, the most talented math students, have some fun, compete with math," she said.
"The area we're pulling in is getting bigger every year," McAllister said. "Used to be just schools in Southeast Missouri. A few years ago, we got Southern Illinois, Anna now, Herrin and Nashville, Illinois, coming over and competing as well. It goes as far north as St. Francois County schools, then all the way into the Bootheel."
McAllister said she has a long history of involvement with the event, since she's been an instructor with the department for 25 years.
"Every member of the department has a role -- some are assigned a couple of tests to write for the event. Day of, everybody either proctors or grades those tests," she said.
McAllister said everyone pitches in. The math department chairwoman, Tamela Randolph, and dean of the college of science, technology and agriculture, Chris McGowan, helped hand out awards during the ceremony at 1 p.m. in Academic Auditorium.
McAllister said there are many ways for students to compete and earn points toward individual, team or school awards, and she said it's important for students to achieve in math this way.
"I'm glad we do this," she said.
mniederkorn@semissourian.com
(573) 388-3630
Pertinent address: 388 N. Henderson St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.
900 Normal Ave., Cape Girardeau, Mo.
---
Math Field Day First-Place Winners
Individual Events
Word Problems 9th grade
Small school: Sydney Turner, Saxony Lutheran
Large school: Paige Bradley, Poplar Bluff
Number Bases 9th grade
Small school: Kyla Beel, Leopold
Large School: Gavin McCluskie, Herrin
Algebra I 10th grade
Small school: Patrick Wheeler, homeschool
Large school: Jillian Dix, Herrin
Geometry 10th grade
Small school: Hannah Thiele, Leopold
Large school: Rajan Marasini, Notre Dame
Algebra II 10th grade
Small school: Katie Benkendorf, Saxony Lutheran
Large school: Samuel Hwang, Cape Central
Word Problems 11th grade
Small school: Londyn Lorenz, Saxony Lutheran
Large school: Samantha Saba, Notre Dame
Exponential and Logarithmic 11th grade
Small school: Andrew Kuhl, Nashville
Large school: Zachary Sample, Cape Central
Matrices and Determinants 12th grade
Small school: Abigail Cumins, Bunker
Large school: Amy Dai, Cape Central
Analytic Geometry 12th grade
Small school: Jessica Clark, Nashville
Large school: Chloe Bess, North County
Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!
Calculus 12th grade
Small school: Andrew Aufdenberg, Saxony Lutheran
Large School: Nate Gusewelle, Herrin
Sets and Logic
Small school: Jordanne Talley, Scott City
Large school: Destiny Hedrick, North County
Number Theory
Small school: Britney Minley, Arcadia Valley
Large school: Kenneth Weber, Herrin
Probability
Small school: Jon Sopko, Naylor
Large school: Nate Gusewelle, Herrin
Computational Mathematics
Small school: Jacob Woodrome, Nashville
Large school: Humza Siddiqui, Poplar Bluff
Hand Calculators
Small school: Josh Varnon, Saxony Lutheran
Large school: Cameron Kuan, Herrin
Non-Routine Problem Solving Level I
Small school: Weston Zoll, Bernie
Large school: Michael Hwang, Cape Central
Non-Routine Problem Solving Level 2
Small school: Nathan Aufdenberg, Saxony Lutheran
Large school: Humza Siddiqui, Poplar Bluff
Geometry Open
Small school: Grant Koenig, Leopold
Large school: Yuwen Zheng, Notre Dame
Mental Arithmetic
Small school: Hunter Sutton, Bunker
Large school: Matthew Bauman, Ste. Genevieve
Algebra Open
Small school: Brice Jansen, Leopold
Large school: Yanlin Hu, Notre Dame
Trigonometry Open
Small school: Emily Cates, Saxony Lutheran
Large school: Zachary Sample, Cape Central
Elementary Data Analysis
Small school: Jarett Seabaugh, Oak Ridge
Large school: Kennedy Pasley, Herrin
Team Events
Algebra I
Small school: Leopold: Samuel Horrell, Beth Lincoln, Jenny Vandeven, Kyla Beel
Large school: Herrin: Jillian Dix, Tyler Dunfee, Maria Camarato, Mia Connor
Algebra II
Small School: Leopold: Shelby Schreckenberg, Dalton Forrester, Brice Jansen, Brooke Horrell
Large School: Cape Central: Hayden Smee, Samuel Hwang, Alyssa Davis, Jeffrey Bittle
Geometry
Small school: Bunker: Hunter Sutton, Marrissa Parmer, Ezekiel Stluka, Alyssa Wisdom
Large school: Notre Dame: Rajan Marasini, Madeline Mullen, Yuwen Zheng, Nicholas Hux
Trigonometry
Small school: Viburnum: Jose Sulca, Devin Griffin, Lauren Richardson
Large school: Cape Central: Zachary Sample, Morgan Kluge, Dominic Grillo, Hannah Jackson
Medley Team
Small School: Saxony Lutheran: Nathan Aufdenberg, Andrew Aufdenberg, Ireland Smith, Hannah Aufdenberg
Large school: Herrin: Nate Gusewelle, Tyler Cornelius, Cameron Kuan, Matthew Cagle
School Events
Problem Solving
Cape Central, sponsor Mark Allen
Mathletics
Herrin
Sigma Award
Small school: Saxony Lutheran
Large school: Herrin
Story Tags
Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:
For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.
Related
NewsDec. 10
Advertisement
Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!
