Getting excited about math

Westosha Central High School’s math club, Mu Alpha Theta, sponsored a Math Meet Dec. 9. Randall Consolidated School students were among 70 total competitors in a math meet held at Westosha Central High School. (front row, from left) Elli Zerr, Carly Rohn, Josh Brendel, Chase Meyers, Josh Melka, Grace Bednar, Kaelyn Patterson, Keira Miscinski, Lindsey Franklin, Zoe Zenner. (Back row) Jacob Loose, Kailyn Kiraly, Korik Klein, Benson duChemin, Bella Haley, Chase Kocken, Blake Weaver. Not pictured: Ruth Ake.

Westosha Central hosts second annual meet

By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer

When it comes to mathematics, showing enthusiasm for the subject is a difficult task, but Westosha Central High School students and faculty made it happen at their Dec. 9 middle school math meet.

The meet, sponsored by the school’s Mu Alpha Theta chapter, welcomed four area middle schools to participate in the second annual event.

According school mathematics teacher Lisa Carnahan, about 70 middle school students from Randall Consolidated, Trevor-Wilmot Consolidated, Bristol, Kenosha Christian Life and Lake Geneva Middle schools attended.

“This math meet was new last year,” said Carnahan. “We have been gaining membership in Mu Alpha Theta, the math honors society at Central, and felt like we wanted to do an outreach program.”

Westosha Central student Vanessa Tym and Mu Alpha Theta club president Andy Korando hands out an award to a middle school student following the Math Meet.

The outreach program, which gives trophies to the top teams in the eighth grade along with the sixth/seventh grade combined squad, also awards the top students in each grade with TI-84 graphing calculators.

The graphing calculators were a new feature this year, following a positive inaugural event in 2015.

“It was a very successful event last year, so we continued it this year,” Carnahan said. “We added on graphing calculators as an incentive.”

Carnahan states the added incentive came as a surprise for one school, which reported a student was unable to buy one, citing family income concerns.

“I heard from one school how the winner of the calculator would never be able to afford something like that,” she said. “To give a student something they will use for the rest of their schooling and will benefit their education is priceless.”

Students coordinate with students
While Carnahan and fellow math teacher Rebecca Kettler were the faculty advisors, Carnahan reported Mu Alpha Theta students, including Trinity Rudd and club President Andrew Korando, ran the event.

Rudd, who headed the math meet, organized the committees, communicated with administration at participating school and offered event oversight.

“Westosha students wrote the contest questions, organized snacks and awards, proctored the tests and graded each round,” Carnahan said.

Korando, meanwhile, delivered a short speech and all awards were handed out and announced by students.

While the middle school students received the awards, Carnahan saw their enthusiasm rub off on their older counterparts.

“It is rare to see that much enthusiasm in high school students in general math classes,” Carnahan said. “These middle schoolers will be the type to continue on and be in the upper level math courses.”

Junior Anna Hebior, who serves as Student Ambassador on the Westosha Central School Board, reported the event brought favorable reviews at the Dec. 13 regular meeting.

“I was actually at the event, and it went really well,” she told board members.

How a meet is scored
Mu Alpha Theta students and teachers selected the theme, Olympics, informing participating schools to pick a country and sport.

The students produced the test, creating Olympics problems, such as a runner’s speed, the volume of a swimming pool.

In the first of three rounds, individual competitors complete a three-question exam with a 10-minute limit, before adjourning for a break.

Following the break, teams consisting of up to six members are asked to respond to eight questions within 20 minutes.

The third round is to break any ties.

After tests are calculated, middle school students and teams received their awards.

“What I enjoyed the most about the Middle School Math Meet this year, was the moment when we entered the award ceremony with the results and saw all the students, coaches and their families gathered together,” said Kettler. “It’s very exciting to see so many families supporting these hard-working students in their pursuit of excellence.”

Individual Awards
Sixth grade: First place – Grace Lasch, Trevor-Wilmot; second – Nick Argersinger, Bristol; third – Arlen Palmen, Bristol.

Seventh grade: First – Zachary Blasiman, Lake Geneva; Second – Dom Rizzo, Lake Geneva; Third – Sydney Fontaine, Trevor-Wilmot

Eighth grade: First – Jacob Loose, Randall; second – Mikaela Wynhoff, Bristol; third – Curtis Knaack, Lake Geneva.

Team Awards
First place: Lake Geneva Middle School (Zachary Blasiman, Dom Rizzo, Curtis Knaack); Second place: Randall Consolidated School (Chase Meyers, Grace Bednar, Izabella Haley, Chase Kocken, Lindsey Franklin, Blake Weaver)


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