Jacob Caines received an award for scoring the highest on the exam
Walker Valley High's team took first place
Christian Heritage School took second place
Cleveland High School took third place
Lee University Department of Mathematical Sciences hosted a mathematics competition for local high school students. The event, organized by Dr. Laura Singletary and Dr. Debra Gladden, professors of mathematics at Lee, included a math exam, an interactive lecture, and concluded with an award ceremony.
“Lee’s mathematics competition is one of my favorite events of the year,” said Traci Pile, a senior mathematics major at Lee. “I love welcoming high school students to our campus and having the opportunity to spend the day with them. It is such a fun way for these students to get a glimpse of what life at Lee is like and the amazing community we have.”
Students were welcomed by math faculty at registration, and after a short breakfast, they each took a two-hour mathematics exam that included creative response questions, multiple choice questions, and a “challenge problem” at the end of the test.
“One of my favorite parts about this competition is getting to meet and interact with these students and to encourage, celebrate, and pique their curiosity about mathematics,” said Dr. Singletary. “These are some incredible students who we get to serve and foster their interest and possible pursuit in math.”
Following the exam and lunch on campus, participants attended an interactive mathematics talk hosted by Drs. Singletary and Gladden. This conference gave students glimpses of the opportunities and benefits of majoring in mathematics. The lecture, titled “How a Conversation Between Friends Inspired a Branch of Mathematics,” discussed the letters of correspondence between mathematicians Blaise Pascal and Pierre de Fermat which led to the development of probability theory.
“It encourages me to see a group of high school students so excited about learning mathematics,” said Dr. Gladden. “The energy the high school students bring reinvigorates us and reminds us that the mathematical community is so much larger than just our department here at Lee. We are grateful for the connections that we have made with these schools.”
The event concluded with the individual awards given to students who scored the highest on their exam. Jacob Caines from Walker Valley High won the first place award and Ryan Climer from Northwest Whitfield High took second place and won the Best Underclassman Award. Trophies were also given to the top three scoring teams: 1st Place - Walker Valley; 2nd Place - Christian Heritage School; and 3rd Place - Cleveland High.
Seven high schools participated in the event, with about 70 high school students and 10 teachers in attendance. The high schools included Bradley Central, Walker Valley, Cleveland, Coahulla Creek, Northwest Whitfield, Southeast Whitfield, and Christian Heritage School.
"Lee is one of my students' favorite places to compete,” said Molly Scarbrough, a mathematics teacher at Walker Valley High. “We have been attending this math competition since the first year Lee hosted it, and our students look forward to the event each year.”
For more information about Lee’s Department of Mathematical Sciences, visit leeuniversity.edu/academics/arts-sciences/mathematical-sciences/.