SALISBURY, MD—Students from 20 schools in Delaware and Maryland demonstrated their mathematical talents in Salisbury University’s 40th annual Eastern Shore High School Mathematics Competition.
“For 40 years we have been inviting students and teachers from the region to campus for a day devoted entirely to having students engage in the area of mathematical problem solving,” said Carvel LaCurts, senior lecturer of mathematical sciences, who co-directs the competition with Drs. Kyle Teller, assistant professor of mathematical sciences, and Kurt Ludwick, associate professor of mathematical sciences. “The students’ participation in this event emphasizes the importance of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education at the collegiate level and future careers in the field.”
Students engaged in problem-solving activities during the team round and responded to multiple-choice questions in the individual round. Contest questions from the areas of algebra, geometry, functions and function notation, exponents and logarithms, trigonometry, probability, statistics, logic and set theory, arithmetic sequences, geometric series, and/or number theory were included in the competition. Such as: “In a game, players randomly draw pairs of numbered tiles from a bag containing the tiles: 2, 2, 4, 5, 5. What is the probability that a player draws a pair of tiles with the same number?” (For the curious, the answer is 0.20.)
First-place team honors went to Delmar High School’s Rudra Patel (who also took home first in the individual competition), Mustafa Kilicarsian (who earned third in the individual competition), Joseph Morelli, Greyson Williams, and advisor Catherine Dignazio. The second-place team winner was Stephen Decatur High School’s Benjamin Chase, Logan Donmoyer, Tyler Kim (who also earned second in the individual competition), Mara Mills, and advisor Amy Fenzel-Mergott. The third-place team award went to James M. Bennett High School’s Harish Chandrasekaran, Eden Debebe, Nathaniel Groth, Peter Jin, and advisor Michelle Slatcher.
Other participating high schools included Indian River and Sussex Central in Delaware; Cambridge-South Dorchester, Colonel Richardson, Crisfield, Kent Island, Faith Baptist, Mardela, North Dorchester, Parkside, Pocomoke, Saints Peter and Paul, Salisbury Christian, Snow Hill, Washington, The Gunston School, and The Salisbury School in Maryland.
“The contest was initiated in 1984 by three SU mathematics professors: Dr. Robert Tardiff and the late Drs. Homer Austin and Bob Ehrlich,” said Ludwick. “This annual competition allows students to showcase some of their proficiency in math.”
“Once again we are grateful for the long-standing partnership with the Klein G. and Mary Lee Leister Foundation and Delmarva Power, an Exelon Company, in making this event a huge success,” said Teller.
Learn more about SU and opportunities to Make Tomorrow Yours at www.salisbury.edu.
