Students Selected to Compete in the State High School Mathematics Contest

Students from around North Carolina will be sharpening their pencils as they prepare to compete at the State High School Mathematics Contest on Thursday, April 24 at the NC School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) in Durham, N.C. The 139 students qualified in the regional contests that were held earlier this year around the state, and placed in the top eight percent in those competitions.

Students will be contending for a position on the state American Regions Mathematics League (ARML) Team. They will also compete for scholarships, including the coveted scholarship to Duke University. More than thirty students have been awarded this full-tuition scholarship to Duke University over the years. In addition, top students have received smaller scholarships to other universities, books, software and other prizes.

“Competitions such as the State High School Mathematics Contest are important to the health of math and science in North Carolina. This gives students motivation to achieve in math. Just like an athlete, math students need to train, and to compete in order to be their best. The NC Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center (SMT Center) endorses this contest because it give students a chance to showcase their talents on a local, regional, state and national level, “ said Sam Houston, President and CEO of the SMT Center.

For 30 years, State High School Mathematics Contest has tested and identified the best mathematics students in the state. Registration and a chess tournament will commence at 9 a.m. The contest begins at 10:30. There will be a fun and lively “sprint contest” from 1-2 p.m., where students run from one part of the gym to another and quickly solve a math problem. The awards ceremony will begin at 2:15 p.m. in the Fredrick Education Technology Center Auditorium at NCSSM.

“Initially there was only one State Mathematics Contest. This test was for the most advanced students who had completed the typical curriculum in high school mathematics,” noted John Goebel, Chair of the State Mathematics Contest Committee, “When state finals in Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry were added in the mid 1980’s, the previously named State Mathematics Contest became the State Mathematics Contest, Comprehensive Division. The Comprehensive Finals take place the last Thursday in April while the State Finals in Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra II happen in early May at three locations: UNC-Asheville, UNC-Greensboro and NC Wesleyan. EMC2 Corporation helps to underwrite the cost of the regional finals as well as problem-solving scholarships for the top students.” Duke Energy provided generous funding for the ARML teams. EMC2 Corporation offers $1000 to the winner of the Comprehensive Division and $250 to the winners of the 3 lower divisions. This is in addition to the $5000 for the Regional Finals and the Art of Problem Solving Scholarships.

The State Mathematics Contest is sponsored by the North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics and is endorsed by the SMT Center.

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