 Pine Valley students |
 Amazing Race |
 Lockport High School team |
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Fredonia, N.Y. — May 19, 2008 — SUNY Fredonia welcomed approximately 500 students from more than 20 Western and Central New York high schools on Thursday, May 22, as it played host to its eighth annual High School Mathematics and Science Challenge.
The day-long event combined students into teams which competed in seven different competitions that incorporate everything from classic childhood toys like Legos, Big Wheels and Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots to TV shows such as “The Amazing Race” and “MacGyver.”
“We’ve really created something that has widespread appeal to high school students considering a variety of career options,” said Dr. Keary Howard, who developed the initial concept for the program in 2001. “We’ve found a way to show them just how relevant and flat-out cool math and science can be.”
Students experienced this first-hand, as they participated in a series of challenges that required combinations of both math and science knowledge to succeed.
In the MacGyver Challenge, for example, teams of students designed and raced self-powered vehicles, pieced together from a hodge-podge of available materials. The contest paid homage to the classic 1980s TV series, “MacGyver,” in which the well-educated action hero would always get out of the insurmountable jam du jour using whatever seemingly useless supplies were at his disposal.
The tribute to “The Amazing Race” involved students using orienteering skills to get from one station to the next, and solving science problems before getting the coordinates for their next destination.
Another challenge required students to program a calculator that guided a robot car around a race track.
“Students aren’t coming here to show us how fast they can calculate equations on a black board,” Dr. Howard said. “They participate in active, real-world, team-based problem solving. And best of all, they get to have a lot of fun while doing it.”
This year’s participating high schools included each of the following, with the total confirmed students from each indicated in parentheses where available: Albion (22), Andover (TBA), Cassadaga Valley (6), Depew (42), East Aurora, Eden (14), Falconer (14), Fredonia (9), Frewsburg (TBA), Forestville (4), Iroquois, Jasper-Troupsburg (14), Lake Shore (14), Lockport (75), Orchard Park (23), Panama (22), Pine Valley (15), Pioneer (50), Salamanca (5), Seneca Nation C Step, Southwestern (20), Springville (50) and West Seneca East (40). Jasper-Troupsburg High (located about 20 miles west of Corning) traveled the furthest at almost 300 miles, round-trip.
The event has grown tremendously in popularity since its beginnings eight years ago which began with just 12 students from two schools.
“That’s a 4,067 percent increase!” Dr. Howard added, joking, “You can trust my math on that.”
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