ON CAMPUS
March MATHness Takes Mount de Sales by Storm
BY BRIDGET WILLIAMS '17
T
he Mount de Sales National Math Honor Society (NMHS), Mu Alpha Theta, held its third annual March Mathness event for seventh- and
eighth-grade girls on March 15 at Mount de Sales. The evening began with dinner and a brief overview of events by MRS. KATHLEEN CAUSAPIN '99, the MDSA math department chair and sponsor of NMHS. Then, several NMHS members spoke about the math classes they have taken at Mount de Sales and what careers they are interested in. The second portion of the event featured four different activities for the middle school girls that focused on a unique aspect of math. Each event was designed and run by NMHS members. The engineering challenge consisted of building towers using spaghetti and marshmallows and testing their strengths using books as weights. The next project involved fractals, in which students used geometry and construction paper to create their own self-similar, self-repeating geometric masterpieces. Two of the activities, the cybersecurity challenge and the math modeling station, involved technology. “In the cybersecurity challenge, middle schoolers learned about different computer operating systems and were able to figure out the vulnerabilities of each,” explained CATHY KWON ’17, a NMHS member. The modeling activity utilized Microsoft Excel to determine the probability of rolling certain numbers with dice. “The girls had fun and they learned a lot,” commented ELIZABETH KOLB ’16, another member of the NMHS. The evening proved to be a success, as approximately 20 seventh- and eighth-graders enjoyed themselves while learning about various applications of math. “March Mathness is a unique experience, and I really like getting girls excited about STEM subjects. I also enjoy letting the National Math Honor Society members show their love of math to others, since these principles are so applicable in our world today,” noted Mrs. Causapin following the event. She also mentioned that Mrs. Judi Lanciotti, vice principal of student affairs, was a large advocate for establishing the event. The juniors and seniors of Mu Alpha Theta expressed their satisfaction in volunteering and sharing their skills as well. “It was fun sharing my interest in computer science with middle school girls and promoting the CyberPatriot Club during the cybersecurity challenge,” observed MADDY SELBY ’17, a member of both the National Math Honor Society and the MDSA CyberPatriot Club. Mount de Sales will host a computer science camp this summer open to all middle school girls. For more information on this new experience, visit the Mount de Sales website.
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