No Really, Math is Fun
Originally, I was in Math League in 6th grade, only because my mom made me. She thought it would expand my horizons; I thought that it was taking away from my lunch time. I didn’t realize at the time that I would actually enjoy doing math for fun in the future.
Math League is an extracurricular activity that helps to improve math skills. It meets twice a week before school and after school in Mr. Froiland’s room. Math League’s season includes five meets, once a month from November to March. At the end of the season, there is math contest at NDSU at the end. There are four levels of Math League, simply labeled A, B, C, and D. At each meet there are four tests that vary in difficulty depending on the level- A has algebra, B is geometry, C has trigonometry, and D is calculus. Participants in Math League come from all different types of activities, from hockey to drama to choir. They aren’t exclusively involved with Math League.
Math League members at Lincoln High enjoy the activity for a variety of reasons. Cindy Li, a sophomore, has been in Math League since 6th grade;her favorite part of Math League is “making new friends and going places.” A senior, Liam Liden, said that after he graduates, he will most miss “being around people that share the same interests as me.” Kyri Christensen, who is a freshman, said that she thinks that high school Math League is different than middle school because it is “a little more serious with harder problems.” She does agree that there is more freedom that comes with that responsibility in high school.
The first math league meet was at Park Rapids on November 7th, and it went pretty well. The Bemidji varsity team took first place and TRF varsity got second. The most recent math contest was held on October 18th at BSU with several medals awarded to TRF students. The next meet is in Nevis on November 28th.
Joining Math League is a great high school experience, not just because it looks good on a college application, but also because it can enhance your math abilities later in life. It also helps in current math classes that you are taking because you will have some idea of what they are talking about. Math League is a great activity that could always use more people!