Regional math contest for high school students planned for April 15

April 4, 2008
Karen B. Eldridge, Director of News and Public Information
865.981.8207; karen.eldridge@maryvillecollege.edu

More than 200 high school students from Blount, Loudon and Sevier Counties are expected to compete April 15 in the 52nd annual high school mathematics contest sponsored by Tennessee Mathematics Teachers Association.

Testing begins at 9:30 a.m. and is expected to last for two hours.

Maryville College traditionally hosts students in Center E-6 of the statewide contest, but because of construction of the new Civic Arts Center, the students in these local counties will compete at the University Center Auditorium at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

As the organizer, Maryville College will provide representatives to conduct the contest. Coordinator for Section E-6 is Dr. Margie Ribble, associate professor of mathematics at Maryville College.

As usual, first, second, and third place trophies will be awarded in six areas and are sponsored by representatives of local sponsoring businesses. (Because of the location change, an awards ceremony at the conclusion of the contest will not be held. Trophies will be delivered to schools at a later date.)

According to Ribble, the major purposes of the contest are (1) to stimulate interest in mathematics in their programs of study, and thereby to raise the level of mathematics competence in Tennessee; and (2) to honor those students who are outstanding in their knowledge of mathematics through appropriate public recognition in their schools and their communities.

The contest is conducted as an academic festival where students represent their school in competition with others at a nearby testing center. These specially selected school representatives compete with each other for pre-eminence in their region and in the state.

The West Chevrolet Scholarship winners will be announced and recognized at this year’s contest. This scholarship, designed to encourage math contest participants to attend Maryville College, is awarded each year to Maryville College students who competed in the statewide contest at Center E-6.

Maryville College is ideally situated in Maryville, Tenn., between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state‘s third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Known for its academic rigor and its focus on the liberal arts, Maryville is where students come to stretch their minds, stretch themselves and learn how to make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2011 semester was 1,078.