The 2019 Hurricane Mathfest was sponsored by The University of Tulsa Department of Mathematics and included two separate competitions: a girls-only team challenge for local girls in grades three through eight and a high school individual and team competition.
The competition
In the girls-only team event, 136 girls from the following schools competed on 34 teams in two divisions: upper elementary and middle school.
- Bristow Middle School
- Carver Middle School
- Cascia Hall Preparatory School
- Cleveland Elementary School
- Collins Elementary (Bristow)
- Eisenhower Elementary School
- Gilcrease Elementary School
- Gilcrease Middle School
- Holland Hall
- Kendall-Whittier Elementary School
- McLain Junior High School
- Memorial Junior High school
- Monroe Demonstration Academy
- Thoreau Demonstration Academy
- Union 6th and 7th Grade Center
- Warner Elementary School
- Daniel Webster Middle School
- Westside Elementary School (Claremore)
- Zarrow Elementary School
Helping hands
The TU student chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) co-sponsored this year’s event. SWE members greeted participants at registration, served as proctors
for testing, delivered snacks, graded exams and organized math games during breaks.
The group also provided T-shirts for the event, but most importantly, served as TU ambassadors, promoting degree programs in the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences.
TU female engineering and science students often volunteer to help raise awareness of the importance of mathematics.
Math + Confidence = Fun
Hurricane Mathfest volunteer Gloria Lee, a mechanical engineering sophomore, explained the valuable role that mathematics can have in the lives of young women. “It’s important to encourage them. If you put your mind to it, whether or not you think you’re the best, as long as you give 110%, you can work hard and apply yourself,” Lee said.
Fellow volunteer Caroline Yaeger is majoring in mathematics and economics and plans to pursue a career that educates others in math. “If you look at it the right way, the challenge of math can be fun,” she said. “The field of math, science, technology and engineering is difficult, but that’s part of the fun of it.”
