Washburn University to Host Annual Math Day for High School Students Nov. 15

      Topeka, Kan. - Washburn University will host the annual Math Day event for high school students from all over northeast Kansas Tuesday, Nov. 15 from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Washburn Rooms A and B in the Memorial Union. The Math Day event is sponsored by the Washburn University mathematics and statistics department and is free for all participating schools.

      Math Day is a Washburn tradition dating back to 1969. On a Tuesday in November each year, high school students come to Washburn to compete in a 40-question competitive mathematics exam. Teachers accompanying the students have a discussion of current issues of importance to mathematics educators and/or participate in activities ready for the mathematics classroom. 

      After lunch is served, students from each school work as a team to try to win the Mathnificent Race. This competition, introduced at the 2013 Math Day, includes a scavenger hunt on the Washburn University campus for information required to solve a sequence of problems as quickly as possible. The first team to finish wins a plaque, but every team that completes all of the problems correctly wins a small prize.

      In the afternoon, there is an awards ceremony honoring the students’ achievements. The top three individual scorers in the senior and non-senior categories receive medals, and the top three scorers from each school receive ribbons. Plaques are awarded to top teams and to the top overall scorer. There are also door-prize drawings for both the students and the teachers.

      In 2021, Om Watson from Washburn Rural High School earned the overall top score on the exam. Washburn Rural High School also placed first in the 6A team awards. Seaman High School placed first in the 5A round, Eudora High School placed first in 4A/3A and Atchison County Community High School placed first in 1A/2A. Olathe South High School won the Mathnificent Race.

Schedule:

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