It is time to bring out your lucky pencils, folks, because Mu Alpha Theta is starting up with a flourish. The club held its Fall Startup event Sept. 29 featuring a 100-problem, 30-minute fast-paced test. Without the use of a calculator, the math teams had to show their skills by solving a variety of questions ranging from simple arithmetic to more advanced calculus.

Mu Alpha Theta President Chris Slagel promotes its importance by stating, “Competitions are pretty fun. I would say that it helps to build math backgrounds considering that Mississippi has a weak background in math overall compared to the rest of America. I think that the club not only insinuates higher learning in that sort of area but also interest in the subject as well.”

Not only can it be enjoyable, but working in this competitive fashion can also prepare the mind for more challenging real-world experiences. Junior member Alana Andrus says, “Mu Alpha Theta is a club where we come together as a team and solve advanced math problems. It’s not just like a math test, you compete like athletics for the brain.”

Vice President Wrishija Roy said, “I have grown a strong interest in mathematics and became very involved in the organization. My involvement showed me how to be a leader through my passion for problem solving, student collaboration and community.”

Math Madness is a tournament where different teams compete with other high schools from all over the country. The competition can be expected to take place in the upcoming days.