The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science participated in the 2016 CoMAP Math Competition in Modeling (AKA that thirty-six-hour math competition; AKA that competition only math masochists would sign up for). The competition took place on the first floor of Hooper Building. Starting on Friday, November 11 at eleven o’clock A.M., top secret manila envelopes containing vital contest information and two math modeling questions were distributed to each group. Only one math modeling question could be chosen: planning the most efficient triathlon route to reduce the time cars could not be on the road, or planning a system of warehouses across America that allowed one-day shipping to the entire country.

Recently, an audio diary, a captain’s log, if you will, was recently discovered. It is a recount of the grueling thirty-six hours of this competition.

Hour 1: Captain’s log, November eleven, eleven o’clock A.M. The competition has just started. Hehe. I get to skip class. Anyways, we just got our manila folders and we need to claim a math teacher’s room for the next thirty-six hours. We have much to do, so we mustn’t waste a single minute. Wait, what- you guys are going to lunch? But the competition- ok fine. Let’s just read over the problems during lunch.

Hour 2: Captain’s log, November eleven, twelve o’clock P.M. We still haven’t decided on a problem.

Hour 3: Captain’s log, November eleven, one o’clock P.M. We still haven’t decided on a problem.

Hour 4: Captain’s log, November eleven, two o’clock P.M. We finally decided on a problem. Thank god.

Hour 5: Captain’s log, November eleven, three o’clock P.M. Ok, like, we were going to do the warehouse problem because the triathlon one seems real dumb, but now the warehouse one, upon further work, seems really dumb too. I don’t know; things aren’t looking too hot.

Hour 6: Captain’s log, November- no, Lewis, you can’t be the captain. What? Because I’m making the captain’s log. It’s not a captain’s log if I’m not the captain of the team! It would just be like, log. How lame does that sound?

Hour 7: Captain’s log- yes, Lewis, I am going to say Captain’s log, the date, and the hour every time. Hey, somebody’s got to do it! It is not annoying. Andy, Vivian, do you think it’s annoying- oh, ok gee don’t answer all at once. I didn’t ask for your opinions anyways.

Hour 8: Captain’s log, November whatever, whatever o’clock, because apparently, nobody cares what date or the time it is. The teachers kicked us out of Hooper thirty minutes ago for some reason. They explained why, but I wasn’t listening. I’m going to go get Taco Bell.

Hour 9: Captain’s log, November forty-two, sixty-two o’clock. We have officially claimed Mrs. McWhorter’s room. It’s the room with the coffee machine and all the snickity-snacks. Yeah, it’s a word, Lewis. Shut up Lewis. There’s even a bowl of grapes; we are going to be so healthy.

Hour 10: Captain’s log. Nobody cares about the date and time. The team is going strong; we have just finished coloring a map of America with some cool colored pencils we found in the room. This is the stuff math modeling is made of, everyone.

Hour 11: Captain’s log. Holy cow, we should’ve gone with the triathlon problem. Is it too late to switch now? We only have twenty-five hours left in the competition.

Hour 12: Captain’s log. November eleven, ten o’clock P.M. Today, we mourn the loss of one of our team members we lost this hour. The Taco Bell got to her. Rest in peace.

Hour 13: Captain’s log, November eleven, eleven o’clock P.M. Did I mention that there’s a giant bowl of Nerds candy next to the grape bowl, and another bowl of Kit-Kats next to the Nerds bowl?

For the next six hours, the audio recordings are just made up of groans, incoherent complaining, and a whole lot of uuuuuuuuggggghhhhhhhhhhh’s.

Hour 18: Captain’s log…. Whatever, I don’t know…. I’m going to sleep now. I have created a makeshift- yawns– bed by pushing together desks and putting a blanket over them.

Hour 19: Captain’s log. The desk is very uncomfortable.

Hour 20: Captain’s log. The desk is still very uncomfortable.

Hour 21: Captain’s log, November twelve, seven or eight o’clock? I hear voices coming from Hooper Lobby. I have a pounding headache too. I blame the desk. There’s sunlight streaming in through the windows… It’s beautiful. Dipal is sitting on the ground in the sun. I’m going to go join her. I have not felt the sweet touch of the sun in what seems like years.

Hour 22: I ACCIDENTALLY FELL ASLEEP ON THE COUCH FOR AN HOUR, AND I TOLD ANDY I WOULD ONLY BE GONE FOR A FEW MINUTES. RIP ME.

Hour 23: Captain’s log. I have lost track of time. My head hurts. Haydn gave me a Tylenol pill she found at the bottom of her purse.

The next twelve hours of audio files were corrupted- a metaphor for how the minds of the participants have become corrupted over the course of this competition. #deep. But seriously, we can’t recover the audio from these hours.

Hour 35: I HAVE BEEN RUNNING SOLELY ON NERDS CANDY AND COFFEE FOR THE PAST TWELVE HOURS.

For the thirty-sixth hour, the “captain” slowly read out what seems to be a website URL.

Hour 36: https://i.imgur.com/Pnph2h.jpg

When the URL was typed in, this image appeared: