Have what it takes to be a PA math-lete?

Pennsylvania’s Math League takes place once a month in Mr. Corey Shinton’s room, 100A.

Every “tournament” lasts only 30 minutes right after school, usually finishing around 3 p.m. where participants answer six open-ended math questions.

Questions range from simple geometry to algebra, statistics, probability, and more. Calculators are allowed, and you get one point for every question you get right.

The questions get harder as you progress in order, with the sixth one being the hardest: “Our sixth question is challenging for the most gifted students,” reports the PA Math League’s website.

But don’t worry; you do not need to be a mathematical prodigy in order to do well in Math League. Math League’s website states that even “an interested ninth or tenth grader should be able to solve three to five of the six problems.”

Aside from improving your math skills, Math League still has more to offer.

December’s Math League tournament boasted homemade cake pops (shout-out Junior Marino), chips, chocolate milk, and cookies. And if the food isn’t enough to convince you, Mr. Shinton may or may not be known to give bonus points in class for those who show up.

It is also a very fun environment, since it isn’t like an actual test. There is no pressure, so you can take more risks (educated guesses can take you far in Math League).

There are no officials, no big tournaments at other schools, and no practices—just Mr. Shinton and a handful of eager high school students meeting once a month to solve math problems.

Around eight to ten students regularly show up this year, with a “good year” retaining around 12 to 15, according to Mr. Shinton.

Senior Samuel Mateer, a Math League regular, said, “It is a great opportunity for students to learn and apply new knowledge, and I think more people should join.”

So far, Beaver Area leads in Beaver County with a cumulative score of 48 points.

The highest scoring team in the tournament in Pennsylvania is Parkland Senior High School in Lehigh County with a top score of 86.

Mr. Shinton, mentor of the 2021-2022 team that placed top-30 in the state, shared his thoughts on this year's season: “It’s going great so far. The students are doing well, but it is hard to compete with the larger schools with 20, 30, even 40 students on a team.”

Interested in joining in the next event? Stop by Mr. Shinton’s room or tune in to the morning announcements to hear the latest news about Math League.

The next Math League event is after school Wednesday (January 15): stop by!