Problem of the Week - trig edition

Hello all,

I am posting this PoW because it was an important Hoffman test question that has left many Calc I students stumped! This problem of the week will be in addition to making your sides-vertices chart for the polyhedra, which will prepare you for the hands-on project on Nov 13. Have fun!

Problem of the Week

This is preparation for our hands-on project, which will take place next meeting on Nov. 13, 4-5p.

What is the relationship between the sides of a platonic solid and its vertices? Create a chart of polyhedra. If you can't figure it out, please come to Math Club at least knowing what polyhedra and Platonic solids are. You have two weeks. Go!

October 30 Agenda: Sell Pies

Hello! Remember that our meeting this Thursday is cancelled due to the Halloween event. I hope you all come and help us sell pies!

Remember, the theme is trig. (Because pi).

So, get your Pi Scholar on. Students who buy pie can answer a trig question to get a stupid sticker. Show up early to help us decorate. We are sharing Table #8 with Robotics.

Also, I bought us all scary math test costumes.

Event: ASCC Halloween Town, Canada College Upper Quad
9:30a-1:15, 4:45p-7:15

Oct. 23 2014 Minutes

Hello ALLLLL!!!!!!!!!!

We had a guest speaker come in, Rachel Rankin.  She is a lovely, Canada alumni who went on to UCLA for her undergraduate degree in Applied Mathematics and UCSC for a master's degree in Economics.  Now, she is working at facebook.  Yes, it is the same facebook that most of us use daily.  Good for her.

For the first ten minutes, she talked about her general path.  She was interested in a bunch of different majors here in Canada, but eventually landed on mathematics.  She spoke of why she ended up going to UCSC and why she dropped out of her Phd program.  Lastly, she talked about the difficulties in finding work in this area.  Apparently, it is all about who you know.  Shocker there.

The next 50 minutes were spent as an open question forum.  People asked excellent questions about the types of classes she was taking to what kinds of universities she would go to.  There was a huge reign of questions.  Most were asked by Prezident Becca Sizzle; way to monopolize Rachel the entire time.

I personally think that I asked the most meaningful of all the questions, "Many of us feel like there are classes that make you feel terrible and thinking that you are never going to get through it.  Has this ever happened to you and how did you deal with it?"  Best question of the night; I am giving myself a gold star.  She gave me a really thoughtful answer.  She said that a lot of what we are thinking is an internalized criticism and that it is important to know yourself, know how you think in order to push past those fears.

All in all, we had a pretty good time with Rachel.  I hope she comes back next year and does this again.

P.S. Sorry Becca for not taking attendance.  I will get on that junk next time.

AJ OOOOUUUUUUUUUUUTTT!!!!!!!!

Oct. 16 Minutes

Meeting Oct. 16

Hey everyone!!!  Sorry I am writing this blog so late.  I have had junk and stuff to do. 

Thursday’s math club meeting was a refreshing change from our normally busy and hectic meetings to a slow and relaxing discussion (if you think that getting voluntold to commit to being places and doing certain tasks is relaxing). 

We kicked off the meeting with an “in your face” kind of question.  The question was, “have you ever stopped going to class and why?”  Well, once I got over the initial shock of the question, I decided to go along with the exercise because, you know, why not?  I personally told an intense tale of guile and intrigue about my time in pre-calculus.  Yes, I had taken it multiple times and yes, it was because I was a dumb teenager hopped up on hormones.  Others in the club told their heartfelt struggles with math and I could sympathize.  The struggle is real.

Antonia volunteered (actual volunteer not voluntold) to become the Commissioner of Community Outreach!  I don’t even know what that means exactly, but I feel like it may be important.  Apparently, Antonia’s got some connections or something in that area.  She is going to be leading the way for the Julia Robinson Festival in Redwood City and the various volunteer tutoring opportunities in the area.

Halloween is fast approaching.  Tons of people volunteered to be at the table and we decided on all dressing up as math tests.  Well, I know math exams are scary for the rest of the population, but personally I love them so much that I wouldn’t mind rolling around in math exams.  Actually, that is how I am going to get all the math exams on me.  I am going to roll around in them with glue until they stick to me.

I think everyone has agreed on the whole pi stickers idea.  I thought we went over that last week, but lord knows that I enjoy talking about pi stickers every week.  It is in fact my favorite topic of discussion. 

Next week we have a guest speaker that works at facebook.  She went to Canada years ago, so she may know some things about the education process through STEM.  Let’s all welcome her as warmly as possible.

We talked about more stuff like the conferences, but there are only a handful of people who are going, so I do not to sully this blog with stuff that doesn’t apply to everyone.  Yes…occasionally, even I am considerate. 

Aj OUT!!!!!!!!!!

Update from Friday's ICC Proposal Prep Meeting

Here is an outline of what we expect to talk about during our funding request proposal at the Inter Club Council Meeting on Tues, Oct 21 at 2:30 in the ASCC Clubhouse. Antonia and I will be filling in the details and creating a short PowerPoint Presentation to accompany the outline during the next Prep meeting, which is today (Mon, Oct 20, 2-3pm) in the STEM Center. Stay tuned for more details.

Math Club Conference Proposal

I. Why Math Conferences?

A. Opportunities for Canada College Students to present research that is directly applicable to other Canada College Students

B. Opportunities for Math Majors to meet and network with real mathematicians 

C. Opportunities for non-math majors to expand their horizons, learn, and help others

II. CMC Cubed

A. Date, times, location

B. What is it?

C. Registration fees and conference meals

D. Non-conference meals

E. Travel (gas)

F. Total 

III. Joint Mathematics Meeting

A. Date, times, location

B. What is it?

C. Registration fees and conference meals

D. Minicourses 

E. Non-conference meals

F. Travel (gas or fly?)

G. Small student stipend 

H. Total

IV. Conclusion

A. What we need from you

B. Thank you

Oct 16 agenda and powerpoint

The PowerPoint for today's meeting can be found at Rebecca's Math Club Google Drive folder:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-xhk5doiLBFNm1oVlhUWjFsZjA/view?usp=sharing

Data for Cañada College Student Equity Plan

Please follow this link to access the data for Math Club's research idea on Inequality in Math Education before the next meeting.

http://www.canadacollege.edu/prie/pdfs/Student%20Equity%20Plan%20tables_Completed.pdf

Oct. 9 Minutes Read Me!!!

Oct 9, 2014 Meeting

Oh hey guys!  We are back with normal meetings.  Yes, that does mean all of us sitting around a round table like King Arthur and Sir Lancelot, except without the soap opera drama surrounding fair Guinevere. 

Most of the meeting was dedicated to discussing Joint Mathematics Meeting.  Signups for JMM travel scholarship is finished tomorrow, so get there.  As Arnold would say, “Get to Da signups!”    We need a budget to be discussed for each person, so we know the breakdown of costs to be presented to the ICC meeting.  Jesus will be taking care of that.  Apparently, he is taking care of all the financial stuff.  The treasurer is actually doing things….crazy.

Hallows Eve is vastly approaching and we have to do some junk for the ASCC’s Halloween Bash on the 30^th.  Why is it on the 30^th and not the 31^st?  The world may never know.  Well, I mean I don’t know, therefore, the world doesn’t know.  I was voluntold to make a poster for Math Club.  I think it has to be all Halloweeny or something.  I think I am just going to put fake cobwebs on it and call it a day.  That should be a rule of thumb for everything: “When in doubt, put cobwebs on it.”

Can someone get some Pi Pies?  Yeah, we are talking to you.  Spread your wings and ask people about donating pumpkin pies to us.  Imagine Uncle Sam pointing at you in a patriotic and menacing way.  This is your civic duty right here.  We need you guys.

Oh yeah.  We colored some Sierpinski triangles.  (As a side note, Sierpinski is a really difficult name to spell.  What the hell?  Why can’t there be more mathematicians with easily pronounceable names?)  The triangles were fun.  I think we connected them at the end of the meeting to make one super triangle.  With our forces combined, we will make a super triangle!!  “Captain ‘Pinski, he’s our hero!!  Gonna take math illiteracy down to zero.” (Yes, that is a captain planet reference for our older readers.)

Btw, the Amazing Mike was not there.  We missed you, Hoff Man.  Thanks, Lapuz for coming instead.  We appreciate it.

Aj out!!!

Oct 9 Meeting PowerPoint and JMM Travel Scholarship Presentation Application!!!!!

Go to this link to see information about the JMM that I presented yesterday:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-xhk5doiLBFT2dDSk0zNTFNOHc/view?usp=sharing

Here is a link that will take you directly to the JMM Travel Scholarship Presentation App:

http://forms.maa.org/r/papertalks/add.aspx

Here is the name of my research presentation: Inequality in Mathematics Education

Here is the advisor information:
Michael Hoffman
hoffmanm@smccd.edu
(650) 306-3346

ICC Report(s) from Sept. 23 & Oct. 7.

Here is what you need to know about the past two ICC meetings:

1. Collaboration: ASCC would like to see clubs interact. An example would how we, Math Club, are sharing a table with Robotics Club for Oct. 30th Halloween event.

2. Incentive: Speaking about major events, did you know that ASCC is holding a Disneyland-themed Halloween event? Everyone is encouraged to dress up as there will be a cash prizes; also the club that has the most decorative table/engaging activities will win $50 for their club's account (or $25 for our case since we are sharing a table).

3. WE NEED VOLUNTEERS! If you are available to help us man our table on Thursday, October 30, 2014 from either 9am-12:45pm or 4:45pm-7:15pm, please let me know.

-End of report.-

Oct 9 Meeting Agenda

Date: Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014
Time: 4-5pm
Location: 9-257A
Officers in Attendance: President Becca, Treasurer Jesus, Secretary AJ, ICC Liaison Antonia
Not sure: Propagandist Lee and Commissioner of Publicity Ryan Carroll
Absent: VP Try duh

4:00-4:05 Overview of agenda
4:05-4:10 Warm-up
4:10-4:20 Joint Mathematics Meetings: Research and Travel Scholarship Opportunities
                 Rebecca's research abstract
                 Sign-ups
4:20-4:25 Halloween Fundraising: Pi Pies
                 Sign-ups
                 Allocation of duties (pies, whipped cream, math problems, signs, cash box)
4:25-4:30 Antonia's Report
                 Inter Club Counsel
                 Associated Students of Canada College
                 Other Clubs
                 Fundraising and requests
4:30-4:35 Community Outreach Opportunities
                 1 hour/week K-12 Tutoring in San Carlos
                 Julia Robinson Math Festival Helpers at Stanford
                 Stanford MOOC: How to Learn Math
4:35-4:40 Math Occupational Outlook
                 Types of occupations
                 Salary
                 Sign-ups: Would you like to present a Math Ideas?
4:40-4:45 Math Internships and Scholarships
4:45-5:00 Upcoming events (see blog calendar)

Important: Please note that today's MATLAB tutorial has been canceled due to urgent matters of Club Business needing to be settled! We'll do MATLAB Next week.

Also note that Friday "optional" meetings/brainstorming sessions have been canceled until further notice due to UC visits and other Friday activities.

Check out this awesome book...

ASCC Halloween 2014

Come join us to celebrate Halloween and show Math Club spirit!
Sign up by emailing President Rebecca at rreus@my.smccd.edu

We will be selling Pumpkin Pi Pies (from Safeway). Anyone who buys a Pumpkin Pi Pie gets a Pi Scholar sticker (recycled from last year). Ryan- any chance we could get pies donated from the Cheesecake Factory?

Tabling shifts:

9:00am-12:45 ??? Antonia D La Torre (first 45 min), AJ (9-11), Jesus (after 9:25)

4:45-7:15pm Rebecca Reus, Antonia De La Torre, Diego Ramirez, AJ,

Club Minutes: Oct. 2, 2014

Math Club Minutes Oct. 2, 2014:

We had casino night and the Mexican cokes were a hit.  Also, the croissants were fantastic.  I am glad Cody brought in some of his own snacks for the club.  Everyone thank him when you see him. 

Professor Tong and Professor Lapuz joined us for the casino fun madness.  I hope they had an excellent time helping with the probability questions and gambling…well faux gambling anyway.  I thought it was really interesting learner how the gambling odds are actually not the same as the actual probability to win….WHAT?!!  I know…the casinos lie to us. 

I lost some fake money last night, too.  Math club was rolling in my fake, loaned money.  The monopoly man would have been proud.

The last 15 minutes were spent talking about blackjack.  We played a couple hands while Alain talked about how easy it is to count cards…showoff.  Well I think overall the night was extremely successful.  We played two different games, talked about some math (occasionally) and had a good time while doing it.  The only thing that would make it better would be if we could somehow convince the school to allow alcohol to the meetings.  Man, life would be good.

Aj Out!!!!

10/2 Casino Night Agenda

10/2/14 Math Club Meeting Agenda

Casino Night: Hands-On Pro

Attending Officers: Secretary A_j, Prez. Bex-Sizzle, Treasurer Jesus, ICC Liaison Antonia, Propagandist Lee

Attending Advisors: Profs. Tong and Hoffman

Planned Absences: Commissioner of Publicity Ryan, VP Try

4:00 Eat dinner, problem of the week from 2 weeks ago (see problem of the week below)

4:10 Intro to Roulette with Prezident Bex Sauce

4:20 Play Roulette

         Finish the Odds/Probability Chart, Create a Graph

4:30 Intro to Blackjack with Treasurer Jesus Lopez

4:40 Play blackjack

4:50 Best Math Club T-Shit Ever Contest

         Demo: Iron Chris’s idea for the First Best Math Club Shirt Ever