Math Club: An Opportunity for All Majors

Lebanon Valley College offers countless opportunities for students to get involved on campus outside the classroom. 

At the beginning of each semester, an activities fair is held on the Social Quad to inform students regarding which extracurricular activities are available. These clubs give students the chance to get more involved with clubs and organizations that of personal interest, and one of these organizations—Math Club—has been making waves on campus for quite some time.

Math Club is open to all students on campus. In addition to gaining valuable personal experience, students with widespread interests and skills help the club as a whole with its two major events throughout the year: The Math Olympics and Quiz Bowl.

During the fall semester, approximately 100 Cornwall Elementary fifth graders fill the Edward H. Arnold Sports Center, excited to compete in the Math Olympics. These kids are split into teams, and they compete in sports such as shot put, discus, javelin, soccer, and baseball. But before each event, they complete a math quiz that can help them gain extra points. After getting these points tallied, teams move on to semifinal and final rounds, competing in mental math competitions to determine a Math Olympics winning team. 

The event not only encourages younger generations to see that math can be fun, but it is also a rewarding experience for the LVC students who volunteer. 

“My favorite part of this event was seeing the energy that the kids brought,” said Math Club vice president Stephen Shelly ’18. “My main role as an officer this year was organizing this event and, naturally, I was nervous about how it would go. However, seeing the kids get as excited about math and sports as they did was a relief and great to see.”

The club’s goal to inspire students doesn’t stop there. During the second semester, a Quiz Bowl takes place on campus. This event, which offers a buzzer-style math competition for area high school students, is another exciting time for Math Club and the LVC community as a whole. 

“The Quiz Bowl allows dedicated students to showcase the knowledge that they’ve been accumulating throughout high school,” said former Math Club president Chase Yetter ’17, who organized the event last year. “It gives them an opportunity to have a friendly competition with other like-minded individuals, and it also gives a chance for LVC students to shed a light on what it’s like to study mathematics at the college level.”

The club is beginning to add even more to its list of yearly events, including this spring’s trip to the MoMath museum in New York City. Kaleb Hamme ’17, this year’s president, hopes to see the club get even more active on campus in the years to come.

Math Club helps prepare LVC students professionally and personally, giving them time to work with kids and young adults, helping inspire them to see that math skills are valuable. The club is a great representation of what LVC expects of its students, and new members from all majors are welcome to join.