The 2012 Clemson Calculus Challenge
The ninth annual Clemson Calculus Challenge (CCC ) took place on Friday, April 20, 2012 in the Hendrix Student Center on the Clemson University campus. The contest continues to draw a near capacity crowd: 223 students from 34 regional high schools participated in the one-day high school calculus competition. The National Science Foundation, the College of Engineering and Science at Clemson University, and the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Clemson University sponsored the event.
The CCC has enjoyed steady growth in participation levels in the past few years. As a result, the competition was becoming too crowded for the Hendrix Student Center facilities. Since the inception of the CCC , schools were permitted to bring up to twelve students. In order to ensure that the CCC would be able to host a large number of schools and remain in the Hendrix Student Center, the maximum number of students allowed from each school was dropped to eight for the 2012 CCC . This change did not discourage schools from attending. Two hundred sixty-one students from 37 high schools registered for the 2012 CCC . Last minute cancellations reduced the actual numbers to 223 students from 34 schools.
The thirty-four regional high schools were subdivided into three divisions based on school enrollment. The division numbers increased with school enrollment; thus Division 1 schools had the smallest enrollments, while Division 3 contained the schools with the largest student populations. Awards in various categories and $500 scholarships to Clemson University are given in each division.
The high schools that competed in the 2012 CCC are listed in the following table.
| High School | City | State | Division | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Magnet HS | North Charleston | SC | 1 | 4 |
| A. C. Flora HS | Columbia | SC | 2 | 6 |
| Augusta Area Homeschoolers | Augusta | GA | 1 | 4 |
| Bishop England HS | Charleston | SC | 1 | 8 |
| Charlotte Country Day | Charlotte | NC | 1 | 5 |
| Chestatee HS | Gainesville | GA | 2 | 8 |
| Chesterfield HS | Chesterfield | SC | 1 | 2 |
| D. W. Daniel HS | Central | SC | 2 | 8 |
| Druid Hills HS | Atlanta | GA | 3 | 4 |
| Dunwoody HS | Dunwoody | GA | 2 | 8 |
| Dutch Fork HS | Irmo | SC | 3 | 4 |
| Emerald HS | Greenwood | SC | 1 | 8 |
| Goose Creek HS | Goose Creek | SC | 2 | 8 |
| Greenwood HS | Greenwood | SC | 2 | 4 |
| Hammond School | Columbia | SC | 1 | 8 |
| James F. Byrnes HS | Duncan | SC | 3 | 8 |
| Kennesaw Mountain HS | Kennesaw | GA | 3 | 8 |
| Mount de Sales Academy | Macon | GA | 1 | 4 |
| Mountain View HS | Lawrenceville | GA | 3 | 7 |
| North Forsyth HS | Cumming | GA | 3 | 8 |
| North Oconee HS | Bogart | GA | 2 | 4 |
| Oconee County HS | Watkinsville | GA | 2 | 6 |
| Parkview HS | Lilburn | GA | 3 | 5 |
| Pendleton HS | Pendleton | SC | 1 | 7 |
| Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology | Conyers | GA | 1 | 8 |
| South Aiken HS | Aiken | SC | 2 | 8 |
| South Florence HS | Florence | SC | 2 | 6 |
| South Forsyth HS | Cumming | GA | 3 | 8 |
| Southside HS | Greenville | SC | 1 | 8 |
| Spartanburg Day School | Spartanburg | SC | 1 | 8 |
| Spring Valley HS | Columbia | SC | 3 | 7 |
| Tattnall Square Academy | Macon | GA | 1 | 8 |
| Wade Hampton HS | Greenville | SC | 2 | 8 |
| West Forsyth HS | Cumming | GA | 3 | 8 |
The research presentation was delivered by Professor Jerry Tessendorf, Professor of Visual Computing, and Director of the Digital Production Arts Program. The talk, entitled “Theatrical Calculus,” revealed how calculus-based mathematics can be used to produce the computer effects seen in modern movies. The lecture was well received and sure to alter how one perceives future movies.
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Awards
Associate Dean Randy Collins and Department of Mathematical Sciences Coordinator of Instruction Chris Cox was on hand to assist with the conferring of awards. Each school was placed in one of three divisions based on the enrollment of the school. Trophies were awarded in each division for first, second, and third place finishes in three categories: individual test, team competition, and overall school performance. Five hundred dollar scholarships to Clemson University were also granted to the first and second place finishers in the morning exam in each division. Lastly, an award for the most creative team name was given in each division. The following awards were made.
Individual Awards
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| Place | Winner | School |
|---|---|---|
| First | Akshay Chandrasekhar | Southside High School |
| Second | Brandon Read | Mount de Sales Academy |
| Third | Patrick Dynes | Bishop England High School |
| Place | Winner | School |
|---|---|---|
| First | Hardie Cate | A. C. Flora High School |
| Second | Gray Williams | A. C. Flora High School |
| Third | Porter Rivers | A. C. Flora High School |
| Place | Winner | School |
|---|---|---|
| First | David Qu | Spring Valley High School |
| Second | Abhinav Gianey | Spring Valley High School |
| Third | Sean Dai | South Forsyth High School |
Team Awards
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| Place | Winner | School |
|---|---|---|
| First | Optimus Prime Bishop England | Bishop England High School |
| Second | Seal Team sin(x)/n | Augusta Area Homeschoolers |
| Third | The Goon Squad | Southside High School |
| Place | Winner | School |
|---|---|---|
| First | Ask us about up dog | A. C. Flora High School |
| Second | Thomas and the Tangents | Wade Hampton High School |
| Third | dW/dx | D. W. Daniel High School |
| Place | Winner | School |
|---|---|---|
| First | C.A.L.C.U.L.U.S. (Creativity And Limitlessness Causes Uniquely Lavish Ubiquitous Students) | Parkview High School |
| Second | Lentigration by Parts | Spring Valley High School |
| Third | Houston Eulers | South Forsyth High School |
School Awards
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| Division | Place | School |
|---|---|---|
| I | First | Bishop England High School |
| I | Second | Southside High School |
| I | Third | Augusta Area Homeschoolers |
| II | First | A. C. Flora High School |
| II | Second | D.W. Daniel High School |
| II | Third | Wade Hampton High School |
| III | First | Spring Valley High School |
| III | Second | South Forsyth High School |
| III | Third | Parkview High School |
We are grateful to our sponsors:
College of Engineering and Science | Department of Mathematical Sciences
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.