The 2008 Clemson Calculus Challenge
The fifth Clemson Calculus Challenge (CCC ) was held on Friday, April 11, 2008, at the Almeda Jacks Ballroom in the Hendrix Student Center. Twenty-one high schools, 167 students, and 46 teams participated in this year's Challenge. Attendance for the 2008 CCC broke the previous record of 131 CCC participants set in 2006. The number of schools competing in the 2008 CCC was nearly double the average number of schools for the first four years and was a 27% increase over the 2006 contest.
Historically, the participating high schools were placed into one of two divisions based on high school enrollment. Awards in various categories and $500 scholarships to Clemson University are given in each division. The upsurge in this year's attendance allowed an increase in the number of divisions to three, again based on high school enrollment.
The high schools that competed in the 2008 CCC are listed in the following table.
| High School | City | State | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. C. Flora HS | Columbia | SC | 11 |
| Benjamin Banneker HS | College Park | GA | 6 |
| Blythewood HS | Blythwood | SC | 12 |
| Broome HS | Spartanburg | SC | 8 |
| Chestatee HS | Gainesville | GA | 4 |
| Chester HS | Chester | SC | 7 |
| Dutch Fork HS | Irmo | SC | 3 |
| Goose Creek HS | Goose Creek | SC | 12 |
| Grayson HS | Loganville | GA | 8 |
| Irmo HS | Irmo | SC | 2 |
| Monsignor Donovan Catholic HS | Athens | GA | 4 |
| Mount de Sales Academy | Macon | GA | 8 |
| Ninety Six HS | Ninety Six | SC | 6 |
| North Clayton HS | College Park | GA | 9 |
| Oconee County HS | Watkinsville | GA | 12 |
| Palmetto HS | Williamston | SC | 9 |
| Renaissance HS | Charlotte | NC | 4 |
| R. L. Osborne HS | Marietta | GA | 12 |
| Spartanburg Day School | Spartanburg | SC | 10 |
| Spring Valley HS | Columbia | SC | 12 |
| White County HS | Cleveland | GA | 12 |
The substantial increase in number of participating schools in the 2008 CCC was a result of two factors. First, sending roughly 30% more invitations yielded an increase of about 30% over the 2006 attendance. Secondly, and perhaps, most importantly, we were awarded a $15,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to expand the 2008 CCC to a more regional contest. The bulk of the grant money was spent funding travel for our participating schools. Without this funding, several of the 2008 participants indicated they would not have attended the CCC .
The NSF support allowed us to host a teacher get-together during the morning portion of the CCC . The teachers gathered in the Multipurpose Room at the Hendrix Center for refreshments, conversation, instructions concerning travel reimbursement, and a presentation by Dr. Neil Caulkin. Dr. Caulkin, an associate professor in the Mathematical Sciences Department, gave a short talk about the connection between origami and mathematics. To further illustrate this connection, he led the teachers through a folding exercise that resulted in an origami object that approximates a hyperbolic paraboloid. This presentation was repeated during the awards ceremony for the students.
Awards
Dean Esin Gulari (College of Engineering and Science) and Chair Robert Taylor (Mathematical Sciences) were 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
| Place | Winner | School |
|---|---|---|
| First | Tori Akin* | Mount de Sales Academy |
| Second | Adam Purvis* | Mount de Sales Academy |
| Third | Nick Maeder | White County HS |
 |
 |
 |
| Place | Winner | School |
|---|---|---|
| First | Ian Taylor* | A. C. Flora HS |
| Second | Victoria Buckingham* | A. C. Flora HS |
| Third | Joy Ouyang | Oconee County HS |
 |
 |
 |
| Place | Winner | School |
|---|---|---|
| First | Ben Cousins* | Irmo HS |
| Second | Kevin McBrayer* | Goose Creek HS |
| Third | Bryson Howard | Dutch Fork HS |
Team Awards
| Place | Winner | School |
|---|---|---|
| First | No sin(help) | Mount de Sales Academy |
| Second | Mathletes | Spartanburg Day School |
| Third | Q-T-π’s | Palmetto HS |
 |
 |
 |
| Place | Winner | School |
|---|---|---|
| First | I wish I was your integral so I could cover the area between your curves | A. C. Flora HS |
| Second | The Denominators | Oconee County HS |
| Third | I wish you were sin2 and I was cos2 so we could be one | A. C. Flora HS |
 |
 |
 |
| Place | Winner | School |
|---|---|---|
| First | Irmo Domination | Irmo HS |
| Second | LOL | Spring Valley HS |
| Third | Aboriginal Newts | Grayson HS |
School Awards
 |
 |
 |
| Division | Place | School |
|---|---|---|
| I | First | Mount de Sales Academy |
| I | Second | Spartanburg Day School |
| I | Third | White County HS |
| II | First | A. C. Flora HS |
| II | Second | Oconee County HS |
| II | Third | R. L. Osborne HS |
| III | First | Irmo HS |
| III | Second | Spring Valley HS |
| III | Third | Grayson HS |
 |
 |
Most Creative Team Names
 |
 |
 |
| Division | Team Name | School |
|---|---|---|
| I | Limit Breakers | Benjamin Banneker HS |
| II | Four Men, One Answer | R. L. Osborne HS |
| III | Re-Monsignor Sums | Monsignor Donovan Catholic HS |
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.