With a nod to one of Pink Floyd’s most classic albums, Central Oregon Community College’s (COCC) annual High School Math Contest — first held in 1978 — is staging this year’s event as “Math Side of the Moon,” bringing mathletes from across the region to compete in a series of challenges on the Bend campus from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 17.
Pink Floyd’s 1973 “Dark Side of the Moon” album features a prism on its cover, which is a visual representation of Snell’s Law, a mathematical principle that pertains to the relationship between the angles of incidence and refraction of light.
Approximately 175 high school students from 13 schools across Central Oregon — from Paisley to Mitchell to Sisters — will traverse the college’s campus as they compete in five math-focused challenges, including a relay race, scavenger hunt and a name-that-tune-styled game.
“This is always an annual highlight for our math department, planning a fun day of events and games for math-minded high schoolers, showing them how COCC fully embraces the inspiration of mathematics,” said Jacquie Coe, department chair and associate math professor.
The event, sponsored by Lonza Pharma and Biotech, concludes with an awards presentation. All students must be preregistered. For more information on the event, contact Cinda DeVoe at 541-383-7289 or cdevoe4@cocc.edu.
In advance of college events, persons needing accommodation or transportation because of a physical or mobility disability should contact Caitlyn Gardner at 541-383-7237. For accommodation because of other disability, such as hearing impairment, contact disability services at 541-383-7583.
