As Port Chester High School students raced through the hallways, they aimed to be the first ones to complete Mu Alpha Theta’s third annual scavenger hunt on March 13. Spearheaded by math teacher Anthony Perciavalle, the students were challenged to solve math problems as fast as possible that led them to different rooms around the school.

“The questions were complex but designed so that students taking any math class could solve them,” Perciavalle said. “They involved more thinking than applying complex math. I hope that students had a good time trying to solve the problems, as well as meeting new math teachers in each of the rooms.”

Once the students answered a math problem correctly, they uncovered the number of the next classroom they were to visit. At the conclusion of the scavenger hunt, the team of Irvin Rodriguez and Cristian Garcia emerged as the winners, and Karla Castillo and Chantal Marquez earned second place. The winning team, which completed the challenge in 20 minutes, won trophies and a large pizza from John’s of Arthur Avenue.

Castillo said she participated in the challenge because of her love of math and rush of adrenaline when competing alongside her friends. Garcia said he participated because he finds puzzling math riddles intriguing and enjoys how mathematics can be applied in real-world scenarios.

“It was a wonderful experience, filled with an exciting, fast-paced and action-packed activity involving quick, logical thinking and mathematical modeling,” said Garcia, a junior and member of the Mu Alpha Theta National High School & Two-Year College Mathematics Honor Society. “What I enjoyed most about the experience was being able to apply mathematical concepts along with motivated classmates formulating a passionate and involved community in an engaging and collaborative atmosphere.”

Date Added: 3/19/2024