Thursday, June 28, 2007

University of North Texas offers Summer Math Institute

For liberal arts types, this would be the equivalent of Dante's sixth (Seventh? Eighth?) circle of Hell.

By John P. Meyer

Quick: what's the square root of the first prime number after 23? And can you plot it in relation to the value of Pi on a cartesian coordinate grid?

If you're like me and you simply couldn't give less of a damn, then UNT's Summer Math Institute - in its seventh July-wasting year - is assuredly not for you.

On the other hand, if you're the type of middle- or high-school kid who wants to get ahead in the math world (and we're talking about skipping high school-level courses in such subjects as geometry, algebra and pre-calculus), then block out July 8 - 28 on your Gregorian calendar and plan to spend 33 hours each week, along with another hour daily of mandatory study hall, immersed in accelerated instruction at the whack-ready ruler-wielding hands of Texas public and private school teachers who have also given up the lion's share of their summer vacations.

Suffer the children to learn harsh math truths: "There'll be no ice cream for you, until you can solve this calculus problem!"

So they're bound to be of cheery disposition.

Seriously, no one will be whacked with rulers (I trust), but it's not like these kids - from Allen, Birdville, Coppell, Dallas, Denton and Plano schools - aren't making a major sacrifice in the interest of enhancing their mathematical smarts: there'll be no swimming, horseback riding or farting around the campfire for these incipient Einsteins.

And get this: on the first day of classes, everyone gets to take a test. WTF! C'mon, Teach, let 'em at least get their dang sock drawers in order... but no, the first day's test is to determine their competency level in their chosen math subject, so they can be assigned chapters for study in their textbooks.

It's just too depressing to recount any further... if you MUST know more, contact Wendy Boyd-Brown, SMI director, at 940-565-4033.

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