Owasso students compete in the 2022 M3 Math Modeling Challenge
By Ronnie Walker
Imagine you’ve been posed with a challenge: spend 14 hours in a team of five solving complex math problems and writing an academic research paper with your findings. If you win, you’re flown to New York City, attend an awards ceremony and receive scholarships. Would you take it?
Photo of a whiteboard containing the senior team’s brainstorming in the challenge. Photo taken by Ronnie Walker.
It’s a tough sell. Most people groan at the prospect of spending 14 hours doing math or writing a research paper let alone both. Few students are insane enough to accept this challenge, but those who do find the rewarding, fulfilling and collaborative experience behind the discouraging pitch.
Amina Kamara, a member of one of the teams, comments, “I felt that I learned a lot about my teammates’ skills, and I made better relationships with the people that I worked with.”
The challenge is nothing like a standard math exam; you’re not tested over any particular material, you don’t memorize formulas or use tedious algorithms. In reality, it comprises three open-ended problems relating to current events. This year, students had to predict if working from home would be the future of business or whether it would phase out.
“[The] answer is something that is crafted entirely by the team,” writes contestant Jack Hicks. “It’s the uniqueness of each answer and the amount of trial and error we go through to reach it that makes it so fun and fulfilling.”
The use of real-world challenges means that teams find genuine, concrete solutions to humanity's actual issues. The eureka moments are another reward; the challenge is an arduous and exhausting process, making those moments of clarity even better.
The hardest part, in reality, is getting a foothold. Many teams spend the first two hours settling in and trying to understand the problem itself and how to arrive at its solution. This is especially true for junior students who don’t have the luxury of experience in the challenge. It may sound insane, given that the challenge comprises three main questions, but 14 hours creates a real time crunch.
Owasso High School has two teams in the challenge, one for juniors and one for seniors. They’re both coached by Mrs. Zamor, so speak with her if you’re interested in joining the challenge.