By Nicholas Sathi ’20

Chaminade students have the reputation of being well-rounded and resourceful, but some students take the time and effort to become even more advanced in specific subjects. The school offers a wide variety of clubs and activities through which students with these particular interests can thrive.

For those interested in mathematics, Chaminade’s Math Club has much to offer. The club is divided into three main sections. The extra help section, run by Mr. Peter Carriero ’96, allows for students to offer extra help to their peers who struggle with their math classes. This offering takes place every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The other two sections; run by Mrs. Carol Leotta, assisted by Mr. Michael Strandberg ’09; meet every Tuesday. The first of these sections allows students to present talks on various topics in the mathematics field, some of which are not commonly studied in high school. The final section is the Mathletes program. This group also gathers on Tuesdays. The Mathletes program, however, is unique. While the other sections seek to aid other students’ understanding of math concepts, the Mathletes program involves competition among students from both Chaminade and other schools.

This year, students in Mathletes participated in several competitions on Long Island, demonstrating their incredible capabilities in solving challenging math problems. The Flyers are able to compete in a host of different events. Many events are part of the Nassau County Interscholastic Mathematics League (NCIML). Through this league, Chaminade’s math scholars compete for both an individual rank and an overall school rank. Another type of competition is through the New York Math League (NYML), a state-wide league where students also compete for an individual and school rank. Lastly, some competitions are  similar to exhibition matches in a sport. These exhibition matches do not count toward a league score, but awards are distributed at the end of each match. This year’s competitions, especially those in the NICML, highlighted the talent and hard work of Chaminade’s Mathletes.

The NCIML hosts six competitions annually. Each school in the league is placed within a small group of schools that are located near each other. Students travel to one of the few schools within their small groups to attend competitions. Chaminade is in a group with Garden City High School, Herricks High School, and Mineola High School. Competitions in this league involve one exam with six questions. Students have half an hour to answer the six questions, and for every correct answer, competitors earn one point that counts toward a cumulative season score. The Mathletes take exams individually at five of the competitions, and at the last one, students participate as one team.

This year, one Chaminade student in particular experienced tremendous success in the individual competitions. Drew Kuroda ’19 tied for 19th place out of over 1,000 registered Nassau County students in Mathletes, as he answered correctly 26 out of the total 30 questions throughout the season. This impressive run qualified him for the All-Star Team, which accepts the top 50 ranked students in Nassau County. Practices for the All-Star Team are held every Thursday from 4:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. at the Wheatley School in Old Westbury, New York. Currently, Drew with his fellow advanced mathematics students from other schools is preparing for the New York State Mathematics League competition, taking place on April 6, 2019 in Middletown, New York. All-Star Team members will then resume practices again in May in order to prepare for the American Regions Mathematics League competition, happening from May 31 through June 1 at Penn State University. These events will be challenging and exciting experiences for Drew as he will apply his skills and training alongside other talented mathematicians.

Reflecting on the success of this past season, assistant moderator Mr. Michael Strandberg ’09 said, “We are very proud of Drew and his accomplishments, as well as those of the team overall.”

Drew, who participated on the All-Star Team two years ago, said of this amazing opportunity, “Being able to participate on a team with the best Mathletes in the county is always a privilege for me. I look forward to learning from other bright students and furthering my own abilities.”

Although Drew will be graduating this year, he has demonstrated a pathway for more success and achievement for others on the Mathletes team. Chaminade’s Mathletes have been supporting and learning from Drew’s success, and the team will continue striving to improve its skills for next season.