FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – January 21, 2011

MENDOCINO COLLEGE, 1000 Hensley Creek Road, Ukiah, CA 95482

Contact:          Lisa Lunde, Public Information & Marketing Assistant       

                        707.468.3063 voice

                        707.468.3161 fax

                        Email:  llunde@mendocino.edu        

File: NR-Mendocino College Fall Semester Math Contest Winners Announced

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            Jacob A. Erikson and Earl L. Powell, Jr., have been named co-champions of Mendocino College’s weekly math contest for the fall 2010 semester.  Both students correctly solved all 15 puzzles.

            Erikson, a 2010 Ukiah High School graduate and native of Ukiah, was taking Elementary Algebra at the time.  He plans to major in psychology but has yet to decide on a career direction.  Commenting on his puzzle-solving abilities, he said, “I tend to like methodical work, and logic-based puzzles are good because you have to work them out systematically.”

            Powell was in his fifth semester at Mendocino College and has taken the entire sequence of math courses through Differential Equations.  He plans to major either in math or in physics and potentially to be a research scientist.  He was home-schooled in Lake County.  About problem solving he commented, “Sometimes one problem provides an intuitive process to solving a whole class of problems.”

            First runner-up was Luke Gardner, with 12 puzzles, followed by Deven Castañón and Kyle Wheeler, each with 8.  A total of 20 students submitted at least one correct solution.

            For further information about the Mendocino College Math Contest, contact Deborah White at 468-3129.

UKIAH, CA –

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Created: January 21, 2011 @ 10:48 AM
Last Modified: February 23, 2011 @ 04:27 PM