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"At the end of the tour, when the road disappears,
If there's any more people around when the tour runs aground
And if you're still around then we'll meet at the end of the tour"
They Might Be Giants
Well put a parakeet on my shoulder and call me a pirate, we've come to the end of yet another baffling incarnation of The Wright Challenge. There were about 200 of you this time around, and I hope you had a wonderful time, thought about some interesting problems, and didn't hurt yourselves or others in the process of this contest!
Guess what, gang, we have a six way tie for first place, which is unprecedented in Wright Challenge history! And several of you were breathing right down the winner's necks. Prize money and goodies from our friends at University Book and Supply will be going to all the winners, who should be very proud of themselves. These were not easy problemos, and you've all accomplished something Grand.
Two teams got perfect scores. Ladies and Gentlemen, put your hands together for Paige Malven's students at Nashua Plainfield and Mary Scholtes' precalculus wizards at Kee High School in Lansing. Nashua Plainfield Team 1: Brian Sullivan, Jamie Veeder, Jennifer Irian, Matt Schilling, Nate Troupe, Stacy Wedeking. Nashua Plainfield Team 2: Adam Franzen, Ashley Dietz, John Barnes, Kristina McBurney, Megan Benning. Precalculus Wizards: Ann Melde, Cassie Welsh, Cheryl Wagner, Daniel Ellefson, Emily Libby, Haley Darling, Jessica Smerud, Julie Hennessy, Lindsey Tanner, Ryan Delaney. We also got perfect scores from four individuals. (One of them interpreted a problem in a way differently than I intended - making it harder for herself, and did the harder problem) Keep your applause going, gang, and show some love to Annie Ye, Ashley Petersen, Brian Rogers, and Qi Gan! Our winners not only were consistently correct, but the write-ups were darn nice to read, and answers were always creative.
We also have a runner up in the evocatively-named Valley Tigers. Kudos to Cyndy Hinton and her band of predatory felines!
Have you stopped applauding? Well you shouldn't have, because I want a big swell of enthusiasm for the teachers who have made this contest successful by their inspiring leadership. I don't know all of their names, but please beam enthusiastic props to Lana Lyddon-Hatten, Paige Malven, Mary Scholtes, Cyndy Hinton, Bob Brems, Linda Kuiken, Sara Larkin, Denise Upmeyer, Joel Dolieslager, Loren Flater, Jennifer Stephens, Mrs. Selking, and especially the Wright Challenge Hero Michael Link! Good teachers like you are a treasure, and Doctor E and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
I know you're getting tired of clapping, but how can you stop when we haven't yet thanked our old friends Adrienne Stanley, Nan Sash, Nadine Lilleskov, The Department of Public Relations, Michele Smith at the Northern Iowan, and our new friends at University Book and Supply? If it weren't for them, you would not have heard of this contest, and I would be asleep in bed instead of writing these words. They brought us together - they are our yenta.
The problems this semester, as in all semesters, were entirely created by Doctor E, except for two which were (loosely) adapted from Doug West's Graph Theory book, one which was adapted from Mathematical Ideas by Miller et. al., one directly stolen from a book that Dr. Eisworth lent me and took back (I wrote down the title and author, and stored it IN the book for safekeeping), and two from my own twisted head. Woot!
(One quick thank you to Laurel Palmer for agreeing to marry me. Don't tell her how much better she can do until AFTER October, gang.)
Okay, okay, you can stop applauding now. Because now you 200 participants must sit politely while I applaud YOU. Yes, YOU! Because you make it all worthwhile. You put the bomp in my bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp! You light up my life! (Or is that the rising sun - what time is it anyway?) You were so eager and thoughtful and industrious, turning off the television (or at least turning it down) to explore Doctor E's twisted conundrums. And as I applaud, I hope you think about participating next semester, and telling a few of your friends to join us.
As we explore the newest...
The funnest...
The greatest...
The most fun... ("funnest" wasn't really good grammar)
The Wrightiest Challenge Yet!
Come back for
If This is Wrong, I Don't Want to be Wright
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to visit The Wright Challenge, Fall 1999
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visit The Wright Challenge: Doctor E's Revenge, Spring 2000
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visit The Wright Challenge: Doctor E Strikes Back, Fall 2000
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visit The Wright Challenge: Doctor E Returns, Spring 2001
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to visit The Wright Challenge: Crouching Puzzle, Hidden Answer, Spring 2002
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to visit The Wright Challenge: Planet of the Puzzle Apes, Spring 2003
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