Mathematics

Year 9 Debating

Standing: Jordan Smith, Karl Maul, Liam Gava, Nigel Menezes Seated: Wyatt Bicknell, Lachlan Kafer, Miss Kate McIlroy, Elliot Fabris, Raphael Canty Absent: Corey De Zoysa

Year 7 and 8 Debating

Standing: Liam Fernadez, Edison Nguyen, Shiroy Fernando Seated: Todd Phillips, Miss Kate McIlroy, Cain Whitehead, Ben Morgan

Mathematics

How many different Lasallians have passed through the High St. gates over the past 100 years? Given that our original enrolment in 1912 was 54 and we currently have 1,243 students, could you come up with a reasonable estimate? This was one of the questions that our students pondered over during the recent Mathematics Week festivities. Other highlights included three key guest speakers; — Mr Simon Pampena (pictured right and below), the current Australian Ambassador for Mathematics — Dr Marty Ross, a self-proclaimed “mathematical nomad” who enjoys smashing calculators and writing his “Maths Masters” column for The Age — Mr Simon James, a lecturer in Mathematics from Deakin University.

The theme for the week was to simply “Make Maths Cool”. Whilst Australians are extremely competitive, and in some cases even dominant on the world sporting arena, it is a sad reality that we are falling behind in the area of mathematics. This is in some part due to the fact that fewer students are taking on the more difficult senior mathematical studies (Methods and Specialist). Why is this? Is it because the average Australian views mathematics as something abstract or beyond the realm of those without a PhD? Is it, dare I say it, not “cool” to enjoy mathematics? I am sure that you would never openly admit that you were never good at reading, but why is it so common to hear a “grown up” freely admit that they were never any good at mathematics? Mathematics needs a re-branding. We all use it, we all need it and we all should be proud to state: “Maths is cool”.

Mr Luke Martin