Sixth-Grader Writes About Sleepaway Math Camp

Editor's Note: The following column was submitted by Hitha Santosh, 11, a sixth-grader at . Hitha wrote a review of a sleepaway math camp, MathPath, which she attended last summer. The camp, for students ages 11 through 14, is run through a math professor at Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pa.

"When I told my friends that I was going to a math camp, they all screamed some variation of 'OMG! Math camp? Poor you!' I know that most kids think like that; in fact, I did too, at first," Hitha wrote the Patch in an email. However, she said she found the camp to be a great experience, and she enjoyed the counselors and campers and the fun things she did. She said she wanted to share that experience with other kids in Basking Ridge.

This review is about MathPath, a math sleepaway camp.

That’s easy enough, but what is MathPath? Well, it depends on who you ask. Some people might say, “an awesome, fun place” (yay). Others may say “a math camp” (talk about obvious). And still others might say “a lame, boring, camp” (hopefully not!)

But this review isn’t a one-sentence definiton or opinion; it’s an article about exactly why you should come to MathPath. (But just so you know, I’m leaning toward the first description.)

Well, first of all, MathPath is a great place for all math lovers. Where else can you laugh over terrible mathematical writing? Where else can you talk about various proofs or argue about what the least natural number is? Where else can you spend all your free time playing cards or chess or ping-pong? MathPath is the perfect place to bring out your inner nerd.

A math camp would be serious all the time, right? Well, guess again. We’ve had a lot of fun and crazy times, at dance parties, our talent show, and Spirit Week. Yes, Spirit Week. Even though MathPath is only four weeks long, we still had a chance to show off our awesome camp spirit. Before MathPath, I never could have imagined how far some people will go to win Color Day, or how, well…interesting Wacky Tacky Day and Cross-Dressing Day can be. (Let’s just leave it at that.)

Have you ever been white-water rafting, or rock-climbing on real cliffs? Have you ever been to the top of Pike’s Peak or biking around a really scenic town? Well, now you can try, thanks to our amazing Sunday trips. Or, you can just stay on campus on Sunday, and go ice-skating.

For a lot of people, the most important part of going to another state is sightseeing. Our whole-camp Monday trips take care of that. Last summer, MathPath was in Colorado Springs, Co., and we went to the Garden of the Gods, the Air Force Academy, and the Royal Gorge.

And, of course, there’s the math. (It had to come sooner or later, didn’t it?) Okay, where should I start? How about the lectures (a.k.a. “fun math talks”)?

When you think of the word “lecture,” a picture of a dull, boring speaker droning on and on may come to mind. Well, at MathPath, the lecturers are actually really interesting (well, most of them…) and informative. We have a lot of guest speakers who gave talks on a variety of subjects such as game theory, mathematical surprises, and projective geometry. In addition to the guest speakers, Mr. M, the MathPath academic director, teaches us about mathematical writing. And the History of Mathematics lecture is given by Glen in the first two weeks and Coach D in the last two weeks. (Note: Glen draws terrible sheep and gets Greece and Italy mixed up on his maps; and Coach D will be driven crazy when you say “ping-pong” instead of “table tennis”). And we even had the honor of hosting the world-famous mathematician John Conway for a week while he gave a series of lectures.

But what if you want to study a specific type of math, and not just whatever the lecturers are talking about? Well, that’s where the breakout sessions come in. Breakouts are classes, each on a certain subject. There are two, morning and afternoon, and they change each week. You get to choose your breakouts, and even if you don’t get your first choice, you’re guaranteed to learn something new. (Plus, you get brownie points, so you’ll probably get your first choice next time.) Some of the breakout sessions I took, and enjoyed, were Mathematica, Graph Theory, Mathematical Origami, and Topology.

We also have a Problem of the Day (POD), which, obviously, you have one day to work on. To solve the problems, logic and clever thinking are needed, and if you win the POD contest, you get a fabulous prize! Well, a puzzle, but puzzles are fabulous, aren’t they?

We don’t do math all day, though. There are two free times, afternoon and evening, that you can spend as you please. For example, you can go down to the lounge and play chess, ping-pong, or “Heart and Soul” on the piano for 40 minutes straight. Or you can go upstairs to the dorms, and play cards in someone’s room, make homemade Popsicles, or run around screaming in the hallway.

When I first went to MathPath, I was the second-youngest person there, and I thought the math would be too hard. I admit, it was difficult at times, but I enjoyed the challenge, and still learned a lot. The math at MathPath isn’t exactly what you learn in school. But it gives you insight into all the different kinds of math out there, and will help you later on in life. And this math has a lot of practical uses. For example, you can use graph theory to plan your next Halloween’s trick-or-treating route…

 But MathPath math isn’t all math problems and pencils. We have some great math activities, like a math scavenger hunt and a quiz bowl, and just look up “MathPath Mania” on YouTube to see what kind of surprises the counselors cooked up for us.

In conclusion, MathPath is a great place to make new friends, try new things, and learn more math. I, for one, will always remember this camp. So if you like math, pick up your pencil (or turn on your computer), take the admittance test, and COME TO MATHPATH!!!

(Go to www.mathpath.org to learn more and to download the admittance test.)