Mathematician and author Richard J. Trudeau once said, “Pure mathematics is the world’s best game.” So where do Fremd students go to play the world’s best game? Fremd’s very own Math Team.

Math Team is a year-round activity that focuses on honing members’ math skills in preparation for several big competitions coming up throughout the year. The club, which meets every Wednesday from 3-5 pm, focuses on a specific math discipline. 

Math Team junior and AMC Co-Chair Thomas Lu delves deeper into the Math Team’s focus.

“As a group we do all kinds of math questions from algebra to geometry to some number theory stuff,” Lu said. “In individual grade levels, our freshmen do algebra 1 questions, our sophomores do geometry, our juniors do algebra 2, and our seniors do pre-calculus.”

However, the difficulty level is increased significantly from the typical curriculum, making basic concepts hard for even the best math students. Seemingly simple concepts, such as multiplying fractions, might become difficult when veiled in the complex wording of a Math Team competition question.  

This year Fremd members are meeting in order to prepare for five important North Suburban Math League (NSML) competitions. Team members go to these meets representing Fremd and, under the pressure of time, answer a multitude of complex math questions in order to bring home the win. In 2019, Fremd brought home the 4th place finish in the team category at State, where they were subsequently recognized at the Board of Education meeting.

Being a part of this team requires rigor and perseverance. The constant commitment and practice put into a subject possibly considered “boring” by many people help strengthen the minds and persistence of Math Team members. Through the shared struggle of their practices, the Math team breeds a community in which learning is fostered and where it’s okay to not be able to solve a problem.

Math Team sophomore Aditya Gupta speaks of the Math Team’s togetherness. 

“I think what makes the Math Team really fun is the community that we have,” Gupta said. “It’s quite great and all the coaches are really a part of the community and make sure that everyone succeeds”.                                                                                       

Math Team senior Ola Kaminska elaborates on the camaraderie that math team members feel when they are part of the club.

“I’d like to say that the Math Team builds a community of people that are willing to take on challenges and together we solve them,” Kaminska said.

Math Team is a haven for those that enjoy mathematics. Through the Math Team, learning new concepts and improving math knowledge becomes enjoyable. Solving math problems with a group relieves much of the pressure. It’s not just a team, it’s a community of mathematical thinkers. 

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