22 AUGUST 2022 By Mallory Gleich Math lovers at Hopi Elementary got to flex their skills in the big leagues with their first-ever Math Olympiad competition – and it proved to be a stimulating and rewarding experience for all. Mathematician Dr. George Lenchner created the Mathematical Olympiads for Elementary and Middle School (MOEMS) program in 1977. In 2021, over 120,000 students from more than 35 countries, along with teams in all 50 states (a total of 5,000 groups), participated. Hopi’s fifth-grade teacher Laura Mitchell became the PICO, or person in charge of, the Math Club – an after-school program she started to encourage other math enthusiasts to challenge themselves. She then signed the club up for their first MOEMS competition. “Any fourth or fifth-grade student could sign up for the club. I told the families ahead of time that it would be challenging and that it would be a great chance for their child to grow and learn,” Mitchell said. According to the website, “the objectives of MOEMS are to teach multiple strategies for out-of-the-box problem solving, develop mathematical flexibility in solving those problems and foster mathematical creativity and ingenuity.” Hopi’s team included six fourth-graders and six fifth-graders. They met once a week to practice problems and play math games to get ready for the challenge. The online-based contests start in November and go through March, with one contest held per month. Students have 30 minutes, must work by themselves and cannot use a calculator to solve five questions in each contest – 25 problems total. Hopi did not place as a team, but their spirit wasn’t diminished, as the following students placed in the top percentages worldwide: Fourth-grader Davis Ladner (1st place) – top 10 percent Fifth-grader Holly Mitchell (2nd place) – top 20 percent Fourth-grader Zara Redzic (3rd place) – top 25 percent Fourth-grader Josh Layman (4th place) – top 50 percent Other team members included Violet Doody, Cole West, Justyce Bess, Aaron Klein, Quinn Campisano, Graeme Baird, Kenna Beller and Liam Menousek. “I am so proud of the kids because they competed in the grades 4-6 category, so they were up against teams that likely had a lot of sixth graders,” Mitchell said. Afterwards, Mitchell invited families and friends to celebrate. Davis received a trophy for first place at Hopi, and the top four finishers earned a MOEMS patch. All team members received a certificate and a medal for their hard work. “It was so fun to do challenging math problems. It was a great new experience,” team member Holly Mitchell said. Davis Ladner echoed, “Math Olympiad was challenging, but I really enjoyed it. Something about the math made it fun.” Hopi has plans to participate this year, with more mathletes ready to join the challenge. Numbers + competition = fun for these mathletes EXAMPLE QUESTION EXAMPLE QUESTION Davis Ladner placed in the top 10 percent worldwide at this year’s olympiad. PHOTOS COURTESY OF LAURA MITCHELL M ost of us have hobbies, but Bob Mason has just one, and it’s more of an obsession. When he isn’t sleeping, the 89-year-old former Salt River Project executive is always tinkering, conjuring up yet another mechanical creation. Rat Rods and sand cars are among his favorites, vehicles that are worn-down, if not worn- out, then rebuilt with cast-off parts. And you can spare the paint because these four-wheel contraptions are deliberately left with an unfinished patina appearance. “You use anything you can find to put these things together,” Mason said. “It’s like tinker toys, only bigger.” Bob’s passion for creating and rebuilding things extends well beyond cars – actually anything that moves. His interest was greatly influenced by his father, also a maker of things. “I never lived in a house that my dad didn’t build,” he said. “He was also obsessed with flying and built an airplane from scratch when he was just 19.” Mason and his family moved to Arizona from Ohio when he was 14 years old, and they settled on 80 acres in Morristown, on the Hassayampa River. “As a youngster, any car I ever had didn’t run originally, so me and dad just fixed it.” His first car was a 1926 Ford Model T, which he bought for just $25. Bob attended high school in Wickenburg and then went onto ASU, where he earned a degree in electronics. His entire career was spent with SRP, largely in power and water resource planning. “I was more successful than I ever conceived I would be,” Mason said modestly. Bob and his wife, Sharon, have lived in Arcadia for many years. They have four children, eight grandkids and three great-grandkids, and he proudly points out that eight are graduates of Arcadia High School. Bob’s passion for motorized things has rubbed off on his entire family. He refers to the clan as a “family of gearheads. We all take a piece of the puzzle as it requires teamwork and collaboration.” Calling himself a “short sleeper” (just four or five hours a night) Bob often lays awake pondering his next project. Last year, Bob realized a long-held goal by chronicling his family tree. The result is an exhaustive history of five generations of Masons, and he has labeled it “Grandpa Bob’s Memory Bucket List – A Life to Live For.” One hundred years of family history are now on a flash drive, including video interviews, photos, a book entitled Mason Family Roots and more. A consummate family man, Mason asked that his profile not be so much about himself but rather his family. “I’m much more interested in them because they are my life’s story.” For all the things Mason has built or modified – cars, boats, motorcycles, and buggies – his favorite is an orange ’51 Chevy that he “rat-rodded” and gave to his daughter, Peggy. “Toys and things have dominated my life. I guess you could say I’m addicted to things – they have driven my life.” No pun intended! Grandpa Bob Mason I’m much more interested in them, because they are my life’s story. Find the answer on page 24.

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