Things just added up perfectly earlier this month when four members of La Cañada High School's Math Team competed and won the top spot at the 27th annual High School Mathematics Competition at Santa Barbara's Westmont College.
The Feb. 8 event was designed to test teens' math chops in a wide range of competitions, from a Chalk Talk Derby on the subject of cubics to a written examination. The LCHS team — comprising sophomores William Fu and Colin Um and freshmen Albert Zhai and Daniel Oh — was all geared up to go when they hit a bit of a stumbling block.
It looked like the team's adviser, math teacher Cindy Calm, wasn't able to make the event due to a scheduling conflict. That's when LCHS senior and team co-captain David Oh sprang into action.
He contacted Westmont math professor and event organizer Russell Howell, asking if a teacherless team could still compete. When he got the green light, Oh made all the necessary arrangements and ensured the four team members made it safely to the Santa Barbara campus.
