What's New at BEAM?
It's everyone's favorite field trip! On Monday, July 25, the whole BEAM team headed to Six Flags New England for a day of roller coasters, bumper cars, and shopping for super hero capes! After a full (and hot!) day at the park, we headed to Friendly's for dinner and then back to campus. Here are some favorite photos of the day:
On Monday, July 18, the whole group (Vassar and Bard students, too!) went to Splashdown Beach for a fun water park day (even if it was shortened by the rain!). Here are some photos of our day!
After a fun-filled and thrilling weekend (field day and Six Flags), the BEAMers are starting their third and last academic week. This week's courses are: Sequences and Euler's Partition Formula; Amazing Discovery; Modeling; Information Theory; and High School Preparation.
As mentioned earlier, all BEAM students study problem solving throughout the program. Beyond Math Team Strategies, the other option is Solving Big Problems: working on the same problem for 2+ hours and really working to understand it.
In today's class, students investigated the following problem:
Which positive integers can be written as the sum of consecutive integers?
Students had a number of early conjectures, including:
The class was quickly able to prove the first conjecture, and then spent the next 2 hours working on the second. Can you figure it out?
A concoction of perfumes filled the halls of the dorm, lip gloss was generously applied, shirts were tucked in, and hair was transformed into artful masterpieces as the students primped up for their night out. Everyone was finally ready, and the group walked towards the architecturally sublime Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. The BEAMers, gawking at the sight of the place, entered the building. The dress rehearsal for the opera Iris was spectacular. The students were amazed with the wonderful scenery, impressive special effects, and beautiful music. What a night.
On Tuesday, it was Crystal's turn! She turned 13, so we celebrated with her favorite: chocolate cupcakes and Oreo's. Happy birthday, Crystal!
After two days of amazing field trips, the second academic week began. The courses being offered this week are: Solving Big Problems; Math Team Strategies; Voting Theory; Number Theory; Symmetries, Mosaics, and ¿Dancing?; and Programming.
Leon Botstein, the president of Bard College, gave the students a beginning-of-the-week commencement speech, during which he talked about the importance of academics and of programs like BEAM. Additionally, he invited the BEAMers to attend the dress rehearsal for the opera "Iris", which he will be conducting, on Wednesday evening.
The good news just keeps rolling in: the fourth challenge problem has been solved by one of our BEAMers: Kenneth. The prize is yet to be announced.
What a BEAMing start to the second week!
