For Release: March 21, 2001

CONTACT:

Charles Licari, GM R&D
810-986-0077
charles.licari@gm.com

Kathy Bommarito, GM
248-857-6386
kathy.bommarito@gm.com

If you divide 3 by 37, what is the 199th digit to the right of the decimal point?

Got the answer? Forget it. Middle school students participating in MATHCOUNTS would have it by now.

More than 150 sixth, seventh and eighth grade “mathletes” across Michigan will participate in the 2001 MATHCOUNTS state math competition on Saturday, March 24. General Motors Corporation is hosting the event at its Powertrain Engineering headquarters in Pontiac, Michigan with support from EDS and The 3M Company. The Michigan Society of Professional Engineers is coordinating the event.

The top four finishers earn the right to represent Michigan in the national math finals in Washington, D.C. May 11.

MATHCOUNTS is a national competition that promotes math excellence for sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. It is one of the country’s largest and most successful education partnerships involving volunteers, educators, industry sponsors and students. GM is a national sponsor of MATHCOUNTS and has actively supported the program at the national, state and local levels since 1987. EDS and 3M also are MATHCOUNTS sponsors.

“These student ‘mathletes’ are at an age when they are formulating attitudes about math and science,” says Gary McDonald, a member of the MATHCOUNTS Foundation board of directors and a science lab director at the GM Research and Development Center. “ It is important to generate student interest in math at an early age to cultivate future engineers and scientists. This program promotes math as an exciting and challenging experience --like a school sport -- which can lead to rewarding career opportunities.”

McDonald says the program builds math skills, promotes strategic problem-solving, and sharpens analytical abilities. Teachers and volunteers, including GM, EDS and 3M employees, coach student “mathletes” beginning each fall and continuing throughout the year.

You’d be absolutely amazed at the ability of these students to solve complex math problems quickly in a competitive environment,” says McDonald.

GM awards college scholarships to the MATHCOUNTS national champion, as well as second- and third-place winners and the winner of the written round.

Oh, by the way, the answer is “0.”

The following is a list of participating schools:

Mathcounts Chapter	Schools in State Competition
Ann Arbor	Greenhills School, Ann Arbor Clague Middle School, Ann Arbor Emerson School, Ann Arbor Saline Middle School, Saline
Big Rapids	Big Rapids Middle School, Big Rapids St. Peter’s Lutheran, Big Rapids
Blossomland	Mattawan Middle School, Mattawan Upton Middle School, St. Joseph Trinity Lutheran School, St. Joseph
Blue Water	Holland Woods Middle School, Port Huron St. Clair Middle School, St. Clair
Detroit Metro	Parcells Middle School, Grosse Pointe Woods Frost Middle School, Livonia
Douglass Houghton	Houghton Portage Township Middle School, Houghton Graveraet Middle School, Marquette, Hancock Middle School, Hancock Forest Park School, Crystal North Dickinson County School, Iron Mountain
Fairlane	O.L. Smith Middle School, Dearborn Bryant Middle School, Dearborn Sacred Heart Middle School, Dearborn Woodworth Middle School, Dearborn
Flint	Owosso Middle School, Owosso
Grand Valley	Waverly Middle School, Lansing
Huron Shores	Immanuel Lutheran, Alpena
Jackson	Jackson Catholic Middle School, Jackson Trinity Lutheran School, Jackson
Muskegon	O.J. Dejonge Junior High, Ludington North Muskegon Junior High, North Muskegon Shelby Middle School, Shelby (49455)
Northern	Petoskey Middle School, Petoskey Teach Homeschool, Traverse City Traverse City Christian, Traverse City
Oakland	Smith Middle School, Troy Boulan Park Middle School, Troy Larson Middle School, Troy Covington Middle School, Birmingham East Hills Middle School, Bloomfield Hills
Saginaw Valley	Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy, Saginaw White Pine Middle School, Saginaw West Intermediate School, Mt. Pleasant
Southeastern	Ida Middle School, Ida Jefferson Middle School, Monroe St. Francis Cabrini Elementary, Allen Park Trinity Lutheran School, Monroe
Southwestern	Saint Monica School, Kalamazoo Kazoo School, Kalamazoo Portage Central Middle School, Kalamazoo
Western	Northern Hills Middle School, Grand Rapids Holland Christian School – Holland Holland West Middle – Holland Calvin Christian Middle School, Grandville Jenison Junior High, Jenison Macatawa Bay School, Holland