The RCHK Math Race 2021: challenging in more ways than one
By Kendo Longid and Ryan Ng
On May 15, the annual RCHK Math Race took place. As usual, it consisted of multiple rounds - a quiz, buzzer rounds, and a Kahoot. However, this one was slightly different in that it was on Zoom. Similar to other recent events, due to Covid restrictions, this event had to be held online.
One of the questions from the quiz round.
The main goal of the Math Race is to increase interest in mathematics in younger members of the secondary community.
One of the organizers, Keith Man, explains: “The objective of the RCHK Math Race has always been about fostering interest in mathematics amongst younger RCHK students through a challenging yet fun competitive environment. We as organizers hope students can learn about mathematics through our games, appreciate maths and develop valuable interpersonal skills such as collaboration and communication skills.”
Although this event was held on Zoom, some students were able to put up with it. Athan Wong, a Year 8 student, thought that “it was still quite intense and fun through Zoom.”
However, others, such as Justin Lee, a Year 7 student, stated that “if your WiFi was scuffed, you basically wouldn’t be able to answer questions due to the delay,” when referring to buzzer rounds.
This was not only new to the students but the organizers as well. Man stated that he “had to think of alternatives when setting up certain rounds such as the buzzer round.” They also “had to think of ways to set up timers for each question.”
Expectedly, as with any online event, there were cheating and connection issues.
Athan Wong says: “I genuinely prefer it to be physical because it creates a more competitive atmosphere without the technical and cheating issues Zoom brings.”
Fortunately, according to Keith Man, this problem has mostly been solved: “The home environment, where this competition took place, also provided challenges in preventing cheating, which we solved by emailing participants to stop them cheating and making each participant turn their camera on.”
Ronit Sahijawani, a participant of the event, claims cheating was still possible, though only to a limited extent. “Cheating was still definitely possible, there’s no doubt, but only to save two or four seconds with addition or subtraction. Without a grasp of mathematics, a calculator definitely wouldn't help you at all."
Despite the major setbacks of this new environment, everyone managed to pull through. Although it was challenging to create a competitive scene through teleconferencing, Everyone did their part to help—not only the organizers but also the competitors.
Fortunately, the competition is likely going to return to normal next year. The competitive atmosphere created by a face-to-face mathematical battle is unmatched by any other means, including the situation this year.
