This year was BSM’s 3rd year being a part of Mu Alpha Theta, and new students have recently been inducted.

The Mu Alpha Theta National High School and Junior College Mathematics Club was started in 1957 by Dr. and Mrs. Richard V. Andree at the University of Oklahoma. It was researched and brought to BSM by math teacher Dan Bowler with help from former BSM students Charlie Damberg and Nick Marinaro. “Charlie Damberg and Nick Marinaro came to me and said they wanted a math honors society here at BSM…this is what they found…they helped me get the ball rolling and I took it from there,” Bowler said.

This year, students were eligible to apply if they were in 9th-12th grade and have completed honors geometry, are now in a class higher than honors geometry, have stayed on the honors track in math courses throughout highschool, have at least a 3.7 math GPA, and have at least a 3.5 GPA overall. Next year, math teacher Joanie Sauer will be taking over and they are talking about slight changes being made in eligibility. “For next year…we are talking about restricting Mu Alpha Theta to grades 10 through 12 so that you have a little more experience,” Bowler said.

This year’s Mu Alpha Theta Induction Ceremony occurred on Thursday, January 27, 2022 at 3 PM in the BSM atrium. Dan Bowler read the names of the new inductees aloud one by one as they approached the podium, shook his hand, received their certificate, and then went back to their seats. One student inducted was sophomore Lauren Hillins, who was impressed by the ceremony. “It was very cool and special to see classmates from my grade and peers from different grades older and younger than me receiving their certificate because it kind of shows how we all have things in common and we all work towards common goals at some point…it was also interesting to see who was all getting inducted,” Hillins said.

This year, news of Mu Alpha Theta was spread by word of mouth through the math teachers in their classes. Due to this, the number of applicants increased from last year, opposed to when the society was promoted solely through school announcements. Many other changes were made in the society due to COVID-19. “Prior to Covid we had some requirements that members would have to meet after being inducted. They included either being in math league, doing math tutoring, or participating in a math event like a competition. Last year these requirements were waived…twice as many were inducted this year,” Bowler said.