Last week, the students of CdM who are taking Statistics for the semester gathered in the quad for a quick way to collect data with games or interactive activities. Students under Miss Polychronopoulos were divided into groups of three or four and were each tasked with designing their own game or stimulation that would allow them to take quantitative data. The data was to be unbiased and all-inclusive, which meant the tasks assigned couldn’t be too difficult to perform nor something that anyone would be unable to do. This annual and fun way of collecting data is an annual tradition at CdM, where students of all ages and grade levels can participate in any activity. Happening on one day in October and at lunch, the Statistics Olympics showcase that math can be just as interactive and fun as any other class.

The variety of games that were offered were designed by the Statistics student in order to collect unbiased data. Statistics students also brought candy and other treats with them, to provide spectators with an incentive to actually participate in the games. For instance, there was one activity where students had to see how many M&M’s they could pick up using a straw and place onto a plate in 30 seconds. Once they were finished with that activity, they were permitted to keep the M&Ms that they could get, or choose to throw them away. Either way, there was a reward waiting for them at the end of the activity, which ultimately made certain students want to participate more. Other activities for data-gathering purposes included seeing how far individuals could jump, whether or not individuals could flip a water bottle in the span of 30 seconds, how loud someone could yell their name, and more.

The Statistics students worked hard to prepare for each of these activities and to collect their data, which turned out to be a huge success. Not only were they able to gather a variety of unbiased data, but they were able to bring CdM students together in a quad to interact with each other. Just like the Olympics unite the nations of the world, the Statistics Olympics united the students at CdM.