Mantua – Crestwood High School’s applied math class did more than just apply their learned math skills. Along with the trigonometry class from James A. Garfield, these juniors and seniors competed in a series of competitions with their homemade trebuchets, miniature medieval-style catapults, in Crestwood High School’s gymnasium May 4. From designing with blueprints to construction of these catapults, the students improved their skills in problem-solving, creativity and team work. “The kids loved it,” said Mrs. Moon, Crestwood’s Applied Math Teacher. “Principal Sommers went out and purchased the wood, hammer and nails. He even took the wood home and helped cut it to the students’ designated measurements.”The Crestwood students studied trigonometry in their applied math class to prepare them for the event. They applied what they learned in order to make an adjustment on the string to get the best angle for launching marbles from their trebuchets. Design stipulations were also put into place and could not be violated. One stipulation was that the counterweight, which held down the marble launching arm, could not be over three pounds. Another stipulation was that the arm couldn’t be over 30 centimeters long.In teams that consisted of two to four students, a total of 33 juniors and seniors competed in four contests. The Distance competition awarded the trebuchet that launched the marble the furthest. The winners of the Precision competition had the smallest perimeter out of three launches. In order to win the Accuracy competition, the launched marbles had to hit a certain mark placed on the floor and the fourth competition was to shoot the marbles through the basketball hoop in the gymnasium.Crestwood’s applied math class and James A. Garfield’s trigonometry class came close to a tie in the number of competitions that were won. The winners of the Distance competition were from James A. Garfield. “El Tigre the Intimidator” was created by Will Yon, Stevie Boone, Emily Hughes, and Lauren Greathouse. Crestwood seniors, Samantha Zuponcic and Kelsey Bascombe, were the winners of the Precision competition. The Shoot the Hoop competition was won by Josh Fehrenbach and Wes Skupski, also of Crestwood. There was a tie in the Accuracy competition with James A. Garfield students, Brent Marshall, Kelli Mulhern, Quinn Coleman and Paige Collins; sharing honors with Tyler Harris, Samantha Baldwin, and Emma Cozzens of Crestwood.James A. Garfield’s trigonometry teacher, Mr. Englehart, and Mrs. Moon had taught together at Garfield High School and both had attended Crestwood High School. “It was a well-rounded project and such a great success that we are going to make in an annual event,” said Mrs. Moon.
