By Clara Moffitt
Lots of people think that “Going Greek” means joining a sorority or fraternity in college, buying matching outfits, and hosting a lot of parties. At TPA, “Going Greek” might mean electing in 8th grade to continue with two more years of Latin and begin taking Greek. However, Tempe Prep’s Math Society, with the help of faculty advisor Dr. Wallington and club president Annie Meacham, has put a whole new spin on what it means to be Greek.
Mu Alpha Theta (which spells out “math” in Greek) is a national honor society for mathematics. A nationally recognized group of math-interested students, this organization has certain requirements to join. Annie Meacham explains that to be inducted into Mu Alpha Theta members “must have a 3.0 GPA in their math classes, be enrolled in a math course, [and] must be a part of math society” which just takes $10 and a short form. Annie continues, “Mu Alpha Theta has a community for math lovers and their goal is to help strengthen the passion for math in students.”
Dr. Wallington, a fantastic math teacher at TPA, was a major proponent of bringing Mu Alpha Theta to our campus. Math Society member Sama Allam graciously notes, “As the club sponsor, [Dr. Wallington] had to be the one to fill out all the paperwork, and thanks to her hard work, Math Society opened TPA’s first ever Mu Alpha Theta honor society chapter.”
Incorporating Mu Alpha Theta into the Math Society resulted in an increase in scholarship and competition opportunities for participants. As Annie was establishing Math Society, she felt it was important “to bring the joy of math to my peers,” and Mu Alpha Theta provides the perfect way to access these amazing opportunities.
In addition to fun competitions through Tempe Prep’s Math Society, being a member of Mu Alpha Theta has life-long benefits. Sama explains, “As a high school student, being a Mu Alpha Theta member is an awesome distinction to have. It’s like being an NHS member. When applying to colleges, especially if the colleges are STEM heavy, being a Mu Alpha Theta member can only help you.” She also emphasizes that Mu Alpha Theta provides funding and scholarships to individuals pursuing “math-based research in college or during your career.”
Annie Meacham sums it up perfectly: “The minute you become a Mu Alpha Theta member you are recognized as a Mu Alpha Theta member for life.”
In all, this new addition to Tempe Prep’s Math Society is a call to those with a depth of inquiry. Annie says, “Mu Alpha Theta was made to share mathematics with the curious world and to reward those who succeed in math.” Tempe Prep is a fantastic place to join Mu Alpha Theta because of our intellectually curious and mathematically skilled students. Annie concludes, “There are so many students at TPA who thrive in the mathematical environments and I believe Mu Alpha Theta will provide the best opportunities for them.”