Embedded Files
Dear HCSSiM,
Your participation in the Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics is always appreciated and again invited.
Expect to hear, early in $\sum_{y=1}^{9} y^3 = (\sum_{p=1}^{9} p)^2$ more from the Yellow Pig Math Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit seeking to ensure the human and financial resources to provide future generations with the opportunity to experience math in the HCSSiM manner.
You may donate at https://hcssim.org/online-giving/.
YPMF is currently negotiating a multiyear cooperation agreement with (a mostly new) Hampshire College administration to keep the Summer Studies at Hampshire.
An expanding YPMF Board is thinking about strategies for HCSSiM’s direction and plans for a directorial succession. (It needn’t be an HC faculty member, an Amherst resident, or a 53-year commitment.)
YPMF is now in post-production on the documentary film we are making about HCSSiM, which aims to showcase what makes the program uniquely fun and socially beneficial. If anyone has ideas for helping us distribute the film or otherwise would like to learn more about this project, please contact Jon Roberts at jon@ypmathfoundation.org.
Let us know what you’ve been up to by helping us update our alumn database. This will help us know that our emails are in fact reaching you, and help us target the search for missing alumns. Please fill out this google form. We look forward to hearing from you.
Let us know, too, about your yellow pig and 17 sightings; share your comments, complaints, hopes, and fears; and let us know if and when you might be interested in teaching in (or directing) HCSSiM (or a clone). Suggestions for directors, faculty, students, potential donors, program activities, guest speakers, and (very quickly) ideas for problems for the 2025 (and future) HCSSiM Interesting Test(s) are welcome. Thank you!
Over 1000 applied for HCSSiM, 2024 and more than half submitted ITs (both record highs). Other programs (MathCamp, MathPath, MathILy, …) also had spikes in their application numbers. We had 50 students (with a f/nb:m ratio very close to 1 for the 3rd consecutive year) from 14 states and 4 countries.
We are founding members of a revived Summer Mathematics Programs Consortium which has as goals increasing the number of summer opportunities for talented high school kids and diversifying the applicant pool. There seems to be money to advance both goals. HCSSiM’s nurturing new ventures or being cloned may be preferable to its expanding. It might be worth considering HCSSiM clones that are intended to exist at one location for only a few years. Applications are being invited: https://summermathprograms.org/incubator.html
Please enjoy a catered (thanks again to a generous alumna) YP17 HCSSiM Reunion Breakfast if you can get to Seattle for the 2025 JMM.
Date: Friday, January 10, 2025
Time: 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Room Name: Cedar A, 2nd Floor, at the Sheraton Grand Seattle
If you can, please contribute to keep the Summer Studies happening at Hampshire:
As you know, our high faculty:student ratio is needed to provide daily feedback on written work and to allow staff to have a few hours off each week (e.g., one am class or one evening problem session); we ask our faculty to do more (than other programs) and we’re finally not paying them less.
Amber now works year-round for the Summer Studies; and we’ll need additional help to keep up with the increased number of Interesting Tests. We now hire a nurse and a lifeguard, each for a few hours a week.
As always, we don’t want finances to be the reason an invited student doesn’t come. As a diversity-increasing initiative, we are joining other summer math programs in offering full financial aid (in our case to students whose family income is less than $85,000).
Contributions decreased during our two virtual summers, and our expenses have increased since.
We’ve earned your support and might have been the first educational or religious or political or humanitarian or environmental or… cause to have done so. We don’t expect major philanthropy from those still in school, unemployed, or just beginning careers or families; but we hope all alumns feel that HCSSiM deserves some help. Older alums have discovered tax benefits, companies that (and parents who) match donations, and the fact that 17 has multiples and even powers (which, along with its odd powers, are odd). However long ago it was that you sang Yellow Pigs Day carols, hiked the Holyoke Ridge, or enjoyed a Prime Time Theorem, please help preserve the existence of the life-changing math program where “everybody knows your name”. You may donate at https://hcssim.org/online-giving/.
Gifts by check payable to “YP Math Foundation” can be sent to the Foundation’s treasurer at:
YP Math Foundation
c/o Adam Litke ’79, Treasurer
440 West End Avenue, Apt 12B
New York, NY 10024
Gratefully,
Kelly, Amber, and Susan
David C. Kelly, Founder and Director
Amber Verser, Assistant Director
Susan Goff, Program Coordinator
Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics
Box NS, Hampshire College
893 West St.
Amherst, MA 01002-3359
413-559-5375 Fax: 413-559-5448
Page updated
Report abuse