2025-11-17

Annual Letter, (1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9)^2

Dear HCSSiM,

Your participation in the Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics is always appreciated and again invited.  We have many updates to share this year, but most of all, we hope this letter finds you safe, happy, and well.

Each year for the past >51 years, Kelly has written this letter.  As you are probably already aware, he passed away in June just shy of his 85th birthday.  His presence will be terribly missed for years to come, but we hope to continue to keep the spirit of the program alive for the next >51 years.

Last year, we said to expect information about the Yellow Pig Math Foundation’s Board activities.  We are excited to share that:

●      The HCSSiM documentary, Hunting Yellow Pigs, is now out and screening.  Take a look at the calendar to see if there’s a screening near you and feel encouraged to attend; if you are interested in hosting your own, write to Board Member Jon Roberts.

●      Starting July 1, YPMF and Hampshire College’s multi-year contract officially went into effect, transferring operation (and financial responsibilities) permanently to YPMF and arranging a long-term relationship to stay in residence at Hampshire.

●      Long-time Senior Staff Paul Phillips is our new Interim Director.  Paul has been a much-beloved HCSSiM faculty member since 2013 and is a math professor at the University of Dallas.  YPMF is reducing Paul’s course load at the University of Dallas to free him up to direct the Summer Studies during the academic year.  His initial contract is 3 years.

Lots of people joined us on-campus for Yellow Pigs Day this year.  It was a pleasure to welcome so many alumni back to campus; all alumni present jointly presented the famous Mathematical and History of Seventeen talk; we were also blessed with a large number of alumni presenting PTTs throughout the summer.  If you are able, we would love to see you back on campus on a July 17th soon!  In the meantime, we’d appreciate your help updating our alumni database by sharing your current contact details and letting us know what you’re up to now. This will help us know that our emails are in fact reaching you; it will also help us target the search for missing alumns. Please fill out this google form. We look forward to hearing from you.  As always, we welcome your Kelly memories and yellow pig and 17 sightings; feel free to share your comments, complaints, hopes, and fears; and let us know if and when you might be interested in teaching in (or giving a Prime Time at or directing) HCSSiM (or a new program; see below). Suggestions for future directors, faculty, students, potential donors, program activities, guest speakers, and (very quickly) ideas for problems for the 2026 (and future) HCSSiM Interesting Test(s) are welcome. Feel free to send these to Amber or Susan. Thank you!

Over 1100 students applied for HCSSiM, 2025 and more than 700 submitted ITs (both record highs).  We had 51 students (with a f/nb:m ratio very close to 1 for the 4th consecutive year) from 18 states and 5 countries.   As mentioned in previous letters, 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 broadening the backgrounds of the applicant pool.  There seems to be money to advance both goals.  HCSSiM has taken an active role in the Consortium’s Incubator Program to help start new programs, and we highly encourage those of you who may be interested in furthering math enrichment to consider starting a new program with the Consortium’s support.  Applications are being invited.

We’ll enjoy a catered (thanks again to a generous alumna) YP17 HCSSiM Reunion Breakfast in Washington DC for the 2026 JMM January 4-7, 2026.

●      Date: Tuesday January 6, 2026

●      Time: 7:17 AM – 9:00 AM

●      Room Name: Magnolia Room, at the Marriott Marquis

Also at the JMM, please register for and attend the screening of Hunting Yellow Pigs.

●      Date: Sunday January 4, 2026

●      Time: 8:00 PM – 9:34 PM

●      Room Name:  Ballroom Three, at the Marriott Marquis

●      Register here!

People not registered for the conference who may be in the area are welcome to attend both of these events.

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 ask of theirs) and we’re committed to keep not paying them less.

●      In addition to Amber, Paul, and Susan (year-round staff), we now need to hire additional help seasonally to keep up with the increased number of Interesting Tests. We also 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 participation-broadening 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.

Indeed, 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 alumns 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 Range, 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,

Paul, Amber, and Susan

Susan Goff, Program Coordinator 

Paul Phillips, Director

Amber Verser, Assistant Director

Kelly (David C. Kelly), Founder

Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics

Box NS, Hampshire College

893 West St.

Amherst, MA 01002-3359

(413) 559-5375

https://www.hcssim.org