Final Present Dei Puzzler stumps many
There were no correct answers submitted by students or staff for the first of two final problems for the 2011-2012 school year. The answer is 11/15.
Staff member Kevin Nguyen and Fr. Michael Mandala, SJ both submitted correct answers to the second puzzle; the final answer is PUSH. They were each awarded $2.
The Present Dei thanks Mrs. Sue White, math teacher, for creating and supporting The Present Dei Puzzler this past semester; the contest served to promote math and logic skills and to grow the readership of The Present Dei.
Present Dei Puzzler presented promptly
Current Verbum Dei gentleman and staff are encouraged to demonstrate their logical prowess by answering the following questions:
Question 1: George and Martha alternately draw one ball at random from an urn containing four red and two green balls. They do not replace any balls that are drawn. If George draws first, what is the probability that George will draw a red ball before Martha does?
Question 2: Four answers in this small crossword are too long for their spaces and extend past the border by one letter. The four protruding letters, taken clockwise from the top, spell a bonus word. What is this word?
Across Down
1. Tastes 1. Thick carpet
5. 17-syllable poem 2. Billy Joel’s instrument
6. Vietnam’s capital 3. Devout
7. Toe woe 4. ____ night (summer camp entertainment)
Entries must be submitted in writing to Mr. John Stradley, moderator of The Present Dei, or to Ms. Sue White, math teacher, by the close of the contest, Friday, May 18. Ms. White is assured that all Verb students, regardless of their level, are prepared to take on this challenge. The first correct answer to each question is worth $2, first correct answer to both questions earns $5. All other correct submissions received before the close of the contest will be entered in a drawing for similar prizes. Staff members are encouraged to participate but are not eligible for cash prizes.
Senior Jared Sanchez won the word search in the most recent puzzler; there were no consolation prizes awarded. The correct answer for this first puzzler included the following terms: quadrilateral, square, trapezoid, cube, triangle, prism, torus, rectangle, hexagon, circle, sphere, rhombus, cone, pyramid, ellipse, and cylinder. The remaining letters read: “Solid with six parallelograms as its faces.”
Senior Rory Riggs won the second puzzler, while junior Omar Melendrez won the consolation prize. The puzzler is solved using the following: Treat the digits in the top row of the first box as one number: 9 6 becomes 96. Notice that if you divide 96 by the number in the middle of the box (4) the result is the number at the bottom of the box – 24. Continuing this pattern means that the missing number is 7 since 12 x 7 = 84.
Junior Verb gentlemen read essays at CAAM
Verbum Dei High School juniors Eduardo Ramirez (above), Kevin Lopez, and Andre Perez read their novel study culminating essays before a crowd of 75 people at the California African-American Museum in Exposition Park, April 28. Students participated in the presentation in conjunction with The Big Read, a National Endowment for the Arts program that promotes a nationwide reading and dialogue on a specific novel. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Harlem Renaissance author Zora Neale Hurston is this year’s Big Read selection. “Found poems,” culled from two chapters of the novel by Verb students, were displayed on the panel behind the speaker. Photograph by John Stradley, Moderator, The Present Dei.
Egg-drop splatters Verb in the name of science
Ms. Frankovic’s science students tested their mettle against gravity and hard concrete in an egg drop event, April 26. Mr. Cancino, whose hands are apparently lifted in prayer, braved the heights of the Eagle’s Nest to release student-designed egg encasements, which plummeted to the sidewalk. Some fared better than others, but laughter was shared by all save for the unfortunate eggs. Photograph by Krista Frankovic.
Present Dei puzzler offers a wordy “two-for”
Current Verbum Dei gentleman and staff are encouraged to demonstrate their logical prowess by answering the following questions:
Question 1: Circle the names of 16 shapes from plane and solid geometry in this octagon-shaped grid. Each answer is a word of at least four letters that runs horizontally, vertically, or diagonally but always in a straight line. The leftover letters—when read left to right, top to bottom—spell out what a parallelepiped is. Your answer should be the leftover letters
Question 2: Following the logic used in the first three squares below, fill in the missing number in the fourth square. Your answer should be a number and an explanation of why it works.
Entries must be submitted in writing to Mr. John Stradley, moderator of The Present Dei, or to Ms. Sue White, math teacher, by the close of the contest, Monday, April 30. Ms. White is assured that all Verb students, regardless of their level, are prepared to take on this challenge. A $2 and $5 prize will be awarded to the first gentleman who submits the correct answer to each respective question; all other correct submissions received before the close of the contest will be entered in a drawing for $2 and $5 consolation prizes. Staff members are encouraged to participate but are not eligible for cash prizes.
The winner of the $2 prize for the April 16-20 contest was junior Rodrigo Reyes; senior Jared Sanchez won the drawing for the consolation prize. Both submitted the correct answer of 66660. No student provided the answer to the second question, but staff member Kevin Nguyen submitted the correct answer of 3999960. Mr. and Mrs. White are willing to share a simple shortcut to determine these answers; stop by their classroom for a quick tutorial.
Present Dei math challenge offers a “two-for”
Current Verbum Dei gentleman and staff are encouraged to demonstrate their logical prowess by answering the following questions:
For $2: Consider all of the four digit numbers containing the digits 1 through 4, with no repeats. (Example of four digit numbers containing the digits 1 through 4 with no repeats: 1342, 2413, 1234, etc.) What is the sum of all such numbers?
For $5 (entrants must also solve the first problem to be considered): Consider all of the five digit numbers containing the digits 1 through 5, with no repeats. What is the sum of all such numbers?
Entries must be submitted in writing to Mr. John Stradley, moderator of The Present Dei, or to Ms. Sue White, math teacher, by the close of the contest, Monday, April 23. Ms. White is assured that all Verb students, regardless of their level, are prepared to take on this challenge. A $2 and $5 prize will be awarded to the first gentleman who submits the correct answer to each question; all other correct submissions received before the close of the contest will be entered in a drawing for $2 and $5 consolation prizes. Staff members are encouraged to participate but are not eligible for cash prizes.
The winners of the March 26 – April 2 contest were seniors Carlos Ruiz and Dylan Hall, who submitted the correct answer of 36 cubes painted blue on exactly one of their faces.
“Talk Like a Pirate Day” and 19 new school holidays added to 2012-2013 academic year
By Nhoj Yeldarts, Moderator, The Preposterous Day
Students school wide are likely to be excited about the prospect of twenty additional days off in the upcoming 2012-2013 academic year. In an effort to recognize a variety of cultural and historical entities, school administration has set a preliminary plan to include 20 additional pupil-free days in the school year. The archdiocese and state board of education have yet to comment on the prospect, but this move might signal a trend away from the traditional 180-day school year.
“Talk like a Pirate Day” and “National Frozen Food Day,” otherwise known as the birthday of Clarence Birdseye, the father of the frozen food industry, are among the new holidays. “We can’t really enthusiastically support the ‘Pirate’ day at school,” said Dr. Can O’Donnell, principal. “Classroom decorum must be maintained, but we can provide an opportunity for our students to celebrate the rich heritage of piracy in their homes and public spaces.”
Other additional holidays include: “Come in from the Cold Day” on January 22, “The Day the Music Died Day” on February 3, which commemorates the events that serve as the basis of Don McLean’s song “American Pie,” and “Tweed Day.” The latter could never be observed on campus due to dress code standards for students and staff; however, administration is hopeful that tweeds of all stripes will be sported off campus on April 3, 2013.
Physics class to launch rocket from Eagle’s Nest
By Nhoj Yeldarts, Moderator, The Preposterous Day
In a very practical application of theoretical principles, Verb physics students are slated to launch a three stage rocket from the 50-yard line of the sports field on April 1. The capsule on the third stage is to be manned, no, well, occupied by a chinchilla named Elmer. The star bound chinchilla is the class mascot, and it will be charged with sub-orbital operations. “Just to think,” said Mr. H. Eddieston, physics teacher. “These students were building catapults earlier in the year, and now, they are sending a rocket and a chinchilla to the outer fringe of the atmosphere.”
Fueling of the rocket booster will take place early morning April 1, and students and curious passersby are advised to take precautions not to lean against the liquid nitrogen tanks due to the possibility of flash freezing of clothing and skin. Dozens of Verb gentlemen wanting to strike the match and “light the candle” that sends the rocket heavenward paid $1 each to be entered into a lottery to be held during the fueling.
Elmer, the astrochinchilla, will safely parachute back to Earth after the rocket reaches its azimuth at the upper edges of the atmosphere. The physics students have calculated the landing zone to be the infield of the baseball diamond in Ted Watkins Park north of the school.