■ Benicia students to take part in county problem-solving event

The Solano Community College Math Steeplechase has nothing to do with riding horses over challenging jumps or runners leaping the barriers for themselves.

Instead, the college is staging its third annual countywide math competition next week that will let area high school students tackle and solve problems, said Shemila Johnson, SCC’s outreach and public relations manager.

“The purpose of the Math Steeplechase is to promote problem solving and an enjoyment of math,” Johnson said. “Benicia, Buckingham, Dixon, Fairfield, Vacaville and Will C. Wood high schools are confirmed to participate.”

Funded by the Math Educators of Solano County and the California Math Council, the steeplechase is set up at a variety of stations on the college’s campus.

“This year, students will have additional problem-solving opportunities, as they must decipher clues to locate each station,” Johnson said.

The students, who assemble into teams of four each, work in collaboration to solve those challenges at a dozen stations, she said.

“One of the many fun activity stations at the last Math Steeplechase, in October 2013, took advantage of an SCC landmark,” she said.

“Students had to use a photograph and the given scale factor to calculate the height, area of the face and volume of the base of SCC’s clock tower,” Johnson said.

She said another purpose of the steeplechase is to make participating students aware of the higher-education opportunities SCC offers.

Solano Community College’s Solano County High School Math Steeplechase Competition will take place at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, March 19, throughout the college’s campus at 4000 Suisun Valley Road, Fairfield.

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