positivity March 2018
How Math Improved My Game
of my glove. Somehow, physics found its way into baseball. What else could we do to defy gravity? I’d catch the ball, take my arm behind my ear, and throw, clocking in at 1.8 seconds. One day, I tried combining the two motions. I caught the ball, brought it behind my ear, and threw it, all in one swift motion. It shaved off a 10th of a second — I was at 1.7. That’s nothing, right? But when you think about how fast a runner can get from first base to second, that fraction of a second is the difference between getting an out and a free base for the other team. That millisecond can win or lose a game. You see where I’m going, of course. Inevitably, math finds its way into places we think it doesn’t belong. Baseball is seen as fun. Math — not so much. Kids dread their math homework like you dread your taxes. That’s why our math tutoring website exists. When you learn math and realize it can make you better at your favorite sport (or faster at your taxes), that’s pretty fun, isn’t it? These days, I play baseball in our local co-ed league with my wife. We’re not too worried about our batting averages or throwing speed. Still, there is a corner of my mind that remembers the drills we did in college, and as I wind up for a throw, I think, “How can I make this faster?” Baseball is all about efficiency and speed. You work for hours on drills just to shave off one millisecond.
I’ve played baseball since I was 7 years old. I did some football and wrestling as a kid, but I decided early on that
you want to keep improving at it. I loved the independence and focus of baseball — at the plate, it’s just you and the ball.
After high school, I got a baseball scholarship to the University of St. Francis, and it was there that I learned how to take my game to the next level. Timing is of the essence in baseball, and our coaches preached about small ways we could become faster, whether we were hitting, throwing, or running. As a catcher, maximizing my defensive position came down to milliseconds. I crouched behind home base, ready to grab the ball out of the air and send it to a new location before the runner could get there. In practices, our coaches timed us to see how long it took for us to make a throw. We were hyper-focused on how quickly we could get the ball from point A to point B. Our coaches would ask again and again, “From the moment the ball hits your glove to when it arrives at shortstop, how can
you reduce that time?” We knew the exact speed at which we could unload and get the ball to second base. One drill focused on reducing the amount of time and distance it took to get the ball out
– Don Sevcik
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Don’ t Forget to Clean the Heart of Your Home
• Family homes (three or more occupants) with no pets or allergies: three to six months. • Family homes with at least one pet or minor allergies: two to three months.
The start of spring brings everyone’s favorite seasonal chore — spring cleaning! As you dust, vacuum, organize, and declutter, don’t forget about the one room that often gets neglected. This year, give special attention to the utility closet. The utility closet houses your furnace, boiler, water heater, A/C junction, and other similar large appliances. Homeowners often forget about these appliances because they are out of sight and out of mind, and this can cost a lot in the long run. Like all the other rooms in your home, this space needs to be kept clean. Dust, for instance, can be hard on HVAC systems. Over time, it accumulates in the HVAC intake and clogs the air filter, reducing its effectiveness and efficiency. This results in a short lifespan for your system, higher power bills, and a poorly heated or cooled home.
• Family homes with multiple pets or allergies: one to two months.
In addition to changing the air filter, it’s important to schedule a routine inspection of your home’s HVAC system. This includes an inspection of the appliances themselves and any connecting ducts. Dust, dander, and mold can accumulate in the ducts and spread throughout the home, which can lead to health issues, including respiratory problems. A routine inspection will identify potential problems in your HVAC system. On top of that, you can get these systems professionally cleaned and maintained. These are simple steps that will keep your home’s air systems running smoothly for years to come. Plus, you’ll be ready for the summer months ahead!
How Often Should You Replace Your Air Filter?
• Homes with minimal foot traffic (single or double occupancy) and no pets or allergies: six to 12 months.
angel — someone who’s always there for you when you need math help. I was able to make this a reality. L imi ted Space Ava i lable This new service is a great solution for those who need someone to talk them through a problem. Guidance is important for students who really need help and reassurance, making them more independently capable in the long run. It is my goal that the homework mastermind group will boost members’ confidence in learning and solving solutions on their own. Currently, there are a couple of spaces open in this limited group. If you want to get involved, all you’ll have to do is fill out an application form. We’ll have a consultation call and decide if the group will be a good fit for you and your child.
Three years ago, I had some parents of high school and college students reach out to me and tell me that even though MathCelebrity.com was working, they wanted more. These parents felt that their children needed a more hands-on approach. They needed someone to be there, helping
them through their homework challenges. There’s something in the human presence that can’t be replaced by any software. This interaction led me to create the homework mastermind group. I decided it would be a rather small group and limited it to about 15–20 people. This group would have the ability to reach out and
talk to me through text, chat, or even Skype when they were struggling with concepts. In a way, it’s like a mathematical guardian
To learn more and apply, visit www.mathcelebrity.com/ homework-mastermind.php
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Knowing that I run Math Celebrity, these parents asked my wife, “Can you talk to Don to see if this is something he can help us with?” At the same time, I heard a very similar story from a mom in Atlanta. Then another request popped up. Among different families from various regions, I kept hearing the same thing: “My kid is really smart, but they’re getting poor grades and losing confidence.” Something needed to change. So I went through the Common Core curriculum myself and started building calculations to meet the challenge. With our option, Mom and Dad can check the solution the traditional way then hit another button to see the Common Core solution. The goal is to help parents see the behind-the-scenes work of Common Core. That way, they can understand the process — even if they’re not a fan of the method.
On MathCelebrity.com, you’ll find an added feature you won’t see on many other sites. If a problem can be solved with both the traditional and Common Core method, we’ll show you how to do both. I added this feature after hearing the frustrations of quite a few parents. In the summer of 2015, my wife was playing on a volleyball team with other moms, and a few of them voiced how frustrated they were with Common Core and its effects on their children. One of my wife’s friends has a daughter who is very bright — an A+ student. But she was getting C’s on her math homework because she wasn’t solving the problems by Common Core standards. After her daughter finished an entire assignment on multiplication and long division, it was returned with a C- at the top because of the method used to complete the work. The student came home in tears because of this frustrating experience.
bra in puzzles
Zesty Zucchini Enchi ladas
Ingredients • 4 large zucchinis • 1 tablespoon olive oil or ghee
• 2 teaspoons chili powder • 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken • 2 cups shredded cheese
• 1 large onion, chopped • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 2 teaspoons cumin
directions 1. Heat oven to 350 F. In a large skillet, heat oil. Add onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and salt to taste. Stir to combine. Add chicken and 1 cup enchilada sauce. 2. Use vegetable peeler to thinly slice zucchini. Lay out three slices, slightly overlapping, and spoon chicken mixture on top. Roll the zucchini “tortilla” and place on baking sheet. Repeat until all zucchini and chicken is used. 3. Cover the enchiladas with remaining sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 20 minutes, and enjoy! Adapted from delish.com.
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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
1521 Rohde Avenue Berkeley, IL 60163 USA http://www.mathcelebrity.com
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Why You Need Math for a Home Run
Spring Clean Your Utility Room
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the homework mastermind group
Your Common Core Solution
Go Carb-Free for Dinner
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St. Patrick’s Day vs. the Color Green
of the plentiful green foliage that adorns the country’s landscape. It also relates to the green in the flag. Each of the three colors in the flag have their own symbolic meaning: green for the Catholics who live in the country, orange for the Protestants, and white for the peace between the two. Of course, you can’t forget leprechauns, the little creatures that have always been affiliated with the holiday. But just like St. Patrick’s original blue garb, these impish tricksters used to wear red instead of green. While green overtook blue as the shade of choice for St. Patrick, leprechauns began putting on their signature green suits. You might wonder where the tradition of pinching comes from. We can thank the leprechauns for this one. It’s said that if the gold-loving redheads caught you not wearing their favorite color, they would pinch you. To avoid pinches from leprechauns and people alike, be sure to put on some green this St. Patrick’s Day to blend in with the festive crowd.
There’s only one day of the year you’ll be scorned for not wearing green: St. Patrick’s Day. If you’ve ever gone the whole holiday wearing any other color, you’ve probably been pinched by your peers, family, spouse, and anyone else decked out head to toe in green. Green has become so deeply associated with the St. Patrick holiday that many people are unaware that green wasn’t always its official color. Blue was the first color to symbolize St. Patrick’s Day, and the saint himself is almost always depicted dressed in what’s known as “St. Patrick’s blue.” What caused the shift from green to blue is more speculation than hard fact. Some have theorized that the change happened sometime in the 17th century, when the symbol for the United Irishmen Rebellion became the clover. St. Patrick used the clover to teach the Irish people about the Holy Trinity, and it eventually became a symbol that represented both the saint and the holiday. Another theory comes from Ireland’s nickname, “The Emerald Isle,” which was coined because
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