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Teno sends off Mathcounts bets
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Posted on May 11 1999
Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday met with the CNMI contestants for the Mathcounts national competition who are scheduled to fly to Washington on Wednesday.
For six years now, the CNMI has been sending its bets for the national Mathcounts race but this is the first time that the Governor met with the team prior to their departure.
“What can you do for the governor? Tenorio rephrased the famous question first asked by the late U.S. President John Kennedy.
“We are going to win,” answered the team coach Ramir Trinidad.
For a team of five Math wizards, three are female students from the Marianas Baptist Academy.
According to Trinidad, this is the first year that female students have outnumbered and outperformed male contestants. At the national level, the males dominate the competition.
But this year may be different and will probably name a female champion in Mathcounts.
“Girls do strive harder and have longer endurance,” he said.
He meets Dook Ok Kim, Jenny Kim and Mina Yu, three to four hours a day for practice. While winners from Mount Carmel School and Grace Christian Academy, Pasqual deleon Guerrero and Cheng Huang Yen, join them after school for the team practice.
For the last five years, CNMI bets have reached the 17th highest score among over 200 contestants.
But this year, Tenorio is cheering for the local bets and offered ways to beat stage fright.
“Don’t get nervous, just be yourself. Try your best and enjoy the trip,” he told the group.
He also encouraged them to take advantage of the wealth of information now available through technology and to explore related professions like engineering and science.
