UCM Update

Nine students in three teams from the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Central Missouri recently competed in the fifth annual online Kryptos Challenge.

The challenge, managed by two members of the Pacific Northwest section of the Mathematical Association of America, challenges three-person teams of high school, undergraduate or graduate students to tackle the cryptanalysis, or breaking of the code in coded material.  Each challenge presents contestants with a brief scenario together with an encoded message. The goal is to discover the original English plaintext message and submit the solution prior to a prescribed deadline.

The UCM teams were among 153 students on 67 teams from colleges, universities, academies, institutes and high schools across the nations who participated in the five-day challenge. Students worked at their own locations with challenges presented online, using any inanimate resource available to meet the deadline for submitting their results.

UCM teams 1 and 2 were recognized at Master Codebreakers for solving all three challenges. Team three achieved he Amateur level by solving one of the three challenges.

The Department of Theatre and Dance recognized it best and brightest at the annual Players Banquet May 1 on the Highlander Theatre stage. The UCM Players Organization and Theta Alpha Phi, National Theatre Honorary Fraternity hosted the banquet, with more than 100 faculty, students, and guests attending.  The department faculty members presented the Outstanding Theatre Student Award to Sarah Bronson and the Outstanding Theatre Scholastic Student Award to Dane Schnake.

Central Missouri men's golf place second at the NCAA Super Regional Tournament. UCM ensured themselves of a bid to the Division II National Meet, May 18-22 at the Rock Barn Golf Course and Spa in Conover, N.C.

The Jennies will play in their first NCAA Regional Championship since 2009 this weekend, May 8-10. UCM earned the No. 2 seed in region after going 44-14 during the season and winning both the MIAA regular season and tournament championships.