As students started to come back to school after quarantine in the fall of 2020, there were a lot of new rules set in place. Masks, desks six feet apart, no lunch tables and taking students’ temperatures all fell into play this year. Math teacher Jeff Hetcher had other ideas for how to make one of the regulations more fun for himself and the students. 

“I didn’t ask for these powers, they just came to me. I just thought of an idea that would be fun for my students while in these times,” Hetcher said. 

The competition in Hetcher’s first hour Algebra I class was based on who had the lowest temperature each day. Every student participated and got points, but some earned more than others. Sophomore Jersey Reck had a huge lead, ending with 43 points winning it all.

“I thought Emilee Wegner would win because she had a lot of points before me, but I ended up winning,” Reck said.

 The prize for this competition was the “Lysol Cup.” It was a half-full container of Shopko cleansing wipes with a little plastic trophy taped on top. 

“I borrowed those wipes from Mr. Carriveau, and took his little trophy and taped the trophy on top of the wipes and named it the Lysol Cup,” Hetcher said.

 The trophy ended up going to Reck before the end of the year because she was so far ahead. 

“I ended up putting the trophy on my dresser,” Reck said.

 There were some students who didn’t do as well in the competition such as Caitlin Starks. Starks got the highest temperature almost every day, but she did pull through with one low point. Hetcher even started to keep a tally of all of the highest points Starks got.

 “I lost big time. I was in the negatives,” Starks said.

 On June 4, there will be another competition called the “Algae Awards.” 

“It’s a formal red carpet event,” Hetcher said.

The “Algae Awards” will be a series of math-based competitive events to top off the 2020-2021 school year.