Utica Center for Math, Science, and Technology

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Utica Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology

Established	1996
School type	Public magnet school
Grades	9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th
Counselor	Janet Kent
Location	Sterling Heights, Michigan, United States
Students	approximately 300
Mascot	Thunder Chickens
Website	UCMST

1 Enrollment
2 Integrity
3 Curriculum
- 3.1 Class List
4 Athletics
5 Fire Alarm Hot Dogs
6 Lock-ins
7 External links

[edit] Enrollment

The Utica Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology (UCMST) is a four-year, public non-residential magnet school located at the Joan C. Sergent Instructional Resource Center (IRC) in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The school is in the Utica Community School District. The school accepts rising freshmen from across the Utica Community School District and enrolls them through senior year. Though UCMST is a public school, enrollment is limited, and applicants are required to undergo a comprehensive examination which includes a test in math, logic, and science. UCMST is a member of the NCSSSMST.

[edit] Integrity

Teachers volunteer their own time in order to provide bagels on Mondays and Wednesdays, doughnuts on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and pizza on Fridays. Integrity is a core value to the students at the UCMST. It is the responsibility of the student to pay for the food that he takes. All students' lockers are kept unlocked at all times.

Unfortunately, on December 4th, 2006, it was brought to the attention of the students that a few bad apples had stolen upwards of $40 from the Pizza Day money box. MAC (MST Activities Council) decided that all vending machine and food day privilidges would be temporarily revoked as punishment. To the good students' dismay, Pizza Day will be missed on December 8th, 2006. Many students believe this punishment is unfair and not well thought out, while others do not mind too much. However, a general feeling of disappointment from the staff and students is directed towards the "Pizza Day Bandits."

In response to the "Privilege Massacre", as it has been christened by many of the students, a group of students who claim innocence and repugnance to the incident have founded an “Honors Fraternity” for those to hold up the now forgone integrity that MST students had once held. Although it is a fraternity, girls are allowed, as it is a fraternity albeit in name only. These students hope to find an alternate course of action to curtail or apprehend the Pizza Day Bandits and to uphold what it really means to be an MST student.

[edit] Curriculum

Students attend the center for half of their school days to complete their science courses, then travel back to their home school to take their humanities classes. Seniors and Freshmens attend MST in the mornings while Juniors and Sophmores attend in the Afternoon sessions. Each student takes three courses each year. In their freshmen year, students rotate between C++ Programming and Statistics/Design of Experiments (DOE) every other day. During their senior year, students are given the opportunity to take either Calculus AB or Calculus BC and also have the option of selecting one science class (along with Chemistry AP) from AP Biology and AP Physics.

[edit] Class List

9th: Advanced Algebra II/Geometry, Accelerated Chemistry, C++ Programming, and Statistics/Design of Experiments (DOE)

10th: Analysis, Biochemistry/Foundations of Research, Advanced Biology

11th: Foundations of Calculus (Pre-calculus), Physics, AP JAVA Programming

12th: AP Calculus (AB or BC), Chemistry AP/Physics AP/Biology AP.

[edit] Athletics

Because the MST is a partial-day program, the UCMST does not offer any athletic programs. Instead, students are able to participate in the sports of their home schools (Eisenhower High School, Ford II High School, Stevenson High School, and Utica High School). Sometimes students are permitted to play kickball, but this is a rare occurrence. However, the FIRST Robotics program is an emphasized part of the center's curriculum. While students need not be part of the center in order to be eligible for the team, most of the students and mentors of the Global Champion FIRST Robotics Team, Team 217, the Thunder Chickens, attend or teach at the Center.

In addition to the robotics team, a few of the students have created a basketball team that is associated with the Sterling Heights, Michigan Parks and Recreation. They decided to call themselves "The Baby Einsteins" due to their young age and high intelligence levels.

[edit] Fire Alarm Hot Dogs

In the 2005 and 2006 school years, the students of the UCMST have been treated to what has been come to be known as Fire Alarm Hot Dogs. A fake fire drill is called, and as the students file outside to complete the drill, they are greeted with a venerable cornucopia of hot dogs and condiments. They are greatly appreciated by all.

[edit] Lock-ins

A new UCMST event as of 2006, the students arrive at the building around 9:00 PM and are not allowed to leave until 6:00 AM (on a non-school night, of course), unless a given student must leave. The entry fee is $10 per student (to pay for the pizza, prizes, etc.) and must be paid for before the lock-in night. The lock-ins consist of math games, chemistry games, and, on the first lock-in, the rolling chair relay race, with prizes ranging from candy bars to gift cards for each game. After said games, students are allowed to roam the two presentation rooms. In one presentation room, students may participate in projector screen Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, and other popular multiplayer games, or they could play cards, karaoke, and fun board games. In the next presentation room, students can watch movies or nap if they feel too tired. In the hall between the two rooms, a few students had a CS 1.5 LAN. Free snacks are served in the main hall, along side students who feel the need to express themselves through song. They sing songs from great rock gods, suck as: AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The White Stripes, The Who, Queen, And (last but not least) Guns 'n Roses. In reluctance, the students had to leave at 6:00 AM.