The second annual UW-Madison Integration Bee took place Tuesday with 14 competitors, all UW-Madison students, vying for the title of \Grand Integrator of Madison."" Fans of these integrators filled the seats cheering them on with excitement, some even with signs.
James Reardon, an outreach specialist with the UW-Madison Wonders of Physics program, brought this competition to UW-Madison after participating in a similar event at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in order to aid students in their understanding of physics.
""We believe in the physics department that most students who have problems with physics are mostly handicapped by the math skills,"" he said.
The participants faced off in a double-elimination style competition showing off their integrating skills until only two contestants remained.
The two finalists were UW-Madison graduate students Aarti Singh and Steve Griffith. Griffith entered the final round without any defeats while Singh had one, meaning she had to win not once, but twice to receive the title.
Singh said she more or less stumbled upon this competition. She said she received an e-mail from a former math professor informing her about the event.
""I took a course which I dropped, Math 632, and he sent me an e-mail,"" she said.
Singh eventually ended up winning, despite her initial skepticism of her chances.""I felt I had no chance with all these graduate students,"" she said.
After winning the final round and becoming the new champion, a few fans approached her with congratulations and kindly asked for her autograph. She humbly declined at first but later accepted.
Boian Popunkiov, a UW-Madison graduate student and last years champion, returned to defend his title. Although he was ousted early from the competition, he said he still enjoyed competing.
""We seem to have many more math graduate students competing. It came down to mere seconds, and it's fun to be with all these people,"" Popunkiov said.
Singh is unsure whether she will return next year to defend her title, simply saying, ""Maybe, maybe not.\
