The Catawba College Department of Mathematics installed a new chapter of Kappa Mu Epsilon, a national undergraduate honor society for the advancement of mathematics, during a ceremony held in Tom Smith Auditorium on campus Thursday, Sept. 17.

The ceremony to create the new N.C. Zeta Chapter of Kappa Mu Epsilon and to install its charter members was conducted by Dr. Ronald Wasserstein, executive director of the American Statistical Association and current president of Kappa Mu Epsilon. Inductees included six student members and six faculty members.

Student members included senior Scott Campbell of Charlotte, president; junior John Hoehman of Granite Quarry, vice-president; junior Zachary Owen of Charlotte, recording secretary; junior Cody Ashby of Lexington, treasurer; and junior Cynthia Cook of Franklin, Pa. Faculty members installed were Drs. Paul Baker, Jason Hunt, John Zerger, Cyndi Osterhus, and Doug Brown, corresponding secretary. Two members were installed in absentia, Dr. Sharon Sullivan and senior Stacy Michael of Lexington.

Following the induction ceremony, Dr. Wasserstein presented a program entitled, "What Probability and Forrest Gump Teach Us about Lotteries."  He made several key points during his remarks, including that the lottery is a tax and that the chances of winning the power ball is "1 in 195,249,054"

Wasserstein said, "People who come in first place and last place have something in common – they’ve exerted the same amount of skill to get there."

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