Venomous Agenda Memoirs

Chapter 16: Passing of the Baton?

Valerie trained for months with Jennifer, especially after the holidays, and the schedule intensified after the AIME. Imélie, on the other hand, appeared to have eschewed any hope of competing at the USAMO, instead focusing on quiz bowl.

In past years, the results of the AIME were not made publicly available to the local community until the USAMO qualifiers were known. As with last year, the parish newspaper continued to play the comparison games, albeit with the mathletes being so compared being replaced by Cristiano, Imélie, Jennifer and Valerie. At least early on; later comparison games seemed to only include Imélie and Jennifer, and compare them to girls susceptible to qualify for the IMO.

The first week of March, when the AIME results are announced to the public, so many in school are on the edge of their seats, eagerly awaiting who among their favorites would end up advancing to the USAMO just a few weeks before it takes place.

"Good morning everyone, the list of USAMO qualifiers has been released and only one Venomous Agenda made it. Jennifer Gagnon, scoring a twelve on the AIME, and Imélie narrowly missed it despite scoring a ten on it" Glen announces at the start of the school day.

He then goes on to list the results of the other AIME participants, and Valerie scored a 9, the same as Cristiano. What will daddy think of me, now that my season is basically over? Now, I wouldn't say the time I spent training with Jennifer after the AIME has been a waste, but I'm nervous, Valerie shakes on her seat. As much as I would like to say "there's always next year", I don't think daddy will be very happy...

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After returning from a half-hearted math team practice, once again, Valerie feels her heart racing when she faces her father again. Especially since she can feel his disappointment regarding the AIME.

"Valerie, how can you do this to us? How can you fail so spectacularly on the AIME?" Glen screams at his daughter.

"Imélie was twenty and a half index points higher than I, and she didn't qualify either! What makes you think that I could have gotten the same twelve as Jennifer?" Valerie, ulcerated by her father's remarks, questions him while looking at the grade and gender distributions. Which are released at the same time as the USAMO qualifiers.

"Imélie had quiz bowl to deal with. She will go on to the HSNCT. You, on the other hand, didn't! You only had the USAMO to aim for and you failed!" Glen keeps screaming.

"I am still in ninth grade! Jennifer is two years older than me!" Valerie shouts back to her father, still ulcerated.

"Jennifer is also competing at the VMC. But it's too early to write you off as a failure. As much as I would love to say that where you go to college will not define who you will be, if you don't make it to the USAMO by junior year, I will not pay for your tuition!"

I am not worried about Imélie at the VMC. It's actually Phil I am most worried about regarding that contest, Glen reflects on the school's roster at the VMC. He is also looking for an alternate venue for the USAMO. Knowing that he cannot use any of the detention rooms for it.

"Just getting anyone at the USAMO is a lot for any Louisiana school; last year, not even Caddo, Bâton-Rouge Magnets or Benjamin-Franklin can even get someone there" Selena arrives at Valerie's bedroom, seeing her cry.

"Speaking of college, attending a math camp will help. Indirectly perhaps but it's better than nothing. We're a little late in the math camp game, but we can always try to get you into a math camp. Trent will, without question, write you a letter of recommendation for math camp" Glen adds fuel to the fire.

"Just because I know who to ask for a letter of recommendation on hand for math camps doesn't mean much those camps! And while they ask for a transcript, the focus will be on math and science grades! Everyone will have straight As in these subjects!" Valerie keeps complaining about the whole ordeal.