Solution to Spring 2016 POTW #4 (Bow Do You Do?)

See here for the original post of the puzzle.

Let's say x is the number of administrators, so the number of faculty members is 2x.
Then, we can careful count all the bows that took place:

• Every administrator (x) bows to each other administrator (x-1): total x(x-1)
• Every administrator (x) bows to each faculty member (2x): total x(2x)
• Every administrator (x) bows to Sr. Janet (1): total x
• Every faculty member (2x) bows to each other faculty member (2x-1): total 2x(2x-1)
• Every faculty member (2x) bows to each administrator (x): total 2x(x)
• Every faculty member (2x) bows to Sr. Janet (1): total 2x

Total number of bows: x²-x+2x²+x+4x²-2x+2x²+2x=9x²
Therefore, 900=9x², so x=10.

This means there were 10 administrators, 20 faculty, and Sr. Janet in attendance, for a total of 31 people.

Spring 2016 POTW #4: Bow Do You Do?

Submissions due by midnight on Sunday, April 10, 2016.

At a recent college meeting, there were several faculty members, several administrators, as well as the President, Sister Janet. There were twice as many faculty members as there were administrators.

In addition, this was a rather formal academic meeting, so there were many bows that occurred: Every administrator made a bow to every other administrator, to each faculty member, and to Sr. Janet; also, every faculty member made a bow to every other faculty member, to each administrator, and to Sr. Janet. Overall, exactly 900 bows took place.

How many people were in attendance at this formal academic meeting?

(Use the submission box below to submit your answer. No need to explain: a correct answer will suffice for 10 points. However, feel free to explain your answer if you want a chance at some partial credit, in the event that your answer is incorrect.)

Solution to Fall 2015 POTW #6 (Ehhh, The Horror!) and #7 (Emmanuel Fay Cult)

See here for the original post for Fall 2015 POTW #6: Ehhh, The Horror!
Solution:

1. "The Silence of the Limbs"
2. "The Bards"
3. "2001: A Spice Odyssey"
4. "The Amen"

See here for the original post for Fall 2015 POTW #7: Emmanuel Fay Cult

Solution:

1. Yulia DEMENTIEVA (MEDIA EVENT)
2. Aren GERDON (GO NERD)
3. Christine LEIGHTON (HOTEL GIN)
4. Lenore MARTIN (TIN ARM)

Fall 2015 POTW #7: Emmanuel Fay Cult

Solutions due by midnight on Sunday, November 22, 2015.

Last week, the World Scrabble Championships happened in Australia. It just so happens that a few of my friends participated in the event and did very well! Specifically, congrats to Evan, John, Jesse, Dave, and Chris. They all placed in the Top 40 and deserve recognition; congratulations, all of you!

I used to play in Scrabble tournaments myself. The folks I met in that world have gone on to achieve marvelous things; in honor of them, this week's puzzle is based on anagrams.

Specifically, each answer here is the last name of a professor/lecturer at Emmanuel College. The names are clued by revealing a specific two word phrase which you must then anagram into someone's name. To help you, I have included the department in which the professor/lecturer works at EC, and I have tried to make the phrasal clues as transparent as possible (without being so revealing as to be uninteresting).

You may use the following website, which lists faculty at Emmanuel College, as a resource: http://www.emmanuel.edu/academics/our-faculty.html . Of course, you may use any other resource you wish, as well; part of the point of this puzzle is to get you to think and do some research. (Don't necessarily feel like you should be able to answer these questions off the top of your head!)

Keep in mind: Each clue reveals a two word phrase which then anagrams to the last name of someone on the list in the website link above; your answer should be the last name of the professor/lecturer clued.

For example, if the clue were, "This history professor has 2000 pounds of evergreens", the answer would be FORTIN since TON FIR anagrams to FORTIN.

I will award 2.5 points for each correct answer.

What is your name (or team name)?
(Please use the same name every week so that I can properly record your scores!)

(1) This math professor has caused TV and radio to report on a specific happening.


(2) This chemistry professor's rally cry might be translated as, "Huzzah, geek!"


(3) This education professor drinks a juniper liquor from a place where you pay for a nightly stay.


(4) This political science professor has a limb made from the element with atomic number 50.