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SUNY Potsdam to Host Screening of 'Counted Out' Math Documentary

SUNY Potsdam Welcomes Public for Sept. 23 Community Screening of Feature Mathematics Documentary, 'Counted Out'

Potsdam, NY (09/04/2026) — SUNY Potsdam will host a free public screening of the feature documentary, "Counted Out," on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m., in the Barrington Student Union Multi-Purpose Room.

The SUNY Potsdam screening is hosted by faculty from the Department of Mathematics, with support from the Lougheed Center for Applied Learning. There will be a Q&A session after the film, also open to all. In addition to the Sept. 23 event, an online screening of "Counted Out" will be held for students in SUNY Potsdam's online degree programs as well.

This event is free, and the public is invited to attend. Though tickets are not required, guests are invited to sign up in advance to help organizers prepare.

Learn more & RSVP: SUNY Potsdam 'Counted Out' screening

"Counted Out" investigates the biggest crises of our time. Political polarization. Racial biases. Social injustice. Economic inequity. Climate change. And a global pandemic. All viewed through a previously unseen lens: math.

In our current information economy, math is everywhere. The people we date, the news we see, the influence of our votes, the candidates who win elections, the education we can access and the jobs we get are all underwritten by an invisible layer of math that few of us understand, or even notice.

But whether we know it or not, our numeric literacy -- whether we can speak the language of math -- is a critical determinant of social and economic power.

"In my quest to understand math's critical role in our lives, I uncovered a movement of scholars, activists, and educators who also see math as more than an academic subject. For them, math is a tool for understanding and harnessing the beauty, wonder, and possibility of the world we live in. And our lack of access to that tool is, in their view, the critical civil rights issue of our time," said film director Vicki Abeles.

Through a mosaic of personal stories, expert interviews, and scenes of math transformation in action, "Counted Out" shows what's at risk if we keep the status quo. Do we want an America in which most of us don't consider ourselves "math people", where math proficiency goes down as students grow up? Or do we want a country where everyone can understand the math that undergirds our society -- and can help shape it?

The film's voices include the late civil rights icon Robert Moses, as well as Talithia Williams, associate professor of mathematics at Harvey Mudd University and TEDx speaker of "Own Your Body's Data," plus Julia Angwin, investigative journalist and founder of Proof, and Steven Levitt, co-author of "Freakonomics."

The SUNY Potsdam Department of Mathematics is grounded in the belief that students can succeed if they are provided with a supportive environment with rich professional opportunities and encouraging faculty. For more information, visit www.potsdam.edu/academics/AAS/Math.

About SUNY Potsdam:

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges -- and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.

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Media Attachments

The film poster for "Counted Out."

SUNY Potsdam’s Department of Mathematics will host a free public screening of the documentary film, “Counted Out,” on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m., in the Barrington Student Union Multi-Purpose Room.

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