Scottie O’Bryan
Staff Writer
Pi, the famously infinite number which has grown into a celebrity of sorts within the mathematical community, is represented by the Greek letter “π”. The number is so acclaimed that it even has an official day dedicated to it, on March 14, to celebrate the the first three digits (3.14) of the never ending, irrational number. Since the first accurate estimate of pi is widely credited to Archimedes of Syracuse around 250 BCE, it seems very fitting that a high school in Syracuse, New York will be celebrating this day. On Tuesday, March 14, the advisers and senior students in Math Honor Society will be celebrating the special day along with the rest of the (math) world.
MHS has held Pi Day festivities after school since 2014. Last year was an exception since there was a snow day on Pi Day. This year, the celebration will be held in the Large Cafe during activity period.
The celebration is mandatory to attend for the 90 students apart of MHS, but is also open to all J-DHS students of any grade. MHS was split into three different groups to plan various activities throughout the school year. The group in charge of organizing Pi Day has a lot planned out for the celebration. There will be pizza, desserts, and fun festivities and competitions to watch, all free of charge.
MHS Co-President senior Thomas Edson is looking forward to Pi Day. “There’s been a lot of planning that has gone into it. The competitions will all be really fun to watch…I’m excited,” says Edson. There is three competitions that will take place on Pi Day: a pie baking contest, a pi recitation contest and a competition to find a solution to a math problem where the winner gets to pick someone to get a whipped cream pie in the face. The pie baking contest will be both cooked and judged by MHS students. The pi recitation contest, where students recite the numbers of pi for as long as they accurately can, consists of three finalists who had previously tried out to earn the chance to win on Pi Day. “We’re also trying to find a teacher that is willing to get pied in the face. That would attract a lot of students (to come),” says Edson. Edson says that they are expecting “a good amount of people” to turnout.
MHS’s Pi Day will be full of food and fun for any J-DHS student. “Pi Day is an important celebration within the math community,” says Edson. “The festivities we’re holding is just a really fun way to celebrate it.” He recommends taht anyone who is after school and looking for something to do should definitely come.
