Pi(e) Day 2014

        When it comes to celebrating mathematical constants, Taylor’s College Sri Hartamas takes the cake - or pie, actually. Friday, March 14th, seemed like an average day for college-goers; but little were they aware of the fun-filled activities that awaited them. The Young Entrepreneurs Club, together with the Leo Club, joined forces to celebrate the date marked by mathematicians around the world (those with a sense of humour, at least) in a very striking way. But firstly, what is so great about Pi(e) Day? A quick reminder: pi, the irrational number 3.1415926535897932… - digits you probably did not bother to finish reading - is defined as the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. “Pi” is also homonymous with the word “pie”, a famous baked good that has been around for centuries. This strange coincidence has given rise to what may seem like an unclear theme, but all the same, Pi(e) Day is steadily gaining popularity around the world as a trendy way to appreciate the importance of mathematics.  To put it simply; even if you hate math, you'll love Pi(e) Day. Why? Because there's pie! The two clubs did an awesome job drawing interest and participation from students around college, prompting them to break from their academic pursuits in order to have some fun together.
 
"Some fun."

        The celebration, which started at 9:30 a.m, kicked off with the sale of pies and desserts; connecting pastry and mathematics into one delicious equation. Stationed at the open learning area on the first floor, students were spoilt for choice. There were delicacies ranging from chicken pies and brownies to pi-tastically decorated cupcakes. The mouth-watering homemade treats were quite a hit amongst the students who snapped them up when moving between classes.


Until it was used for a nobler purpose.

        At 12:45 p.m, after classes were dismissed, the open learning area was abuzz with students crowding near the vending machines to witness the highlight of the day: the highly anticipated Pie-A-Chum (P.A.C) and Pie-A-Lecturer (P.A.L.) activity, during which students or lecturers paid a small sum to throw a pie straight into a volunteer’s face. There were some sporting ones who had volunteered earlier while others signed up on the spot. To make things a little bit more challenging, a string separated the victims and the perpetrators; making it a test of accuracy for the pie splatters. 

This isn't bullying despite how it looks.
        Then, equipped with pies made of whipped cream and paper plates, the pie throwers started smooshing their victims with pie to the loud cheers of the crowd and screams of the creamy-faced volunteers. Many phones and cameras were pulled out; burst shots were taken to capture hilarious moments - faces pouting and eyes squinting split seconds before getting pied, as well as more comical fails. 

This is how one poses for the camera. And we're talking about the dude on the left.

        Ms Jo, a Chemistry teacher from CAL and the only lecturer sporting enough to volunteer, was clearly not exempted from a crusty fate. While the wall behind the volunteers seemed like the biggest victim at the end of the event, all those who got a whipped-cream facial also made a huge sacrifice - washing their hair more times than the pi constant for the greater good - and perhaps some fun. In the end, the Pi(e) day celebration definitely turned out to be a real hit.


Lined up at the hair salon, probably.


Written by Jonathan Raj,
South Australian Matriculation,
Editorial Board Writing Department.


Photo Credit: Meghan Choy and Jeffery Chu, Editorial Board Photographers
Copyright © 2014 The Beacon Online Plastic Surgeon of Beacon: Chloe Tan(2014)