Mathematics & Statistics department pied on Pi day

On Friday, March 13, the Elon University Mathematics and Statistics Department celebrated Pi Day (one day early) with several events. The number Pi is an irrational number approximated by 3.1415. Every year, Pi Day is celebrated on March 14 (3.14) as a way to spread the joy of mathematics. The party started with a Bake Off judged by two student judges, Lila Snodgrass and Ella Negley.

There were many Pi-themed entries, but Professor Heather Barker’s mini strawberry pies with the digits of Pi written on each pie took the award for Best Tasting Bake. Math major Tyler Rosen’s savory meat pies won the award for Most Pi Bake.

Following the Bake Off, the party went outside for the main Pie-Your-Professor event. Students could spin the wheel with equal odds of: pie a professor, pie a student, Professor of Statistics Laura Taylor, or the students get pied.

Five faculty members from the Math and Stats department (Todd Lee, Nancy Scherich, Laura Taylor, Ryne VanKrevelen and Larry Cantwell) and three students (Tyler Rosen, Kelly DonovanAndrew Pipeling) volunteered to be the pie-ees.  All volunteers got pied, and some got pied more than once.