Keeping that hula hoop moving, Penn State York students, Alexis Feeeser, left, and Christina Herman, right, are under the watchful eye of Amy Harmon Krtjanek, lecturer in engineering and one of the coordinators of last year's Pi Day event. The hula hoop contest is part of the celebration again this year on March 14 from 12-1:15 p.m.
YORK, Pa. — There’s a lengthy list of competitors from David Christiansen, Penn State York’s chancellor, to members of the faculty, staff and administration ready to take on Pi Day and participate in a pie-eating contest. The campus will celebrate all things Pi, and pie, on March 14 when Penn State York hosts its third annual campus-wide Pi Day with an event from noon-1:30 p.m. in the conference center of the Main Classroom Building. Last year more than 100 members of the campus community attended the event.
In addition to enjoying pizza and pie, students will be able to enter contests to determine who can recite the most digits of Pi, and, for those more adept at physical representations of Pi, a contest is being held to see who can keep a hula hoop going the longest. Organizers want to be sure participants have an opportunity to work off those pie calories.
The Greek letter Pi, π, represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, an easy enough relationship to picture and understand, according to Joan Smeltzer, lecturer in mathematics and a Pi Day organizer.
It's all about Pi (3.14) , and pie, at Penn State York on Tuesday, March 14 from 12-1:30 p.m. in the conference center, when the campus celebrates Pi Day. Mary Ritchey, lecturer in chemistry on campus, left, helps out with the celebration. A variety of activities are planned including a pie-eating contest.
“What is much more mysterious and interesting is that the number that represents that ratio has a decimal representation that will never terminate, such as when one-half is represented by .5; and never repeat, as in when one-third is represented by .3333,” said Smeltzer. “So we can never truly know exactly the value of Pi. We live in a time in which we believe that with our technology, exact answers are easy to find, and usually quickly. Pi reminds us that there will always be some things out of reach."
Who will eat the most pie, recite the most digits of Pi, or keep the hula hoop going the longest? To discover the answers to these questions, plan to attend Pi Day on March 14.
