Students, professors put pie in Pi Day

It's not likely anyone is getting the day off from school or work for it, but National Pi Day is Friday. Since 1988, when the first celebration was held at the San Francisco Exploratorium, the day has been commemorated around the world. Pi Day is celebrated on the 14th day of the third month, which aligns with the first three digits of pi – 3.14 – the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter.

CSU Monterey Bay is celebrating a day early this year. Since spring break is next week, many students will leave campus on Friday.

Albert Einstein was born on Pi Day in 1879

To celebrate what Math and Statistics Club president Lauren Sommers calls “the fantastic transcendental number pi,” the club will offer free pie, a pie-eating contest and the opportunity to “pie” a faculty member and a club officer. They will be chosen based on the total amount of donations placed in jars in the math office (Room S216 in the Chapman Building).

The fun will take place between 1 and 3 p.m. Thursday at the back of the Chapman Science Academic Building. Everyone is invited. Did you know?

• The earliest record of pi is on the Rhind Papyrus and is only 1 percent off today's calculation

• Pi has been studied by humans for almost 4,000 years