CMU celebrates Pi Day with fun, food, and friendly competition

Pi Day at Central Michigan University was a blast, bringing together students and faculty for a fun-filled celebration of the mathematical constant π (pi). Hosted by the American Mathematical Society (AMS), the event featured a pi recitation contest, a pie-eating showdown, and a fascinating talk about the significance of pi.

Pi Day, marked each year on March 14 (3/14) in honor of the approximate value of π (3.14159), is a favorite among math lovers worldwide. At CMU, it was the perfect excuse to mix learning with laughter, friendly competition, and, of course, plenty of pie.

One of the biggest highlights was the pi recitation contest, where participants pushed their memory skills to the limit. Drexler Demas, a 5th grader from Fancher Elementary in Mt. Pleasant, stole the show, rattling off an impressive 36 digits of pi to claim victory. The pie-eating contest was another crowd-pleaser with Erick Tinitana, a CMU music graduate student, devouring the competition to take the top spot. Special mention goes to Isaac Cinzori, a CMU mathematics graduate student and president of the AMS Graduate Student Chapter, for his, let’s say, enthusiastic approach—earning him the title of messiest competitor.

The AMS extends a huge thank you to everyone who came out and made the event such a success. A special shoutout goes to the CSE Dean’s Office for their generous support in making the celebration possible.

Whether you joined for the math, the competition, or just a good excuse to eat pie, CMU’s Pi Day was an event to remember. Here’s to another year of celebrating the infinite magic of pi!