Pi Day
International Pi Day (3.14.2008) was celebrated in Aquinas this year through a range of fun mathematical events, which were also used to help raise money for Trócaire and were created and organized by Ms Connolly and Eoin McCrossan, 11G. Pi badges and erasers were made and sold throughout Lent, and demand was so high that the badge factory (i.e. Ms Connolly’s bijoux classroom) went into overdrive. Einstein appeared in the school on several occasions to host several ‘meet and greet’ sessions where, for a small charge, he posed for pictures, signed autographs, and even dispensed powerful words of advice such as “Use a 30cm ruler”, “Invest in a metal compass”, “Celebrate the irrationality of Pi” and the intriguing “Have you considered wearing circular shoes?”. Mrs McCrossan very kindly baked and iced hundreds of tasty Pi biscuits and Eoin and Ms Connolly flogged these around the school with no difficulty whatsoever. The main event of Pi Season was, of course, our annual Pi Memorisation Championship, which took place at lunchtime in the Library on Pi Day itself (thank you very much, Mrs Cullen!). The response was unprecedented, with twelve competitors and over sixty spectators paying 50 pence each to be part of the Pi experience. Pi songs played enticingly in the background as the crowd gathered to witness the spectacle that united so many mathematical enthusiasts in one place: indeed Ms Connolly became very emotional and remarked on the importance of embracing one’s inner ‘geek’. The crowd cheered and some geeks had found their voice-it was a special moment.
The competitors for 2008 were Alison McSperrin, Matthew Nixon, Caoimhe Wills and Calum McIntyre (Year 8); Róisín Guthrie, Emma Martin, Peter Brennan, Conor Dornan, Eoin Moriarty and Clara McCourt (Year 9); Patrick Nevin (2007 Pi Champion and previous School Record-Holder) (Year 10) and Ciarán Gallagher (Year 14). The tension was acute as the audience meticulously checked every recited decimal place and Eoin McCrossan as adjudicator was patient and encouraging in the face of forgotten digits. The eventual winner and new School Record-Holder, Calum McIntyre, was undisputed as he rattled off a mind-boggling 277 decimal places in less than five minutes. It was truly amazing to witness and Calum is now a mathematical celebrity and a general legend throughout the school. Fantastic memory skills were also demonstrated by the runners-up: second place went to Róisín Guthrie, recalling 88 decimal places, Patrick Nevin won third place with 85 decimal places, and Matthew Nixon, who remembered 82 decimal places, claimed the very respectable fourth position. HMV vouchers, Easter eggs, badges, certificates, chocolate and lollies were won, as well as the general glory of being in the Pi Posse. Well done, one and all and thank you to every person who contributed to our final total raised, which amounted to £324.58. A warm shout goes out also to all those people who now accept that Pi is not pie, nor is it anything to do with Pythagoras. Circumference divided by diameter is pi…you know it makes sense. Bring on Pi Day 2009!
Click on the pictures to see the Pi Day story unfold…
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