May 2011

BY JOCELYN WESTWOOD
APEGGA Student Columnist
University of Alberta
Engineering

Pi Throw is an annual event organized by the Engineering Students’ Society at the University of Alberta. Inspired by March 14th, or Pi Day, is a charitable event in which all proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity.

The event ran from March 9-18, with the first three days dedicated specifically to selling pies and the remainder on delivery of same.

Pi Throw is a fun and light-hearted event in which students and faculty purchase “pies” – paper plates full of whipped cream – for $10, then send them to one of their peers. When presented with a pie, recipients have four options; take the pie in the face for free, redirect to another person for $10, purchase a real pie for π3 (about $31), or decline to participate in the event.

APEGGA student member Chris Schneck was this year’s event coordinator. With over 100 pies to deliver, Mr. Schneck counted on his dedicated volunteers, and over thirty bottles of whipped topping, to deliver all the pies.

An impressive total of just under $2,000 was raised at the event, plus fun was had by all.

Dignity Suspended

Kudos goes to U of A staff and students who put their dignity temporarily on hold to support a great cause.

Associate Professor, Dr. Sean Sanders, P.Eng., was a great sport taking eight pies in the face courtesy of some of his graduate students. Though organised by the ESS, the Pi Throw event involved participants from all around the university. One pie was sent to Enterprise Square, the U of A’s downtown Edmonton campus. This participant however redirected the pie back to the sender, and bought another one for her supervisor, Sean Price, vice-president, Alumni Affairs. The pies were redirected back and forth for a while, but in the end Mr. Price took one pie in the face.

The event’s successes are dependent on many hours of work by dedicated volunteers, but all willingly give their time to raise money for an excellent cause.

Reflections of a Graduating Student

In April 2011, approximately 800 students will graduate from the Faculty of Engineering at the U of A. Of these, only about 25 will be graduating from the Engineering Physics program.