March 14. – Three students arrived on the third floor at 11:00 am, marking the very beginning of the massive line that would soon wind around the entire hallway. By 11:15, the hallway was jam-packed with Community High School students, all ready to get the piece of pie that had caught their eye. Organized by both Anne Thomas and Craig Levin, Pi Day is a day of celebration for the scientific constant, Pi.

This year, the pie choices were multitudinous. Choices ranged from Apple to Chocolate, to Peanut Butter and Pecan, all glistening under the light from the third floor window. This year, there was a heavier emphasis on homemade pies, instead of the store bought kind.

“One time, my sophomore year, I saw a kid eat fourteen pieces of pie,” Dylan Hearn, Community Senior, claims. “But it was free pie so he really went for it. I feel like that sums up my feelings for Community High Pi Day.” The students were quick to devour the mountains of pies.

Even those who don’t favor the taste of pie can enjoy the sight of all of the whole school sharing a meal. It’s a beautiful representation of what can happen when students and teachers come together. At some other Ann Arbor high schools, pie is reserved for those of whom can recite the most digits of Pi, but at Community, everyone can share in the food and the fun.

“I fully support Pi day for the people who like pie,” said Grace York, Community High Senior. “However, I am not one of those people. I find pie dry and disgusting. But I think it’s fun for the novelty of it. It’s very ‘Community-esque.’ And even though it’s a pretty disorganized thing that people kind of just go along with, it’s one of those traditions that just has to happen.”

As lunch winded down, the students slowly dispersed and the pies shrunk to single-slices. Maneesha Mankad, Community High math teacher, stood solemnly behind the apple pies, enjoying the sight of her students conversing and joking. Pie, her favorite dessert, is not only delicious and moist, but helps her students understand her math lessons to a higher degree.

“We teach Trig around this time of the year, so what’s really cool is that Pi and radians can all be talked about in terms of pie,” said Mankad. “And it begins to make more sense for students because we get to talk in terms of pie. It’s something that is fun and relatable.”

The 2018 Community High Pi Day was a major success; finishing up with less waste than past years, students smiling from the delicious pie and extra credit, and whole leftover pies going to anyone who asks.