On Thursday March 14, the Charles Schultz Library will be hosting its first annual Pi Day event by the Lucy statue outside of the library. It will start at 3:14 p.m. and last for exactly an hour and fifty nine minutes, an homage to the first digits of pi: 3.14159.
Students will get the opportunity to learn about the library’s various science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) resources while engaging in fun activities like eating pie, writing poems and making buttons.
There will a chance for students to write “pi-kus”, an adaption of a haiku. Instead of structuring the poem five syllables on the first line, seven syllables on the second and five syllables on the third, the poem will nod at the digits of pi by having it structured with three syllables, one syllable and ending with four.
Seawolves will also get to make buttons with Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking quotes, as Pi Day also commemorates Einstein’s birthday and Hawking’s death day.
For those who are competitive, there is a pi recitation contest, where participants will be asked to list as many numbers of pi as they can. Students can also expect the chance to chow down on some of their favorite flavors of pie during the event.
“It sounds like it’s gonna be a blast! I can’t wait to get some pie, ” said business major Bella Butz.
If it rains on March 14, instead of taking place by the Lucy statue, the event will be held inside of the library. Students are encouraged to come and learn more about STEM while having some fun.
“Anything from the paper circuit, to button making, to eating pie, anyone will find something fun for them,” said Outreach and Inclusion librarian Catherine Fonseca.
“One event we’ll have is this fun activity called a paper circuit. That’s really to highlight our Maker’s Base.” said Fonseca, “The Maker’s Base is a place for students to create, invent and prototype. Just kind of bring their ideas to reality. We have 3-D printers, laser cutters, along with a vast array of technology.”
It’s important that the library holds events like these as students are often times unaware that the school has so many STEM resources.
The Maker’s Base isn’t the only STEM resource the library has to offer. On the library’s website, students are able to find a litany of different databases and filter them in order to find ones that give the best information for their major.
“If you go to the library’s web page and you go to the A-Z list of article databases you can actually filter by subject,” said Fonseca.
The library also offers its enormous collection of books, from popular reading like Carl Sagan to the more nitty gritty theoretical science materials. Of course, if it doesn’t have a certain book, the library offers collection development, meaning the library can purchase different STEM materials on behalf of the students and faculty of Sonoma State.
“I’ve actually never really heard about these things. I definitely feel like I don’t hear about library sources in general,” said Sonoma State University senior Sarah Eldredge.
While the focus may be on the STEM tools, everyone is welcomed to enjoy the entertaining activities planned.