Although it isn’t marked on a calendar as an official holiday, the date 3-14 is still cause to celebrate as it is known to many as Pi day since it’s digits math the first three of the number Pi.  Each year, to mark the special day, Mr. Chase along with the help of several students organize a pie eating competition on Main Street during lunch. The event is always a sight to see as students have the opportunity to watch teachers and administrators stuff their face into a plate full of pie.

This year’s competition was won by Mr. Goetz who was followed closely by Mr. Mallory and Mr. Chase.

“It’s something I’ve been dreaming of my entire life since I was probably one,” Goetz later remarked, “I’ve been eating pie every day starting from 5 am these past few months and slowly building up like marathon trainers.” Goetz also cited Joey Chestnut as his main inspiration after he got to see Chestnut compete live at the Coney Island hot dog eating contest this past summer.

The rules to win were simple: the contestant must be the first to finish their plate filled with a quarter piece of pie without using their hands in anyway for help.

The contestants this year included Mr. Chase, Mrs. McDonald, Mr. Goetz, Ms. Gallun, Dr. Sparks, and Mr. Mallory. Unfortunately, the previous champion, Mr. Monteleone was unable to attend the event due to illness.

It was clear from the start that it was going to be a very heated race, as trash talk began before the contestants even took a seat. Mr. Mallory arrived on the scene holding a paper plate wrapped in plastic which turned out to be his winning plate from the 2014 competition. Mr. Chase showed off his juggling skills by juggling three tin foil balls. Mr. Goetz was last to be seated after calling out both Mr. Chase and Mr. Mallory.

Although most competitors took the approach of shoving their face into the plate and swallowing as much as they could, it was Mrs. McDonald who stood out the most by bringing out a place mat, candles, a fork, and the book “Life of Pi” to read.

In the end, after a close race for first, it was Mr. Goetz who was declared the winner after licking not only all the pie on his plate, but also the pieces from his plate that fell onto the table.

Not to be a poor sport, Goetz claimed that the credit couldn’t all go to him and that he had his wife and children to thank as well. “My wife’s been very supportive through the whole process, she’s been taking the bus to places to save the money we spend on pie,” Goetz continued. “My kids, Delaney and Devon, the hours I normally spend with them on their homework and playing sports I’ve been eating pie instead.”

Although this wasn’t Goetz’s first victory, he admitted that it mattered more this time since the competition was a lot tougher than it used to be. Goetz considers himself part of the older crowd in the pie eating fraternity, however he has stated that he has not yet decided whether or not he wants to retire.

As for his advice to the newcomers, he had a simple message: “Stick with it. The fame and fortune that comes with eating pie very quickly is worth it. Teaching is the biggest passion in my life but a close second, for me and a lot of other people is pie eating so don’t be afraid. There’s never a time or place where you shouldn’t eat pie quickly.”