It turns out there’s a right and a wrong way to pie a teacher in the face.
That’s what David Jahangiri, a health teacher at Laurel High School, said during the high school’s second annual Community Day celebration on June. Jahangiri had volunteered to be pied, for the price of just $3 per pie, but often found himself struggling to breathe in the aftermath. The problem, he said, is when people swirl the pie around his face after hitting him with it.
“Anyone who pies, then swirls [it in my face with their hand], it gets into the nose,” Jahangiri said. “So a straight-on pie [without swirling] … and we’re good.”
Pieing teachers was one of many activities offered during Community Day, which also featured bounce houses, video games, a wide variety of vendors and entertainment, including performances by the school choir and cheerleaders.
But beyond the entertainment, organizers said the event was designed to strengthen Laurel High School’s connection with the broader Laurel community, showcase student talent and connect residents with resources and opportunities.
Tia Harris said Community Day was created to make the school a gathering place for the community while publicizing programs such as food assistance and job opportunities.
“The event was intentionally designed to be family-centered and free of charge so that all community members could participate regardless of financial circumstances,” she said in an email to The Laurel Independent.
Dara Mayomi and Janelle Bassole, two graduating seniors, were among the students attending. Mayomi said she enjoyed the “close-knit” atmosphere of Community Day, as well as the music provided by a DJ and several student performers.
“It’s also fun because we get to see some of our peers that we haven’t seen in a while,” Bassole said.
So far, Harris said, Community Day has drawn between 300 and 500 attendees in each of its first two years. She said the event has attracted at least a few people from outside Laurel, including Lanham and Burtonsville.
Still, the focus remains on Laurel. Harris said she wants Laurel High School to be a “hub” for the entire community, not just its students.
But even with so much to do, the opportunity to pie a teacher appeared to be one of the event’s most popular attractions.
The “pies” started the day as paper plates covered in whipped cream, according to Jahangiri. But the whipped cream soon ran out, forcing organizers to switch to shaving cream.
“It tastes absolutely diabolical,” he said.