Ever had the desire to throw a pie straight in the face of your teacher? Today, the Alternative Spring Break program gave students that chance.

“It gives students an opportunity to step outside their comfort zone and experience service in the community,” said Katherine Browna, a graduate assistant working for the organization.

“A lot of people give back to the Knoxville community and this gives them an opportunity to go and see what community service can be like outside of just [Knoxville].-Katherine Browna, graduate assistantA lot of people give back to the Knoxville community and this gives them an opportunity to go and see what community service can be like outside of just [Knoxville],” added Browna.

The Alternative Spring Break program is focused on giving students an opportunity to be given a hands-on approach to learning how to help within the community. The program backs students to use what they have learned within the community wherever they end up.

The Pi(E) day today was one of their many fundraisers to try and raise enough money to get students to the different locations.

Students paid $3 to throw pies in the faces of around 11 teachers who sacrificed two hours out of their days to help the cause.

Browna added that this year they would be sending out three groups of students to the East Coast in cities including Miami, FL to help out in the community.

“With the intentional reflection and education that they get before, during and after their trip they can connect those experiences back to here,” said Browna. “Knoxville has several environmental issues that can be correlated with their experience and they can see how they can translate that to [Knoxville]."

For more information on the Alternative Spring Break program, contact Brad Morgan at rmorgan2@utk.edu.