Creativity Showcased at Pumpkin Palooza

By Derek Jorgensen and Ashley Ali

Members of the campus community gathered at the Siek Campus Center and the McDonough Sports Complex throughout the day on Thursday, Oct. 24 for the annual Pumpkin Palooza.
One of the major highlights of Pumpkin Palooza is the pumpkin carving contest.
Some of the pumpkin creations showcasing students’ creativity this year included the Tin Man from “The Wizard of Oz,” “Despicable Me” minions and Cookie Monster along with Elmo and Oscar the Grouch.
There was also a cheeseburger pumpkin, complete with a sesame seed pumpkin bun, French fries, ketchup and a sign saying “Beef up your knowledge.”
A world peace pumpkin was submitted, which was painted like a world globe with doves all around its rim and the word “peace” as part of its stand.
The “Alice in Wonderland” pumpkin displayed the storybook characters with a strobe light inside for added effect.
“Being an artist, it helped me explore my creativity,” said Hudson Valley student Steve Simmons. “It’s amazing to see how creative people around campus are.”
“Personally, I really liked the giant spider because I thought it was really cool,” said Simmons.
Pumpkin Palooza also included a live D.J. and free food which included chicken tenders, pigs-in-a-blanket, fruit, cookies and brownies.
During the evening portion of the event, the McDonough sports complex was filled with carnival games, clowns, prizes and music for entertainment. Tables were filled with apple cider, donuts, cookies, fruit and melted caramel.
Engineering science major Anton Andriyanov volunteered to dress up in a mariachi outfit while he guarded the inflatable dinosaur playhouse.
“I like helping and being involved in the student activities. It was nice of the school to rent us these costumes,” said Andriyanov.
“Coach Pokines thought this would be good bonding time for the team,” said Mariah D’Orazio, senior business major and forward for the Women’s Soccer team.
“About 10 or 12 of us volunteered today,” said D’Orazio.
“We thought it would be fun because we get to interact with kids and you get to dress like someone other than yourself,” said Alison Wimmer, a freshman physical education major who is also a forward on the Women’s Soccer team.
“There was a big turnout. It was really exciting and a lot of fun,” said Steve Simmons.