This could be an unlucky Halloween for pumpkins at West Virginia University.
The 13th thats 13th annual Pumpkin Drop will be at noon Friday, Oct. 27, at the Mineral Resources Building on WVUs Evansdale campus. WVU engineering students and public school students will drop pumpkins from the roof of the four-story building, hoping the containers they have designed will keep the gourds from breaking when they land.
“The Pumpkin Drop is an opportunity for students to learn about engineering in a fun way,”said Don Lyons, chairman of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.”Students of all ages can practice their engineering skills designing a package to prevent a pumpkin from breaking and compete successfully with engineering students at WVU .”
Contestants whose pumpkins land closest to the target without going splat will win, Dr. Lyons added. There will also be a best design prize.
Pumpkins must be at least 10 inches in diameter, weigh no more than 60 pounds (protective structure included) and be free-falling (no bungee cords). The insides of the pumpkins may not be altered, and no Styrofoam peanuts or other small, non-biodegradable fillers are allowed.
Besides being a fun engineering contest, the Pumpkin Drop is also a charity fund-raiser for the WVU Student Chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, which sponsors the event. There is a $10 entry fee, and proceeds go to the Ronald McDonald House. Last year, almost $1,500 was raised for the facility, which provides lodging for families of hospitalized children.
In conjunction with the Morgantown Pumpkin Drop, the third annual Capital City Pumpkin Drop will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, at the Capitol Complex in Charleston. Public school students from the Charleston area will drop pumpkins from atop the Capitol.
The Capital City Pumpkin Drop is sponsored by The Education Alliance and Aventis. WVU engineering faculty will be judges.
For more information about the Morgantown Pumpkin Drop, call 304-293-3111, ext. 2362, or visit the web site at http://www.cemr.wvu.edu/student_life_new/activities/pdrop/ . For more information about the Capital City Pumpkin Drop, call Julie Robinson, The Education Alliance, 304-342-7886.