Pumpkin Fest is a time-honored tradition here at Keene State and was something that Student Government members and leaders fought to protect. From Pumpkin Lobotomy on Friday to the lighting of the pumpkins on Saturday night, it is an event enjoyed by all.
With this being my first year on Student Government I was unaware of all the work that went into putting on Pumpkin Lobotomy and helping to start the weekend off in a productive and safe way.
From getting up to unload pumpkins at 7:45 a.m., only to see them arrive two hours late, until cleaning up around 7 p.m. at night, it was a busy and entertaining day to say the least. It allowed me to see what made this event so important and cherished: highlighting how close-knit our campus community can be when it wants to.
When I eventually made my way downtown the following afternoon, I noticed that Main St. was relatively under control and it was only the side streets close to downtown that were littered with drunken antics out of the view of tourists who came to enjoy the day.
As the day continued to progress, I was still pleasantly surprised and proud of how students seemed to be handling themselves this year. It was only until after the festival officially ended that my thoughts turned negative.
From being awoken at 2:30 a.m. to the sound of fireworks to the carnage that was Main St. the next morning, I began to realize what the citizens of Keene have long assumed: maybe students are just not mature enough to handle themselves.
I must say I was utterly disheartened to see Main St. littered with pumpkins and newspaper and it really made me think if the college and Student Government will be so willing to stick their necks out for next year’s event.
Throughout the year the college and Student Government have been battling with the city and citizens, trying to convince them that students could control themselves. The way I saw it is we had one more chance to redeem ourselves and prove that we are mature, hence the efforts on the part of the college to stress the importance of safety.
After the destruction and behavior that I witnessed, I am skeptical if the city will be willing to allow the festival to continue, and in my mind the blame for that rests solely on students and young people.
As a student leader I am disheartened that my fellow students and peers could not contain themselves and had to act in the way they did. When some act in this way it makes us all look bad, especially those of us who are charged with making the leadership decisions and are seen as the body responsible for the actions of students.
If Pumpkin Fest is to continue, the students must step up over the next year and prove they are ready to act in a mature way and not prepared to engage in all-out destruction. It is time for the students to step up and take charge; the future of this event is in our hands.
Jordan Posner can be contacted at
jposner@ksc.mailcruiser.com