Rain doesn’t stop students from carving creations
Michelle Berthiaume
Sports Editor
Heavy rainfall did not stop students from flooding the lawn of the L.P. Young Student Center on Friday, Oct. 21 for the annual Pumpkin Lobotomy festivities.
On Thursday afternoon, KSC student body President, Katelyn Williams sent an email to the Keene State college student body. The email said, “The weather tomorrow looks a little lousy, however, let’s not let that ruin our fun! All the tables for Student Organizations have been moved inside the Student Center, the pumpkin carving will be outside of the Student Center.” Pumpkin Lobotomy has been held on the Fiske quad since its inaugural trial run in 1990. The last minute change in location didn’t deter students from carving pumpkins.
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Williams said, “This is the first time it’s been held inside but it doesn’t look like anyone lost anything because of the rain.”
Paul Striffolino, assistant vice president of Student Affairs, and also one of the founders and organizers of Pumpkin Lobotomy, said, “Pumpkin Lobotomy started in 1990. A couple of students in student government wanted to have the students carve pumpkins without making them go buy all the stuff on their own.” Striffolino said that a couple of students and himself went to a pumpkin patch not far from Keene and picked up 30 or 40 pumpkins and brought them back to campus. Striffolino added, “That’s how it started.”
Since then, Pumpkin Lobotomy has turned into one of the most popular events at KSC. Twenty years ago, there were 30 or 40 pumpkins and this year, there were 1,800 pumpkins to be carved according to Chelsea Clouse, the Student Assembly chair at KSC.
The 1,800 pumpkins came from Gladstone Farm, located in Fairley, V.T., Paul Striffolino said. Although students aren’t paying cash for pumpkins on the day of Pumpkin Lobotomy, money is taken from student fees to pay for the pumpkins, Williams said. “It’s an event that affects a large amount of the student body so it should come out of student fees, that’s what student fees are for,” William said. Williams added that Student Government and Sodexo also contribute money, donations and pumpkins, in order to keep Pumpkin Lobotomy running smoothly. Chelsea Clouse said that student government took $500 out of its budget to try to pay for the costs of hosting Pumpkin Lobotomy.
An article in The Equinox, last Sept. said that Student Government asked for $10,000 to host last year’s Pumpkin Lobotomy. This included the cost of 1,800 pumpkins, corn dogs, apple cider, tables and an emergency fund. Williams said she did not yet have the total costs for this year’s Pumpkin Lobotomy. The article also said that Student Government contributed $1,150 last year to help offset the costs of Pumpkin Lobotomy.
KSC students picked up one of those 1,800 pumpkins on the student center lawn and then took cover underneath the Media Arts Center and the entrance to the student center. One KSC junior, also a member of the KSC Women’s Lacrosse team, Erin Taylor found dry cover beneath the entrance to the Media Arts Center. Taylor said she came out despite the rain because of how much she enjoys the experience as a whole. “It really brings everyone together. And it makes it more fun that there’s a competitive aspect this year because of our competition with Highwood, Ill.”
Taylor added that the event sent a good message to the KSC community about coming together, even in the rain. “We are bleeding Keene State College pride right now.”
Once the pumpkins were carved, Clouse said they were brought to a table, registered with the college, a candle was placed inside of them, then they were transported downtown by volunteers in trucks to be placed on the scaffolds on Main street.
Along with pumpkin guts being strewn across old copies of newspaper, all over campus, students also set up many tables in the student center for organizations involved with Pumpkin Fest. There was even a simulated ride beneath the stairs of the student center so students could get a feel for what it would be like to be trapped in a coffin.
One of the organizations present was the KSC Champions. Emily Fosnock, a KSC senior and intern for the Health and Wellness program said that the KSC Champions were giving a handout to students about remaining safe during the annual Pumpkin Fest, which took place on Saturday, Oct. 20. Fosnock also gave out headbands and cups that said, “Be A Champion” to all students interested.
Chock Full O’ Notes was also present. They performed in the middle of the student center at 3 p.m. in front of a large crowd. Among the screams from the simulated ride and the melodies of CFON, KSC sophomore, Meghan Graham said it looked like students were enjoying themselves.
Katelyn Williams said, “Pumpkin Lobotomy is meant to be an event that bridges student organizations, the town of Keene and KSC students. It’s a perfect event to do that.”
The unofficial tally for the 2012 Keene Pumpkin Festival was 29,381 according to PumpkinFestival.org. If this tally is correct, Keene did not retain the world record for the most lit jack-o-lanterns in one place at one time. The 1,800 pumpkins carved by KSC students were among the 29,381 on Main Street for all to see, thanks to Pumpkin Lobotomy.
Mcihelle Berthiaume can be contacted at mberthiaume@keene-equnox.com