On Oct. 6, the Yellow Jacket Activity Board partnered with student government and RezLife to host the autumnal celebration Pumpkin Fest across campus to encourage a break from midterms.  

As the event took place in multiple locations including the Circle of Warmth, the Student Activity Center and the Union West Lawn, the Pumpkin Fest included a wide range of activities. Students were given the opportunity to smash pumpkins, paint tote-bags, take a ride in a horse drawn carriage and enjoy an array of fall themed treats.  

Greta Garffius, a member of YJAB and co-coordinator for the event, said that YJAB, Rezlife and the student government wanted a wanted a chance to bring together the students across campus and encourage a stress-free time to relax and enjoy the company of friends.   

“We thought it would be a nice little brain break with midterms and everything going on to have a nice way to spend time with friends away from some homework and enjoy and bring the community together,” Garffius said.   

One of the activities that saw a lot participation at this year’s Pumpkin Fest was the pumpkin smashing. Todd Heft, assistant director of Residence Life and Housing, provided the mallet which was used to smash the pumpkins.  

 “Some students asked if I had a sledgehammer they could borrow for an event. I said ‘yes’, but asked what it would be for and they described their idea, I pointed out that a sledgehammer would just put a hole in the pumpkin, not smash it,” Heft said. “They needed something with a larger surface area that would impact more of the pumpkin”.  

After signing a waiver, students moved to a large tarp with pumpkins covering the surface. There was no limit to the number of pumpkins someone could smash and people took turns throwing them on the ground, stomping on them and smashing them with the mallet.  

With the amount of pumpkin themed activities, Analicia Guijlsa, a student in attendance at the Pumpkin Fest said that event provided a nice atmosphere.  

“All the things seemed interesting and definitely like you would find them at a pumpkin patch,” Guijlsa said.  

 Another popular activity was the “Hocus Pocus” showing in the SAC. The students watched the film while painting a tote-bag. The students also enjoyed fall themed snacks throughout the movie, such as apple cider and flavored popcorn.  

“Pumpkin Fest definitely stands out because there is so much to do for different people,” Mitchell said. “There are a lot of options rather than just one event. There is something for everyone to enjoy, even if it’s just the food.”