Culture

Schine departments to participate in annual pumpkin carving competition

When the maintenance team won the Schine Student Center pumpkin-carving contest in 2012, Phil Benedict “lost his mind,” and ran around the atrium, Bridget Yule said.

It was the maintenance team’s first year competing, and nobody expected them to win.

“It was a pumpkin that was sitting on a chair and crapping out a pumpkin pie,” said Yule, the director of Student Centers and Programming Services. “It was so amazing and not distasteful — just very cute.”

Benedict’s reaction shows the competitive nature of the annual pumpkin-carving competition at Schine, which will be held on Halloween. The contest is open for the public to watch, but invites only administrative officers and staff members within Schine to compete.

“It can get really competitive,” said Elda Hernandez, a graduate student assistant in the Student Centers and Programming Services department. “I got emails — even before I sent out the flier — from administrators saying they wanted to sign up for pumpkin carving.”



Hernandez said the pumpkin-carving competition began in 1985 when Schine was first built. She has been in charge of preparing for the event and will be participating in the contest for the second time. Hernandez added that she can’t wait to transform her pumpkin into a work of art.

Administrators who don’t work at Schine will judge the contest to ensure there is no bias in the decision-making. They will rank the pumpkins based on four categories: originality, creativity, appearance and teamwork. Hernandez said after everyone worked noticeably well together last year, the judges unanimously agreed to add teamwork as a new category this year.

Each department coordinates a team for the contest and brings any props or costumes that go along with their pumpkin’s theme. Rose Marie Crisalli, program manager for the SU bookstore, said her department always tries to use puns in its themes. Last year her team dressed up as witches as part of its “Witch Way to the Bookstore” theme.

Although there are humorous costumes, decorations and music, the pumpkin carving is no joke to administrators. Contestants are given one hour to carve and set up their pumpkin display. Once the hour is up, the judges yell, “Time!” and the contestants must immediately stop working.

“It’s like the food show ‘Chopped,’ where the judges yell ‘Drop everything!’” Hernandez said. “That’s pretty much how we do it, too.”

The Student Centers and Programming Services department has put together a basket with scary movies, popcorn and SU gear for this year’s first, second and third place winners. But only the first place winner will be awarded a plaque as proof of their victory, Hernandez said.

This year’s contestants include staff members within the Shaw Student Center, the Syracuse University Bookstore, the Office of Student Activities and the Student Centers and Programming Services departments. Hernandez said Schine Dining usually competes, but cannot this year because the contest overlaps with the university’s Family Weekend.

Yule said although Schine Dining will be missed, other departments will now have a chance to step up their game. She added that the SU bookstore and Schine Dining have the biggest rivalry, but Schine Dining has been more victorious in the past — the team has won seven times since 2000.

Last year, Schine Dining went “all out” on its pumpkin display, Hernandez said. The department’s pumpkin resembled an apple, and team members spray-painted it and added fruit, pastries and apple cider to the pumpkin display.

Said Hernandez: “It’s just a lot of fun getting to see everyone outside of their job responsibilities and watching people really enjoy themselves.”





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